[MooLard]

Hi there
I took my car into a local garage a few days ago for a rear wheel bearing replacement, I supplied the Febi branded part that I sourced a few days prior. Firstly the garage advised that they no longer fit customer supplied parts for their insurance purposes, while I follow that this can be a thing, is this becoming a more common stance that garages take?
Got a call from the garage stating that the drive shaft was seized in position and would I like them to go ahead and remove the hub carrier to try and remove it. For lack of other options I agreed for them to go ahead, they did warn that this may damage the driveshaft.
The next call from the garage said that it was apart but the splines on the driveshaft were damaged and would not go back into the hub. The price for a genuine replacement is £900. I asked if there are any alternatives and was told no. I have since looked online and found non genuine replacements for under £250.
The driveshaft arrived the next day and after reassembling and doing a test drive the garage rang stating that the bearing feels very notchy and not smooth. When I told them it was from an online supplier via eBay, they said they would take care of it, I think meaning that they will source another.

I think my over optimistic mind was expecting this to be two hours of labour and getting the car back on the same day, but it seems like absolutely everything that can go wrong has. Has anyone experienced this, and does any one have any advice on the matter. I want to discuss the chain of events in detail with the garage, does anyone have any recommendations on what I should be asking?
My car is a 2016 4 series gran coupe with 80k miles. Many thanks in advance.

[bishbosh]

I've taken the front driveshafts out of the hub carrier on my 335d when I replaced the control arms. Unless the rear driveshafts are remarkably different in construction I'm wondering how the splines managed to get damaged.

Once the main driveshaft bolt was removed (a minute or so with an electric impact driver) the shafts literally popped out.

[Eddamoo]

I would be asking for pictures and all old parts returning to you. It sounds like some hamfisted idiot who doesn't know what they're doing has been working on it. How could they possibly damage driveshaft splines to that extent?!

As for the bearing, they couldnt feasibly tell you it's notchy while it's fitted to a differential and gearbox as those parts would cause 100s of times more drag than the bearing itself. The only way to tell if the bearing is faulty would be to remove the driveshaft and they should have detected that before installing.

If the bearing is bad, they could have easily over torqued it or gotten swarf in there (air tools can loosen and contaminate them)

[MooLard]

Evening and thanks for the feedback so far, I should note that I did drive with this worn bearing for three days consisting of one 40 minute journey and two 20 minute trips, I wonder if that could have caused extra heat to seize the driveshaft. However surely heat is used to break apart seized things.
Do you know if the bearing has to be installed a certain way around, i.e. one side being magnetic and the other not?
I will be asking to see the hub puller and bearing press they used when doing the job. I have seen a driveshaft to hub separator before too.

[Watsey]

I had both rear wheel bearings replaced on my 2012 330d last year; 100K miles; work performed by a reputable BMW Indy. I had the diff output seals replaced at the same time. Circa £600 + VAT.

BMW OEM parts were sourced by the Indy (wheel bearings were £75 + VAT each) and it did advise that BMW presses the bearings into the wheel hub carrier dry, that this allows corrosion to form between the bearing shell and the hub carrier, that a slide hammer has to be used to remove the bearings, and that there's a risk to the driveshaft and splines during the process.

The right hand side bearing came out relatively easily but the left hand was much more difficult and was apparently touch and go.

As has been said, bearings should always be checked prior to installation.

In your shoes I'd want a clear explanation regarding the damage to the driveshaft (and negotiate liability accordingly if you're not satisfied), insist on having copies of quotes/invoices for parts purchased by the garage (and check BMW pricing for an OEM driveshaft), and also ask how the new bearing was installed (greased; pressed; hammered).

[MooLard]

Thanks for the thoughts on the matter @Watsey I do appreciate it.
I didn't get a chance to think of and mention it to the garage when they suggested the new bearing might be faulty, I hope they do confirm that before pressing it out and putting in another. I guess I will get a call at some point today.

[Craig-SM]

I’ve various experience on replacing wheel bearings still me come out easy and others it’s hub knuckle off job. The former a couple of hours, the later an all day job with lots heat and hydraulic press.
I’ve not had a driveshaft seize into the bearing but know others who have but this in 4x4's with hard use. It’s a real pig of a job then as you can’t use the press and generally needs shocked out with enough heat to destroy the bearing and the use of an air chisel.

It seems strange a car only 6 year old would experience this. I would say it’s down to the mechanic but you’re going to have a big problem proving it.

New bearings don’t fail so quickly. Again I would say mechanic problem and either not installed squarely or the hub knuckle is no longer true

[Craig-SM]

Watsey The process on a BMW like most cars on a driven wheel is remove the drive shaft nut then at the diff. Lower the shaft from the diff and you can tap the drive shaft free of the wheel bearing using a copper hammer and drift if needed. The drive shaft should be damage free then. This always access then for a slide hammer.

