Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks

Seee other post. 👍

There will still be a very small amount of play when you change direction. The chain takes up the slack from one side to the other. It should only be a very small amount tho.

Here are some torque spec from racingdiffs official RU-vid channel. It’s not for that diff but they all use ball bearing style. Try and see if the what bearings are the same size or close and pick the preload for that. 168L 0.2nm to 0.4nm 188L 0.4nm to 0.6nm 215L 0.6nm to 0.8nm I’d say go with 0.4nm as it covers 2 diffs of similar size and I know the ball bearing style diffs use a lower spec then the one used in this video. Good luck with the rebuild.

No the nv125 uses different bolt pattern to the transmission.

@@Thisbmwlife thaks for that , ill stop dreaming about the conversion

It’s not used by factory and had 150k miles on it without problem but I don’t see why you can’t add some to be extra safe. 👍

Yes you can remove the front driveshaft to remove friction off the clutch, but I would not think it would matter much. Bearing In mind car is almost always in off mode anyways. It only becomes all wheel drive when called upon. so the friction from that would be way higher then with your axles out. Removing it however would full disable the front differential so that’s always a good thing as with your front driveshaft in, the differential is still spinning and with both axles out dirt will get in and over time can lead to damage.

@@Thisbmwlife didn’t think of that.

I got it off Amazon but eBay sell it too. It’s called “Laser 6379 Drip Tray” costs £10

@@Thisbmwlife legend

Now that’s a good question. They are almost the same and from reading on a Russian forum. It can be used on the e53 as they have the same bolt pattern as the atc500. But I can’t remember nor can I find the post again to see if there is anything else required to complete the swap. If you do try the atc700 do let me know how it goes. 👍

I bought a broken ATC500 from E53 X5 and I also bought a cheaper one ATC700 from E70 X5. So I will replace the clutches of ATC700 and swap in E53 X5. Maybe there ist something stiffer or better for more torque.

The Russian forum said it might be an upgrade as the e70 has higher torque than the e53 so there might be small changes that make it a little better. The clutches are the same so you can just swap them round if they’re good because buying new ones is quite expensive. 1.6mm is new spec. Don’t forget you’re going to need to run bmw software to recalibrate the clutch pack after install. Anymore info you might need feel free to ask. 👍

I watch so much stuff about other cars I’m never going to need lol

Thanks you for taking them time to comment. What did you decide to do? 👍

The transfer case In your X5 is the ATC 13 and is different from this style. I did find a company on eBay that could maybe help you with this. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166370646843?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=EVBK0N4jTb6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Here is the parts company I use and the full parts diagram for your transfer case. It shows you how different they are. awd.tech/apps/catalog/transmission/atc13-bmw

Thank you so much

Same way to rebuild it but it uses different bearings and the preload is lower

Yeah that would work perfectly 👍

Sounds like it’s most likely the chain in the transfer case from what you’re describing. The pre-Lci cars used the nv125 transfer case and the car is always split 40/60. So the chain wears out alot faster as it’s always engaged. Put the car in d and then r, if you hear a clunk noise then it’s the stretch in the chain. The front differential tend to fail as they get very hot and have very little airflow so the oil breaks down, it all seems to be down to how often the diff oil has been changed to how long they last. I have changed the front differential oil at 10k and it has been jet black. So I won’t say it’s any model or ratio that are more common to failure. It’s just bad design. I would fix the transfer case sooner rather then later because if they chain fails completely you will be stranded in the pre-Lci x5 Hope that answers your question 👍

@@Thisbmwlife I am pre-lci and have changed the transfer case fluid recently. While I was down there I turned things by hand and felt slop on both ends, but the pinion side felt worse and I believe was making the sound I hear while driving. The transfer case fluid was still red and had some black bits in the drain plug but nothing notable in the fluid that came out. I need to replace the boots on my front axles anyway so I’ll try a junkyard front diff and see if any of my issues go away. If not I’ll be shopping for a transfer case soon it sounds like

@@Thisbmwlife Can I actually put an X-drive t-case in my X5? I know I would need to manually control the motor on it but if it bolts up that would help my front differential wear and maybe save some gas? Just thinking here, I know maintenance is the most cost effective solution but I do enjoy having a longer range than any other average vehicle

When changing your front differential, don’t forget to buy a new o-ring for between the sump and the diff. Part number: 31511213527 Axle nut torque spec 410nm Diff to sump 45nm Flexi to front prop shaft 60nm If you need anymore info, feel free to ask.

