How to Remove the Front Hubs on a BMW E39


1. Set the parking brake of the BMW E39 before attempting to remove the front hubs and set wood blocks behind the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving. Loosen the lug nuts on both front wheels a couple of turns with a tire tool.
2. Lift the vehicle up in the front with a floor jack and place a jack stand under both sides of the front axle near each wheel. Remove the lug nuts for both wheels with a tire tool and set the wheels out of the way.
3. Unfasten the upper and lower bolts on the driver's side brake caliper with a socket wrench and slide the bolts out of the caliper by hand. Lift the brake caliper off the rotor and remove the brake pads from the caliper.
4. Suspend the brake caliper from the vehicle frame with a wire hanger and slide the rotor off the axle shaft. Never allow the brake caliper to hang from the brake hose.
5. Locate the strut behind the brake rotor and follow it down to the bottom of the strut. Unfasten the pinch bolt that sits just below the bottom of the strut with a socket wrench and remove the bolt from the strut assembly.
6. Slide the ABS cable bracket that sits next to the bottom of the strut out of the way and remove the bolt that secures the front lower control arm to the vehicle frame with a socket wrench. Disconnect the nut on the sway bar that connects to the aluminum bracket with a socket wrench and move the sway bar out of the way.
7. Pull down on the strut just enough to slide the bottom of the strut off the retaining bolt and out of the way so you can get to the four bolts that secure the wheel hub. Remove the four wheel hub bolts with a socket wrench and take the front wheel hub off the axle of the BMW E39.
8. Repeat Steps 3 through 7 for the front wheel hub on the passenger's side of the vehicle.