Replacing the corrugated axle shaft cover (BMW 3 Series E36)

Removal

Remove the axle shaft.



Press down the sealing cap.



Use pliers to cut off the tightening straps of the corrugated cover.

Remove the retaining ring.

Squeeze the cap of the corrugated cover.

Press the axle shaft out of the constant velocity joint. The ball hub should rest against the thrust plate.

Check the joint for dirt and damage. Replace the joint if necessary. If possible, do not disassemble the joint.

The contaminated joint can be cleaned, but this requires disassembling the joint.

From the front side, mark the relative positions of the ball hub, separator and joint pin.

Pull off the outer corrugated cover (from the wheel side)from the axle shaft.

Pull off the inner corrugated cover (from the gearbox side) from a profile shaft..

Installation

When replacing the seals, use a complete repair kit. On cars with high mileage, it is also recommended to replace all rubber seals.



Put on new rubber cuffs. At the same time, cover the sharp spots on the axle shafts with appropriate bushings or stick them with adhesive tape so as not to damage the corrugated covers when pulling them on. After that, cover the splines with Loctite 270.

Caution: The locking compound must not come into contact with the working surfaces of the hinge.

Assemble the joint and press it onto the axle shaft with the cap.

Insert the retaining ring.

Fill the joint and bellows with 80 g of grease.

Note: Grease is included with the bellows repair kit.

Clean and degrease surfaces in contact with the corrugated cover.

Cover the corrugated cover along a large circumference with Bostik 475 rot or Epple 4841 rot glue, stretch the cover and secure with new tension straps.

Cover the lid with Curil K2 or Stucarit Dicht-Gel 309 sealing compound and put the lid on.

Install the 2nd cover.

Install the axle shaft.

The original version is on the portal: «BMWMAN»