No they don’t match up. The nv125 mates up to the 5 speed auto box and the atc500 mates up to the 6 speeds auto box. They used different bolt hole.

I’m not too familiar with your year of 5 series but I would not think that is transfer case as the car is still in neutral and there is no load on the transfer case. Unless it’s a problem with the actuator motor on the transfer case. When the car starts it tests the clutch pack by engaging 4x4 for a sec and measuring the thickness of the clutch pack. If it’s this you can unplug the motor on it and start the car and see if the noise is still there. it will more than likely throw a code that will need a scanner to reset tho. Edit: having just watched your 2nd video at night. It could be the transfer case motor or maybe something wrong with the starter. That would be my best guess. If you do find out please update me. Would be nice to know what it was.

Thank you for the feedback! It’s nice knowing how the video will be useful. I just looked it up and it looks like the front differential is the same as in the facelift 3.0d 3.91 ratio. I would buy that one as they cost about the same as the 4.4 diffs. If I’m right the part number is 31507512665 Or you can delete the front diff for now and fix it later.

Thanks for the reply and It is currently deleted. I live in the states, we never got the 30d

Ah. I did a eBay search from the USA and with postage you can get a 3.91 front diff. Might be worth a look as you already have it deleted you might have the time to wait for postage. Search: e53 front diff 3,91 Do keep me updated. I wound love to know what went wrong inside your front diff to pass the information on to others. So far I only know of the bearings failing and have not seen or heard of one with ring and pinion damage etc

No sorry I don’t.

And I wouldn't say it was a heavy knock .

Hmm 🤔 other than the knocking feeling from the gearbox bumpers, the transfer case case when stretched can make a knocking noise when putting the car in gear. I’m not sure that would be your noise tho. From my experience from knocking noise from accelerating. I had the gearbox bumps fail, rear cv axle fail leading to a knocking noise each time I hit the accelerator, it would take up the slack in the cv and knock. If it was this, you should hear it when charging from D to R (may help to have someone in the rear), transfer case chain stretch knock. You can test this the same way as above. Here is a video on the value body rebuild, skip to 14:10 to see the bumpers inside the gearbox and 17:35 to see what they should look like. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W7DZbrvrI5k.htmlsi=MHg6FOotyqjujTLq Mine were no way near as flat and I could feel it, having only done 140k miles. If they were as flat as in this video then you would definitely have a noticeable knock feeling. Edit: here is the video I used to rebuild mine ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KRcs67e6k8U.htmlsi=cUe-KSvlVTI2Kctz All I replaced was the rubber bit in the bumpers and got a new separator plate. All in £100 and reused the old oil as I had only changed it 5k ago.

From my experience on all bmw with a zf automatic transmission with the rubber bumpers design, they all fail over time and can benefit from replacing. It was one of the best repairs I have done when it comes to driving the car. It really does restore the luxury feel and smoothness of the drive. It changes gear faster and seamlessly. I can no longer tell when it changes gear. Unlike before when I could feel each gear change (some more some less as the lower bumpers were more worn) Can not recommend it enough. 👍

@@Thisbmwlife thank you really good to heard from some experienced person . Thanks I will pass the knowledge on thanks 👍🏻

Is it a light knock feeling when accelerating/when ever the car changes gear? If it is then it’s the rubber bumps inside the transmission that have gone flat over time. Each time it changes gear it bumps into them but over time they become flattened and lead to a knock/bump feeling when it changes gear. The fix is to pull the valve body apart and replace the rubber bumps. Costs £100 in parts. It will cost more if you’re changing the fluid and filter at the same time. If you need more info or help feel free to ask

Also I have already put a gearbox service on it to see if would solve problem. Did not fix it .thanks

@Thisbmwlife I have same intermittent slight lumpy gear changes, 04 e53 3.0d, done gb service inc bridge seal etc, but I think it's the zip kit for the valve body rebuild? If I get that done may as well get solenoids done... 💰 Also sometimes when you are coming to a stop but not fully if you then go again it sometimes takes a second to actually engage and pull away, I thought should I get actuator case and transfer case done will that sort it? Hello from the UK 🙂

Hey, I would recommend doing the rubber bumpers without doing a zip kit, unless your car really needs it. From the research I did, it can lead to damaging the value body if yours is not worn out and not installed perfectly. When it comes to the solenoids, if you have the money, change them. It future proofs the box and will fix any slow gear change issues this car has. As they age and without frequent oil changes they start to fail and lead to slow shifts. From the sounds of it that’s what you have. For the transfer case. I would change the plastic gear in the motor housing to protect yourself from catastrophic failure of the clutch pack. The transfer case should not cause your shift issues as it’s always connected to the output of the transmission to the rear wheel so it cannot affect shifting. But can knock if the chain has stretched and you change from d to r and on and off the throttle.

