325ix Axle Rebuild

[rzerob]

Bump for any new ideas in the last four year?

[ForcedFirebird]

Thanks for the tip! I may try that on the rears, I have never felt up to the task on axles (part of that is because typically replacements are so cheap on other cars). Hopefully I will not need to on the fronts anytime soon after this.

A BMW is not one of those cars you want to purchase "cheap" axles for. I have seen so many auto parts store axles fail over the years, it's not even funny. When buying new, go with GKN which is the OEM axle.

[calebchesh]

Boots are extremely easy if you are handy. Pop the end cap off and there's a circlip on the end of the splines. Then it's just a matter of cleaning all the grease out (mixing grease compounds is never a good idea), and then sliding the new boots on.

Thanks for the tip! I may try that on the rears, I have never felt up to the task on axles (part of that is because typically replacements are so cheap on other cars). Hopefully I will not need to on the fronts anytime soon after this.

[ForcedFirebird]

Boots are extremely easy if you are handy. Pop the end cap off and there's a circlip on the end of the splines. Then it's just a matter of cleaning all the grease out (mixing grease compounds is never a good idea), and then sliding the new boots on.

[calebchesh]

Just sent my axles to Axles Unlimited in Charlotte. Talked to a guy named Dave that seemed like he knew what was up $190 per side to rebuild. They should get there tomorrow and I should maybe have them back end of next week or so. Mine just really needed rebooted and greased but I would rather they do it than I. I will post pictures when I get mine back.

As they left...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JJjG9ZV3Q57cux9C8

[AWDBOB]

Could you get welded and ground down?

Negative as far as I know- welding hardened steel is fine, but grinding/polishing it to the level required would likely be difficult.

Also, I found a company that sells the full front rebuild kits for $129/side. Just trying to find a cage since that's all I need to get 'er up and going.

I have a good inner cage to trade if someone wanted.

https://flic.kr/p/2dQz5qv

Edit: just saw John posted this earlier in the thread.

Welding is possible, but machining hardened steel is another story. :(

[Kershaw]

Could you get welded and ground down?

[AWDBOB]

Does anyone have a good outer cage by chance? I found a crack in the one I'm rebuilding.

[ForcedFirebird]

For a daily driver, they are probably fine, but there's a reason the GKN are triple/quadruple the price. I lost the pics from my old phone SD card, or I would post a pic of the clear differences. I will take used up stock axles that are re-packed over new cheap ones any day.

Not sure I could be of much help on the bulk pricing. I have exactly 2 ix clients down here, and not quite a large enough shop to buy a huge bulk, either. :(

[AWDBOB]

eww. FEQ is junk. Had a local put them in his 318is 'vert, and he snapped BOTH in an auto-x, another local put them in his m20-powered 14hr endurance car and they had major play after just one race.

Hmm, well our locals up here that run them don't track their cars, but I haven't had an issue yet with them. The parts store axles don't last, but FEQs have been good to me and others.

The last company I know of who has cages is the axle place in CO (CVJ). I even reached out to Raxle before and they said they'd need to sell 300 pieces a year to make the parts for them. Maybe if a shop (John, hint hint) reached out to CVJ they'd have better luck than I had on buying cages from them in bulk.

Since 2015 IIRC CVJ has almost doubled their iX axle rebuild price, but to my knowledge they still do them.....so they either have the parts or know something that we don't.

I started a thread about rebuild kits in 2015.

[ForcedFirebird]

If the cages are interchangeable and the bearings are readily available then unless you physically snap and axle you are golden no?

I doubt you will snap a shaft, they are pretty stout. It's the inner cage that's vulnerable. Will try and snap/post some pics sooner than later. Been pretty swamped at the shop...


....anyone highly skilled with e30's in FL looking for a job? lol

[ACVC325ix]

Bearings are the easy part. It's the cages we need to source. The axle I repaired yesterday had a snapped inner cage. Was able to swap a left and right inner CV without issue.

I feel like this finding is a big win! There are way more R/passenger side CV's out there than L/Driver's side as far as I can tell. If the cages are interchangeable and the bearings are readily available then unless you physically snap and axle you are golden no?
If we can reliably Frankenstein these with parts that last as long as 190,XXX is that not a win?
Otherwise having to machine in an E34 solution means being stuck in an inevitable NLA scenario again....

[ForcedFirebird]

Welding is possible, but machining hardened steel is another story. :(

[Kershaw]

If a cage has a crack in it, isn't it possible to have a machine shop weld it and machine it back?

[88e30ix]

Hey Buddy!