brakes BMW 525i 2001 E39 Owner's Guide

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C. -- -- - -- Rear ~us~ensionl
Depending on year and model applications, the Sport Wagon
rear suspension may be equipped with:
Conventional shock absorbers and coil springs
Electronic height control (EHC) system which incorporates
air springs
NOTE-
. Suspension and EHC troubleshooting is covered in 300
Suspension, Steering and Brakes-General.
EHC system repairs, other than air spring replacement,
are covered in Electronic height control
(EHC) compo-
nent replacement.
Replace shock absorbers and springs in pairs only.
Rear shock absorber, removing and
installing
- Raise car and remove rear wheels,
WARNING-
Male sure that the car is firmly supported on jack stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place jack stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place
jack stands under
suspension parts.
CAUTION-
If working on a vehicle with compressedairshock absorbers,
disable air supply pump by disconnecting electrical plug be-
fore performing any repairs. Pump is located beneath a cover
under the spare tire in the floor of the cargo compartment.
- Support swing arm from below
CAUTIOG
The shock absorber prevents the drive axle and wlieel bear-
ing carrier from dropping too far. Supporting the wheel bear-
ing carrier before disconnecting the shock absorber
mounting fasteners prevents damage to the
brake hose,
parking
brake cable and drive axle CVjoints.
- Working in cargo compartment, remove carpet. Remove tri-
angular upper shock mount covers located beside spare tire
well.
- If applicable: Detach air supply line from shock absorber.
Plug ports and lines to keep out dirt.

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330-1 1
Rear Suspension
Coil spring, removing and installing
Raise car and remove rear wheels.
WARNING-
Make sure the car is firmly supported on jack stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place jack stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place jack stands under
suspension parts.
- Remove brake caliper and brake disc. Hang brake caliper
aside with stiff wire. Do not disconnect
bralte fluid hose. See
340 Brakes.
- Remove exhaust system. See 180 Exhaust System.
- Disconnect driveshafl from final drive. See 260 Driveshaft.
- Detach parking bralte cables from mounting bracltets on sub-
frame.
< Support final drive unit from below using transmission jack
and
BMW special tool 33 4 390 or equivalent.
Remove rear suspension
subframe mounting bolts (arrows).
Lower rear
subframe until coil springs can be removed.
When reinstalling springs, replace upper and lower spring
pads if necessary.
Slowly lift suspension
back into position, making sure coil
springs are correctly seated in upper and lower spring seats.
Install and tighten
subframe mounting bolts. Note that on
each bolt, rubber-coated detent plate (arrow) must be in-
stalled at rear in driving direction
- Remainder of installation is reverse of removal
Tightening torques Road wheel
to hub 12OilO Nm (89i-7 ft-lb)
Subframe to body 163 Nm (120 ft-lb)

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330-26
/ Rear Suspension
Remove inner control arm eccentric nut and bolt (A)
Remove control arm ball joint nut (6). Press ball joint out
of wheel bearing carrier.
Lifl out control arm.
Installation is reverse of removal, noting the following:
Use previously made
marks to install eccentric bolt and
nut.
Always use new self-locking nuts.
Tighten fasteners to final torque only after vehicle has
been lowered and suspension has settled.
0 Have car professionally aligned when job is complete.
Tightening
torques
Road wheel to hub 120klONm
(89 i7 ft-lb)
Upper front control arm (traction strut) to 60
Nm (44
ft-lb)
subframe (rear toe adjusting bolt)
Upper front control arm (traction strut) to wheel
65 Nm (48 ft-lb)
carrier
Rear axle assembly, removing and
installing (sedan models)
In case of damage to the subframe, or if a pressed-in bushing
is worn, remove
subframe by removing complete axle assem-
bly.
- Raise car and remove rear wheels.
WARNING-
Make sure the car is firmly supported on jack stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place jack stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place
jack stands under
suspension parts.
- Remove exhaust system. See 180 Exhaust System
- Detach driveshaft from differential. See 260 Driveshaft.
- Remove brake caliper and brake disc. Hang brake caliper
aside with stiff wire. Do not disconnect brake fluid hose. See
340 Brakes.
- Remove lefl and right ABS sensors from wheel bearing car-
riers.
- Disconnect parking brake cable from brake shoe expander.
See 340 Brakes.
- Remove heat shield from above driveshaft.

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Rear Suspension
- Remove exhaust system. See 180 Exhaust System.
- Detach driveshaft from differential. See 260 Driveshaft.
- Remove brake caliper and brake disc. Hang brake caliper
aside with stiff wire. Do not disconnect brake fluid hose. See
340 Brakes.
- Remove left and right ABS sensors from wheel bearing car-
riers.
Disconnect parking brake cable from brake shoe expander.
See 340 Brakes.
Remove heat shield from above driveshaft
If equipped, remove ride height sensor connectors
CAUTION-
Models with air springs: Disable air supply pump by discon-
necting electrical plug before performing any repairs. Pump is
locatedbeneath a coverunder
thespare tire in the floorof the
carqo compartment.
Models with air springs: Loosen compressed air pipes (ar-
rows) at air distribution assembly to release system pres-
sure.
WARNING -
Vehicle will lower when the air pipes are opened. 1
- Working underneath rear suspension, lift wheel bearing car-
rier to relieve rear spring tension. Then unbolt air spring
mounting bolt from seat on wheel bearing carrier.
4 Support final drive unit from below using transmission jack
(BMW special tools 00 2 030 and 33 4 390 or equivalent).
NOTE-
Special tool 33 4 390 will need modifications to cradle the fi-
nal drive properly
4 Remove right and left suspension trim panels (arrow),

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I Rear Suspension
4 When installing subframe bushing, be sure alignment arrows
point front and rear.
Coat new mount with
CircolightB anti-friction agent.
< Draw new bushing into subframe using BMW special tools 33
4152,334153,334154,334155,334157.
- Remainder of installation is reverse of removal, noting the fol-
lowing.
* Tighten suspension arm and shock absorber fasteners to
final torque only after vehicle has been lowered and
sus-
oension has settled.
Rear wheel bearing carrier, removing and
installing (sedan models)
- Raise rear end of car and remove wheel
WARNING-
Make sure the car is firmly supported on jaclc stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place
jaclc stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place jaclc stands under
suspension parts.
4 With an assistant applying brakes, break free and remove
staked collar nut (arrow).
- Remove brake caliper and brake disc. Hang brake caliper
aside with stiff wire. Do not disconnect brake fluid hose. See
340 Brakes.
- Disconnect parking brake cable from brake shoe expander.
See 340 Brakes.

