BMW E30 propeller shaft, centre bearing and flange
How is the rubber of the E30 propeller shaft centre bearing replaced?
1. Remove the propeller shaft. 2. Loosen the sliding nut and separate the halves of the shaft. 3. Mark the halves so they are refitted in the same position. 4. Replace the rubber. 5. Push the bearing forward before tightening the bolts.
In which direction and how much is the propeller shaft support bearing preloaded?
The support bearing is pushed about 2-4 mm toward the front of the car before the bolts are tightened. Wrong preload makes the propeller shaft rattle.
How is the E30 propeller shaft flange replaced?
Mark the position of the nut, remove the lock plate and the nut, replace the flange and tighten the nut with Loctite to the same tightness as before. The job takes about 10 minutes.
What is done to the propeller shaft when a 168 differential is swapped for a 188?
Loosen the centre nut and the support bearing and move the rear section about 1 cm forward. In the reverse swap from 188 to 168, the rear section is moved about 1 cm backward so that the preload stays correct.