@@Thisbmwlife that's brilliant thank you, I've got a slight vibration near arm rest on pulling away , which makes me think actuator gear needs to he replaced asap, I get a monthly slot in the garage as I like to make sure we can do any preventative maintenance 💰 I will get the solenoids and the black rubber bumpers done with next gearbox service, I want my favourite car to last intill it's at least 25 😁 thanks again great information and videos 👍

Thanks you, I hope it is helpful to you. I made it to be simple to follow and highlight all issues you should encounter. Having rebuild my transmission valve body too I can agree it’s a night a day difference. I can no longer tell when it changes gears and it does so much faster then it did before. Switching from drive to reverse is almost instant. It was probably one of the best repairs you can do to the car. It really is a must do if you want to truly enjoy it. 👍 After rebuilding the transfer case, I no longer get a clunk noise when switching from drive to Reverse and the howling noise went too. Best of luck with the rebuild and if you need any help feel free to ask.

I believe it’s smaller on the front but I didn’t measure it.

@@Thisbmwlife thank you.

Hey, I believe your transfer case is the ATC350. It’s different from this design and uses gears instead of a chain mechanism. I used the same parts website I used and by looking at its design and your complaint. I would say it would cost more Or less then £235 in parts and £200 in tools Tools and parts breakdown based on you having basic sockets and pry bars etc Parts: New bearing kit £150 Set of outer seals £50 Oil from bmw £35 Tools: Cheap 6ton press £80 Press and pull sleeve kit 27pc £65 Circlip pliers 4pc £15 80x100mm twin leg puller £15 Dead blow hammer £10 RTV victor-reinz 70ml £10 Parts £235 Tools £195 Total £430 Website for parts awd.tech/collections/atc-350-bmw-x1-5-7?page=2 If you need anymore help feel free to ask. 👍

I have also found 2 video to help you. This one shows how to open it and the guy has the same problem you have by the sounds of it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xnDmEqJHZRM.htmlsi=NjJzHbFmWYd17TTL This one shows you the rebuild of your transfer case but is not in English but I’m sure it will help ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cgvkI1yzB3U.htmlsi=aH2mJjV4zUCvT8Mb

Have you checked the centre bearing on the main propshaft and flex disc? When the front diff starts to go you will hear a whine coming from the front end. From what you’re describing it could be the centre propshaft bearing and the propshaft flex disc. Very common to go and not very expensive to replace. Is the 4x4 light always on? If so it could the the gear in the transfer case motor or the clock spring in your steering wheel with any luck. If not it could be a fault with the case itself. I more then happy to help but please give me as much info as you can.👍

@@Thisbmwlife @Thisbmwlife changed the worn out gears of the motor from the Atc500 because 4x4 light. If I weight transfer the car, the noise will not get louder. On the highway it feels a bit like the car hoping forward and backward like unbalanced wheels. It's extremely shaking driving downhill, also when I change shifter in neutral. If I speed up it's getting louder. Center bearing is not getting warm, and it have no clearance in that bearing. I was driving in the garage downhill and the left front wheel vibrate as if it going over curbs on the race track so I changed oil in the front diff, no metal shavings but I missed 60% of the oil... The prohershaft to the rear end have a lot of clearance inside of the Atc500 if I rotate it clockwise and counterclockwise, wonder if this is OK. I know in my race car this is still normal because it have sequential Shifter and a dog Box :) thank you for helping me here I don't have another X5 to compare.

Saw on my car lift the Atc500 is jumping around if you speed up...

The x5 e53 facelift is 100% rear wheel drive as the main shaft in the transfer case connects directly to the main propshaft flange. It only becomes 4x4 when commanded by a the car and the motor on the side turns to active it. I would recommend removing the front propshaft and taking the car for a drive as then there will be no load on the transfer case itself and very little on the front diff. The play you feel in the transfer case itself is likely the chain stretch. When you put the car in gear with a new chain it will no longer make a clunk noise. You it can be ignored if it’s not skipping. The shacking itself could be from many things, worn out bushing, cv, failing bearing etc I would start by having a good look at the bushing and removing that shaft. You will require 8mm socket, 16mm spanner for the propshaft and reinforcing plate. Very easy job and when putting it back together the flex bolt torque spec is 64nm. You can’t drive these cars on a lift as there brake control system is never turned off. So it will always try and activate the 4x4 and abs. That could be the shaking you’re seeing. The only way to over come it is it pull all 4 speed sensors off and run the car for a bit till it fault codes the system and defaults to dumb mode. Then you can drive the car at full speed on the lift. Keep me posted and I’ll try my best to help.

