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The short version
- An X3 wheel bearing is the vehicle most often given the wrong number, because catalogs run it next to the X1 and the 1 Series.
- 513254 and 513332 are not X3 numbers. Those belong to the X1, 1 Series and Z4 family.
- 513359 and 513368 are 3 Series numbers, never an X3 wheel bearing. WE61314 is an X5 and X6 number.
- The factory number for the F25 front is 31206870725; the aftermarket lists 513391 for that same position.
This site holds a rule that a number gets published only when it can be attributed with confidence. The X3 is where that rule earns its keep, and it is worth explaining why.
The confusion is not random. It follows the exact shape of how the catalogs are printed.
Why the catalogs go wrong here
Printed catalogs run these models on adjacent pages, and section headers do not always land where the part rows do.
The result is that X1 and 1 Series numbers get attached to X3 applications by anyone reading quickly.
513254 covers the 120i, 125i, 128i, 130i, 135i, 323i, 328i, 335i, X1 and Z4. It is not an X3 wheel bearing number.
513332 is likewise listed against the X1. Neither belongs on this vehicle. 513359 and 513368 belong to the 3 Series family instead.
The two column trap that catches WE61314
One catalog prints its BMW rear chapter in two columns. An X3 year range in the left column can sit level with an X5 part number in the right.
Read straight across and WE61314 looks like an X3 row. Read down the column it belongs to and it resolves to the X5 and the X6 only.
This page carried that error itself until it was rechecked against the raw column positions. The X3 rear number in that catalog is WE60600. It prints directly beneath the X3 year range, in its own column.
What the X3 actually takes
513391 covers the F25 front hub from 2010 onward. The F25 rear runs on WE60600 for the whole 2011 to 2017 span. A second catalog prints 512597 alongside it from 2013.
The factory number for the F25 front is 31206870725, which also covers the X4. It is a dealer part number, not an aftermarket catalog SKU, so it never appears as a table entry here.
The earlier E83 car presses its bearing in at both ends, a different job from the F25’s bolt on hub. The procedure for the older car is on the press in page.
X3 wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 to 2017 | Rear, parallel listing | WE60600 check price |
| 2013 to 2017 | Rear | 512597 check price |
| 2010 to 2017 | Front hub | 513391 check price |
| 2011 to 2014 | Rear, with module | WE60600 check price |
| 2004 to 2010 | Rear, press in ball bearing, parallel listing | WE60822 check price |
| 2004 to 2009 | Front, press in ball bearing | 510081 check price |
| 2004 to 2009 | Rear, press in ball bearing | 511026 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. A 2018 or newer X3 sits past the catalogs and goes by the old part or the VIN.
The catalogs place the 2010 front with the later car, under 513391, while the 2010 rear sits with the earlier car, under WE60822. The generation change did not happen evenly across the vehicle.
A 2010 X3 wheel bearing order needs the front and rear treated as two separate lookups, not one generation label applied to both ends.
Lookups run through the cross reference page.
xDrive is standard here
Most of these are all wheel drive, so the drivetrain question that narrows a 3 Series does not narrow much here.
What it does mean is a driveline with plenty of noise of its own. Coast in neutral at the noise speed before assuming a hub.
That is on the checking page and the tire noise page.
Run flats and what they pass through
A great many of these left the factory on run flat tires, built to carry the vehicle with no air and barely deflecting as a result.
An ordinary tire absorbs a pothole impact partway. A run flat sends much more of that energy into the hub instead.
That is on the pothole page.
Diagnosing an X3 wheel bearing
- Ignore X1 and 1 Series numbers even when a listing offers them.
- Ignore WE61314, which is an X5 and X6 rear number.
- Read the number off the old part rather than trusting a year lookup alone.
- Coast in neutral, since the all wheel drive line makes noise of its own.
- Ask what it has hit, because run flats pass impacts through.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Which X3 wheel bearing do I need?
513391 for the F25 front from 2010 onward. The F25 rear is WE60600, joined by 512597 from 2013. The factory front number is 31206870725.
Can I use 513254?
No. That number belongs to the X1, 1 Series and Z4 family.
Why do so many listings get this wrong?
The X3 and X1 sit next to each other in printed catalogs, and section headers do not always line up with the part rows.
Is WE61314 an X3 number?
No. It prints against the X5 and the X6, and reaches X3 lists through a two column reading error.
Do I need a press?
Only on the earlier E83 car. The F25 uses a bolt on hub unit.