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Rear suspension/
4 With an assistant applying brakes, break free and remove
staked collar nut (arrow).
- Remove brake caliper and brake disc. Hang bralte caliper
aside with stiff wire. Do not disconnect brake fluid hose. See
340 Brakes.
- Disconnect parking brake cable from brake shoe expander.
See 340 Brakes.
Remove ABS sensor mounting fastener
(arrow) and sensor.
Remove outer swing arm nut (arrow) and bolt.

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330-40
Rear Suspension
4 With an assistant applying brakes, break free and remove
staked collar nut (arrow).
- If equipped, disconnect brake pad sensor connector at brake
caliper.
- Remove brake caliper assembly and rotor. See 340 Brakes.
Leave brake hose connected to caliper. Suspend caliper as-
sembly from chassis using stiff wire.
- Remove ABS pulse sensor at wheel bearing carrier.
Remove drive flange from bearing assembly using impact
style puller
(BMW special tools 33 2 116, 33 4 201/202/203
or equivalent).
CAUTION-
The wheel bearing is destroyed when the drive flange is re-
moved. Do not attempt to reuse bearing.
4 Remove four wheel bearing flange (Torx) bolts (arrows)

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330-42
/Rear Suspension
- Install ABS sensor and road wheel.
- Lower car to ground. With an assistant applying brakes, use
new axle collar nut to tighten to final torque. Stake nut.
- Remainder of installation is reverse of removal
Tightening torques ABS pulse sensor to wheel bearing carrier
8 Nm (6 ft-lb)
Brake disc to hub
16 Nm
Rear
brake pad carrier (caliper) to wheel
65 Nm (48 ft-lb)
bearing carrier
Rear axle shaft to hub
(M27) 300 Nrn (221 ft-lb)
Road wheel to hub 120F10 Nm
(89 ?7 ft-lb)
The rearstabilizer bar is mounted to the rear
subframe and at-
tached via stabilizer bar
linlts to the lower swing arms.
Stabilizer bar, removing and installing
- Raise rear end of car.
WARNING -
Make sure the car is firmly supported on jack stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place jack stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points.
Do not place jack stands under
suspension parts.
- Paint mark stabilizer bar on left side for ease of assembly.
Remove stabilizer link fastener
(A) on each side. Press out
stabilizer link ball joints.
Remove stabilizer support bracket fastener
(B) on each
side.
Remove stabilizer bar.
Installation is reverse of removal. Use previously made paint
mark for reassembly.
Tightening torques Stabilizer link to stabilizer bar
42 Nm (32 ft-lb)
Stabilizer bar bracket to sublrame (ME) 22 Nm (1 6 fi-lb)

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Rear Suspension
ELECTRONIC HEIGHT CONTROL
(EHC) COMPONENT REPLACEMENT
Sport Premium rear suspension is an option on Sport Wagon
models and standard on
1999 and later V-8 Sport Wagons.
This suspension incorporates electronic height control
(EHC)
using air springs.
With vehicle lifted off the ground,
if the rear air springs can be
compressed by hand, either the spring is defective or the sys-
tem is depressurized.
Locate
EHC faults using BMW scan tools DIS or MoDiC. EHC
description and some troubleshooting is covered in 300 Sus-
pension, Steering and Brakes-General.
Air spring replacement is covered earlier in this chapter. See
Air spring, removing and installing.
CAUTION-
Maintain high levels of cleanliness around air line connec-
tions when disassembling and assembling air suspension
components. Even
small dirt particles can cause leakage in
the pressurized system.
Electronic height control
(EHC) components
1. Air spring
2. 1 liter air reservoir
3. EHC control module
4. Air supply distributor
5. Airsupply pump
(under spare tire)
6. Air spring mounting bolt
(at wheel bearing carrier)
7. Rear ride height sensors
(Hall effect)
8. Air supply pump relay

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Final Drive
Drive axles use constant-velocity (CV) joints on both ends.
For replacement parts, only CV joint boots or complete axles
are offered by BMW. The procedure for drive axle removal
varies for sedan and sport wagon. Follow the appropriate pro-
cedure below.
Drive axle assembly
1. lnner CV joint
2. Drive axle
3. Outer CV joint
4. Collar nut
5. Outer CV boot kit
6. lnner CV boot kit
7. Circlip
8. Dust cover
9. Reinforcement
10. Torx bolt
Drive axle, removing and installing (sedan)
4 With an assistant applying brakes, break free staked collar
nut (arrow) at center of rear wheel hub. Do not remove com-
pletely.
NOTE-
The drive flange collar nut is tightened to a torque of over 300
Nm (221 ft-lb). Male sure the car is firmly on the ground.
- Raise rear of car. Remove rear wheel
WARNING -
Make sure that the car is firmly supported on jack stands de-
signed for the purpose. Place the
jack stands beneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place jack stands under
suspension parts.
- Remove f~nal drrve. See Final drive, removing and install-
ing.