@@Thisbmwlife cv you mean CV joint on cv axle? 🤔 Sometimes it makes cracking noise from the front, when I turn the wheel hard, and circle into a parking lot. The x5 now have about 300000km done

Here are all the bearing part numbers I ordered off eBay etc and below that is the website I used for the main other parts used in this video. Hk2512-b Hk4520 K45x50x17h Axk5578a (2 of them) Oil DTF1 83222409710 Others parts from awd.tech/collections/atc-500-bmw-x5

Thank you for letting me know you appreciate the video 👍

Thanks, The front diff for the f series is very similar to this but made of aluminium. The rebuild is almost the same but you need use different bearings and I believe it uses a lower preload spec of 0.4nm.

@@Thisbmwlife I see. I'm trying to build a Fseries front diff with the bolted diff carrier from the older models, so I can put in an LSD. I ordered both since they're fairly cheap second hand now, it'll be interesting to see the size differences

@TheChumzo I would love to know the differences between them, please keep me updated on how it goes. 😀 Did you buy the metal diff found in the e53 like this one or the e70 aluminium diff? The more I look into this all 3 are different but the rebuild should be the same. there might be some issues with swapping parts form one to another. Would love to find out in witch way they differ.

I got an E90 aluminum diff and an F22 aluminum diff. What size socket did you use to remove the pinion gear? It looks like its 30mm but mine is too fat to fit in that small space lol@@Thisbmwlife

I used a 30mm chrome socket. It just fit in perfectly. I would think a 30mm impact socket would be too big and require some grinding down if it’s a cheap one. Do keep me updated on how it all goes Im very interested in the differences of them. 😀

Yes it could make a humming noise but there are many things thats can make noises like that. I would recommend getting a passenger to move around the car as you drive it and see if they can help pinpoint the source of the sound. Humming noises can echo around, so it can be hard to pinpoint it. Common humming noise are Wheel bearing Tires Centre propshaft Bearing The bearing support on the right side cv axle (opposite side from the front differential) Front differential Rear differential (more common on facelift) Transfer case I would need more information to help, eg does it change with speed, turning, is it engine speed dependent or road speed etc. Do keep me updated, I would love to know if you do find out what it is.👍

ru-vid.comZ3mYbFDHKqg?si=0Dzpo5noMtscKJFk

Having been watched all your videos, I would say it’s highly likely the front differential. They are very well known for going bad. Your front differential is the same style as the one I have a video of rebuilding but it using an aluminium case and ball bearing style bearing, that are very well known for going bad. I would recommend making your car RWD to confirm it’s the differential. You do this by removing the front propshaft and both front driveshafts. Then buy an outer cv joint or use your old driveshafts cv joint and remove all the ball bearing etc from it and Install that in the hub of each front wheel. (Without it your wheel would fall off). This would only cost time or about £50 in parts if you buy used driveshafts for the cv joints. Rough guess at garage time would be 3 hours. Or just remove the front propshaft to start with and go for a drive and see if the sound is there. 30mins to 1h to remove that.

I think the transfer case for your X5 would be the ATC45L and having a Quick Look at the parts diagram it looks to have a very different clutch and actuator setup but if you take your time, I’m sure you can rebuild it yourself, I got most my parts from a company in Europe called awd.tech as every other company I tried said they only sell to businesses… Here is there parts diagram, it also shows some part numbers. awd.tech/apps/catalog/transmission/atc45l-bmw?11

@@Thisbmwlife much appreciated 👍

Been almost a year now but I would start by looking everywhere online and phoning different rebuild places and see if you can get a nice shop to answer you. I was told the aluminium version of this is 0.4nm as the ball bearing style requires less preload. You can always take a preload spec before taking the pinion out and compare but do remember it will be lower then spec as the bearings wear down. Here are some torque spec from racingdiffs official RU-vid channel. It’s not for that diff but they all use ball bearing style. Try and see if the what bearings are the same size or close and pick the preload for that. 168L 0.2nm to 0.4nm 188L 0.4nm to 0.6nm 215L 0.6nm to 0.8nm Without checking and going off what they recommend and what I was told. 0.4nm seems like the best bet.

