Cardan and drive shafts of the car BMW 3 Series E46

Technical data
Main gear Type - Unsprung, mounted on the rear subframe. Leading Vali Type - Steel shafts with constant velocity ball joints at each end. Cardan shaft Type -...

Tightening torques for connections, Nm
Note: Some connections use bolts of different classes. The class of each bolt is stamped on its head. Make sure that the bolts are tightened to the correct...

Basic information
Torque is transmitted from the gearbox to the rear wheels via a cardan shaft, which consists of two halves. Behind the central support of the cardan shaft,...

Main gear unit — removal and installation
Note: When installing, you will need new propeller shaft rear flange mounting nuts and drive shaft mounting bolts. Removal 1. Place chocks under the front...

Main Gear Seals — Replacement
Input shaft seal Note: You will need a new flange nut retaining cap during installation. 1. Drain the oil from the final drive (see paragraph 10). 2. Remove...

Drive shafts — removal and installation
Note: When installing, you will need new drive shaft to final drive flange bolts and a wheel hub nut. Removal 1. Remove the wheel cover or hub cap, then loosen...

Drive shaft covers — replacement
1. Remove the drive shaft (see paragraph 4). 2. Clean the drive shaft and clamp it in a vice. Telescopic drive shaft 3. On some models, the inner CV joint is...

Cardan shaft — removal and installation
Note: You will need new front and rear driveshaft mounting nuts for installation. Removal 1. Place chocks under the front wheels. Raise the rear of the vehicle...

Rubber coupling of the cardan shaft — inspection and replacement
Note: The rubber coupling is not installed on all models. On some models, the propeller shaft is rigidly attached to the gearbox flange (see paragraph 9)....

Cardan shaft intermediate support bearing — inspection and replacement
Examination 1. Wear of the intermediate support bearing leads to noise and vibration when the vehicle is moving. Each time the cardan shaft is removed ( see...

Cardan joints — inspection and replacement
Note: On some models, a rubber coupling is installed between the driveshaft and the gearbox instead of a universal joint ( see paragraph 7 ). Examination 1....

Changing the oil in the main gear
1. Place the vehicle on a level surface. 2. Locate the filler/inspection plug for the final drive. This plug is located on the rear cover of the unit (Fig....

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Similar sections for other types of BMW cars:
Transmission: Cardan gear BMW 5 Series E12 (1972-1981)
Transmission: Cardan and drive shafts BMW 7 Series E38 (1994-2001)

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