I use a smear of grease too on the assembly except for the threads on the driveshaft.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Craig-SM

Watsey The process on a BMW like most cars on a driven wheel is remove the drive shaft nut then at the diff. Lower the shaft from the diff and you can tap the drive shaft free of the wheel bearing using a copper hammer and drift if needed. The drive shaft should be damage free then. This always access then for a slide hammer.

I use a smear of grease too on the assembly except for the threads on the driveshaft.

Yep, the outer face of the new bearings were greased prior to fitting to reduce/prevent it happening again.

This sort of job is not something I'd do myself - too many things to go wrong and be left with a stranded car on the drive.

[Craig-SM]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Yep, the outer face of the new bearings were greased prior to fitting to reduce/prevent it happening again.

This sort of job is not something I'd do myself - too many things to go wrong and be left with a stranded car on the drive.

Don’t blame you, I’ve started jobs and ran into problems before. Luckily I have an extensive tool collection built up over the decades so can get myself out of most problems with a bit of thought and time. A lot of people watch the YouTube videos where bolts never shear off and nothing is ever seized and then think they’ll have a go. Once you run into these problems you’re into panic, swearing and eventually the garage at a greater expense than it would have been for them to do the job in the first place.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Craig-SM

It seems strange a car only 6 year old would experience this. I would say it’s down to the mechanic but you’re going to have a big problem proving it.

A mate had one go on his 335d at less than three years old and my dad's not thrashed Evoque has had 3 wheel bearings in 6 years and 60k, the first at 30k and then reasonably evenly interspersed since. Modern cars are not made of high quality materials.

[dholdi2]

Opposite end , but both my front wheel bearings were replaced during the end of warranty inspection.

[Craig-SM]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

A mate had one go on his 335d at less than three years old and my dad's not thrashed Evoque has had 3 wheel bearings in 6 years and 60k, the first at 30k and then reasonably evenly interspersed since. Modern cars are not made of high quality materials.

I guess BMW no longer use premium parts. I’ve not had to change a wheel bearing on the 2013 F30. Anything Land Rover doesn’t surprise. They have a knack of turning quality parts into garbage.

Compare that to 140k miles on what was then a 15 year old Shogun before changing the rear wheel bearings and that was only after carrying a load of cement bags. The fronts are still original.
A mk3 Mondeo that had 130k miles on it and 8 year old at the time was my first wheel bearing change. Bought cheap Continental Direct bearings and failed within 6 months. Replaced with SKF and no issues again.
All the wheel bearings I’ve changed have been on older and high mileage vehicles, your experience makes me never want to change to anything newer.

[Ennoch]

I don't think many of the manufacturers do to be honest, with everyone chasing every tenth of a cent. Some might chase quality a little more than others but why would they make a part that lasts twenty years when ten would do? Design something good enough, spec it to be just good enough and then pass manufacturing responsibility to the cheapest bidder.

My dad's 20yr old CRV is now on 185k with me and still on the original wheel bearings and clutch etc. In fact the only real recurring issue with it really was the design of brakes that Hondas of that era used which loved to corrode up and start binding with very little effort. My 19yr old Impreza's the same; granted the rust proofing on the body wasn't amazing but it's a predominantly asian market vehicle and as they don't use salt on the roads it's less of an issue in the design requirements. 110k miles though, running more power and still on the original clutch and wheel bearings etc. Most of the bushes are all still in great shape too, the only ones actually *needing* being the front LCA rear bushes. And it's all easy to do too. Contrast that to the local garage up here which won't even touch some work on modern BMW's and Disco's as they entail too much risk for the job escalating; like having to cut out arms and so on because they've used crap quality steel bolts and un-anodized aluminium together which galvanically corrodes and seizes solid.

It all comes back too to the push for the lowest possible weight to reduce CO2 emissions for improved environmental credentials, but what's environmental about throwing parts away because they've been wrongly spec'd? The same goes for things like the front control arms on the F30; don't just replace the bush but throw out the whole aluminium arm too. It's mental; especially if the bush itself is sub-par which leads to early replacement.

[Craig-SM]

We went from an E82 to an F30. Other than the gearbox being a big improvement the quality wasn’t the same and I guess they’ve not got any better built since. Having said that the F30 has been reliable other than regular servicing including brakes it’s only needed new rear shocks and springs.
I did briefly dabble with a Skoda Octavia. The briefness explains the sheer amount of issues with it.
I guess I’ll be keeping the F30 and Shogun for a lot longer yet.

[MooLard]

Thank you everyone for the comparison stories I do appreciate it and I feel a lot less along at these complications. The driveshaft was pressed out of the hub on a freestanding twenty ton press, the splines bulged at the pressures meaning it would not go back into the hub.
I think the labour charge was fair considering that it had to be dismantled and reassembled twice. The pain is being offered a genuine BMW driveshaft only at £900. As it's on numerous F30 and F36 cars I thought it would be easier to source another brand with two years warranty.
Onwards and upwards, MoT Friday, breakdown cover in a few weeks and road tax at the end of the month £££