E53 REAR half shaft removal

[X5-D-Sport]

Good afternoon people,

My D-Sport currently has it's REAR diff removed & needs new CV boots to the OUTER cv joints behind the hubs...

the vehicle has springs in place of the OEM air bags...

I am having trouble pulling the CV joint thru the suspension arm linkages & parts...
WILL the complete shafts come out ?
Is is possible I need to compress the springs a bit to allow the outer CV joints to pass thru the suspension linkages... as at the moment there is no room to pull the joint out.

cheers
Grant B

[henrym3]

Just seen this, why don’t you just cut the boot off and pull the shaft out of the splines. Without the diff fitted you should be able to give it a good pull to overcome the locking ring then there is only the thickness of the shaft to remove. Or am I missing something.

[StuBeeDoo]

Or am I missing something.

Certainly missing something.......... The original post is over 10 years old!

[marti]

Or am I missing something.

Certainly missing something.......... The original post is over 10 years old!

I must be missing something , to me it reads it was posted Tue Dec 10, 2024 3:10 pm ???

[StuBeeDoo]

Or am I missing something.

Certainly missing something.......... The original post is over 10 years old!

I must be missing something , to me it reads it was posted Tue Dec 10, 2024 3:10 pm ???

My humble apologies. I read the post wrong. Must be my age.

[X5-D-Sport]

I posted this just a few days ago...

[henrym3]

The important thing is, did you get the shaft out??

[X5-D-Sport]

Hi Henry,
Pulling the shafts in about 45 minutes - Sat14th Dec.... gonna leave the outer CV joints in Situ & tug the shafts, replace the boots & re-grease.

Will let you know how it all goes later today.

It hasn't been helped by the fact I caught this damned Covid bug... & was dying when pulling the diff out last weekend.... I was so exhausted I fell asleep under the car for 3 hours..
I have never felt so poorly in my entire life before.
Lots better now, just get exhausted at the smallest exertions.

I have a willing helper today, & just getting some new oil for the replacement diff... hopefully it will be back in one piece this afternoon.

The remains of the old diff is s sight to see, but unable to load pictures here.
if anyone can ping me their email via PM, then I will forward the images - as they are worth seeing, if only for a good laugh later.

[X5Sport]

Piccies get loaded via the ‘Add files’ button just above the red ‘Post Reply’. You select the file and then select ‘Place inline’ and they get put into your text.

[X5-D-Sport]

the diff is IN - yay

[Leslie]

Yay

[X5Sport]

the diff is IN - yay

Excellent news.

[X5-D-Sport]

well, the replacement diff is SILENT - blissfully so, but the original unit was masking other assorted issues.
The old diff must have been on the way out for 2 years, as i am now hearing several new noises...

Now trying to get the rear half shafts out without having to strip the rear suspension... due destroyed CV Boots... fortunately the CV joints are ok, & I have squeezed grease into them each week with a long thin nozzle on the grease gun getting a full 2 inches into the joints..

also I have a new noise sounding like pinging tiny roller or ball bearings....
unsure if this pinging noise is the prop centre bearing or UJ's on prop, as it seems to be rearward of the centre bearing, s
o I will swap out the whole prop.... as when this fails, knowing my luck I will be 200 miles from home & totally buggered...

meanwhile, are the half shafts normally removable in one chunk with the CV joints still fitted, if you release the rear air bag pressure & lift the axles horizontal ????
as I am hoping i don't need to dismantle the rear suspension to pull the shafts complete with CV joints ?

any one removed the rear half shafts ?

cheers
Grant B