My mileage rolled over the 130,000 mark on the way home from work this past Friday, so the 135i was due for another day in the garage come Saturday. I've been using OCIs of 3,000-4,000 miles, and as much as I drive, that comes along often. I should buy stock in Motul. In addition to the routine oil change, I'd also noticed some slight coming from the front wheel bearings when turning. They certainly looked rough, so I figured I'd preventively go ahead and change those out before the problem got any worse.
For a little under $300 from FCPEuro, I was able to get two front hub assemblies, 8 new bolts (these are supposedly non-reusable and the new ones come pre loaded with thread locking compound, and 2 new brake disc set screws.
As always, grabbed my trusty BMS 17mm wheel socket so I don't scratch up the ARC-8s. I've also been pleasantly surprised at how well my powder coated calipers have held up as the mileage adds up. They still look like the day I received them back from finishing.
After removing the front wheels, I took the time to get out my tire tread measurement tool to see how the Firestones were holding up. 6/32nds on the fronts, and 5/32nds on the rear. I've put about 25,000 miles on this set, so they're holding up pretty well. It doesn't look like they'll last as long as the Hankook V12 Evo2s I had previously, but the Firestone do grip better in dry/wet, and look better too.
Prior to starting the wheel bearing DIY, I found this extremely helpful video showing the exact steps. The process to the E82 is just like the E90 and bolt sizes are the same as well.
Removal of the old wheel bearings started with removing the brake caliper, rotor, and then starting the process of removing the 4 bolts on the backside of the hub assembly. It might not be completely necessary, by I removed the wheel speed sensor to gain some more room as well. This was not the easiest area to photograph.
These bolts are very very hard to remove. They have thread locking material from the factory, and take a lot of effort to remove. There wasn't really enough room to get power tools in there unfortunately, so I just had to use patience and a few different 18mm bolt removal tools. The old ones had seem better days aesthetically, and looked like they need a refreshment.
The Apex wheel stud kit was also fused with the old hub assemblies, so I switched back to normal wheel bolts. They had tarnished into a rusted look anyways, so I was glad to see them go. It's easier to mount wheels with studs, but the rusty look of the studs wasn't for me.
This is prior to installing the new hub assembly:
And afterwards:
Before starting up the car, I added 7 quarts of Motul.
I also fastened down the Craftsman socket set I received in the boot. I felt vulnerable traveling with no tools in this car, and received this as a Christmas gift. The well organized plastic case made it a perfect candidate for staying in the car in case of emergencies.
Now she's ready to return to daily duties!
In fact, the very next day my wife, Winston, and I set off for a little Sunday drive into the Pisgah National Forest for a long hike, followed by a stop by Sierra Nevada brewery for a few beers, before heading home for the evening. Here’s a few other shots I took, as well as a little montage I made of the day’s activities. I’ve been looking for excuses to use the S&Q function on the Sony A7iii.
Constantly making great memories in the 1er.