@@Thisbmwlife Amazing, thank u very much! Have been looking through forums and a lot more. Found a guy rebuilding the diff, including all the parts but no information about preload or anything like that. I can start with 0.4nm. It's still gonna be better than damaged ballbearing on the pinion right now. At the same time i'm not sure but seems like the diff does not have preload spacer, instead it's hard washers and distance rings. That way it should be just to torque it down and everything should be right as long as bearings have the same width. :)

Glad I could help, thanks for keeping me updated. Yeah the bmw diffs uses large spacers and as long as your using the same bearings spec then your diff will be fine. The only time you would need redo the shims is if you replace the ring and pinion gears themselves. Best of luck with the rebuild and don’t forget to order that o ring from the diff to the oil pan housing. 👍

There is no torque spec for the main nut. It’s all about preload setting of 0.6nm to 0.8nm. You need to measure it with beam style torque wrench as showed in this video. The measurement is taken as you move the pinion around not the torque it take to Start moving it but the torque it makes as you move it round.

Thank you for your answer now i understand better about this preload. if this preload is wrong, how to set it ? what could be wrong apart bearing installation ? @@Thisbmwlife

The only way I can see the preload being wrong is if you under tightened the nut or over tighten it. To loose and the diff will make a sound on acceleration and deceleration and too tight it may or may not make noise at first but will go through the pinion bearing a lot faster then it should. E.g way too tight will lead to the bearings wearing out very soon and a little over tight will lead to the diff requiring a new set of pinion bearing sooner then it should. To set it you would need to have just the pinion in and measure the torque required to keep turning the input shaft. Should be 0.6 to 0.8nm.

Thanks Alex! 👍

You could always sell the tools after you rebuild it to save money or keep them for future use. 👍 the E70 X5 has the atc700 transfer case and is very similar to this one but a few things different. Mainly the place of the motor that controls the clutch pack and it uses a different chain. But this guide will still help you rebuild it yourself, as it uses 95% the same parts. I don’t trust rebuild companies as most of them don’t fully rebuild it. They just replace the common parts, like the chain and outer seals and sell it as “rebuilt” What’s wrong with your transfer case?

If you have a facelift model and money is a problem or you can’t get it fixed. you could always make it rwd by removing the front propshaft or by removing propshaft and driveshafts but leaving the old diff in place and keeping the cv joint in the hubs.

So that would be the same design as this but made of aluminium and different bearings? If so I believe it was 0.4nm from when I did research about preload for this diff. Please do try and find more info to confirm but that’s the info I found on it at the time. Hope that helps.

Great to hear! 👍

I appreciate that! 😀

Thank you for commenting all the way from Oregon! Glad you enjoyed it. 😀

I used eBay and www.hendersonbearings.co.uk to get all the Parts. I hope that helps. 👍

@@Thisbmwlife if you still have the links, especially to the crush sleeve, that'd be super helpful!

Thanks 👍

Thanks you 👍

Thanks for taking the time and commenting and leaving such a nice comment. I’m so glad to hear it can help another person out. 👍

For me the small amount of stretch in the chain, made a clunk noise when going into gear. I would guess if it got worse it could make it clunk noise each time you set off as the slack of the chain is taken up.

Цепь точно не может влиять на это. Очень похоже, что при включенной раздатке появляется повышенная нагрузка на трансмиссию и передачи переключаются позже. Так быть не должно. А что с накатом автомобиля, в поворотах не тормозит? Шины на передней и задней оси одной модели и размера установлены? Редукторы родные или меняли?

From my understanding the e90 uses the aluminium version of this diff, that uses different bearings and has a lower preload then the iron version. I don’t know the precise spec for it.

Victor-Reinz Reinzosil. It’s the best RTV I have ever used and is dark grey in colour.

Had a quick google and they both seem to be the same but being unfamiliar with what the R means. I would go for the same ones that came out. That would be m86649/m86610. Hope that helps 👍

@@Thisbmwlife in your video the M86649 has an RYR-N stamped on, my bearing also has it. Found some Koyo bearings, which have that RYR written on their box, perhaps I should try that one. Maybe you still have the original bearing’s box or remember what was written on it? Thanks

Sorry the box is long gone and I don’t remember what was on it. I did however check the measurements before installing and it matched the old one. I would say both would work. Go with the one you would like to use, As long as the measurements are the same I would not worry about it.

Oh, sorry to hear that. Hope all goes well. 👍

I am also guilty, but I don't have the transfer case fitted yet tg