I have removed the two pinion nuts from the final drive housing but now there is the bearing inside the housing that surrounds the pinion. How is this removed? I cannot figure it out...

Aaron

You need heat and a bearing puller. The puller gets under the bearing and lifts it off, generally destroying it in the process. I reckon 00 7 500 (BMW part number 83 30 0 490 482) is the factory tool number, but someone may spring up with more enlightened information and a quicker fix.

What TWB said. It's illustrated in the BMW Shop manual that can be accessed from the Tech Pages by clicking the Portal tab at the top of this page. After that, click on the Tech Page link, affirm the oath then go download and read it. Section 33, page 14.0.

It's a blind hole bearing puller you need. You might borrow one at no charge from AutoZone or one of the other large auto parts chains by using a credit card to make a refundable deposit. Attached is the BMW-spec tool but other maker's tools are suitable. 


There are probably other more homespun techniques yet to be disclosed but we're not working on a buggy wheel here, so be cautious with those.

Thank you both! One quick question, if the pinion is in the middle of the bearing, how does the extractor get to the underside of the bearing?

downhillskater wrote: if the pinion is in the middle of the bearing, how does the extractor get to the underside of the bearing?

You aren't as far along as I reckoned. Many of us need a shop manual to supplement our intuition when working on machinery. You might be one of us.

At the top of this page, click on the Portal tab then click on the link to the forum Tech Page. Agree to the oath. On the Tech Page find the column heading Manuals then download the BMW shop manual. Start reading at Section 33, p. 11.0.