steering question.??

[1iwilly]

hello to all
a few question i've notice that at times when trying to make an easy left turn the steering wheel feels like it binds/slight resistance for a second i have to applied a little more power to make the turn.
also when going fast if i need to stop quick the steering wheel start to shake/like a wobble left/right. just had an alignment and 2 new front tires about 6 month ago

[David.X5]

I've had the tight steering problem which was a bad double-joint in the steering column. That did not cause any sort of wobble or steering shake.

The wobble you describe makes me think it is more like a bad ball joint or tie rod end. Get it up on a rack and inspect (or have someone) inspect all the front suspension parts.

[g300d]

Yup, the binding is often a bad steering u-joint. Some have had luck lubing it with silicone grease.

Some other common causes of shimmy/shake while braking are the thrust arm bushings and less commonly the control arm bushing.

[1iwilly]

thanks to all for the replies will look into it steering joint what is the preferred lube to use

[David.X5]

Some people have written they succeeded in freeing it up by spraying lube on it using an aerosol can of (lube of choice) and a long straw. Combined with some light tapping. There are rubber seals on the u-joints, which makes it hard to get grease into the actual joints. You will see when you look at it, but there are two u-joints. It is right next to the exhaust manifold, so don't spray grease everywhere.

FWIW, I tried that approach several times with no luck and just gave up and replaced it. You have to be careful not to get the steering wheel out of alignment if you DIY.

The u-joints are integrated into the lower part of the steering column. They are not field-replaceable. BMW Fairfax (online) has it for $175. ECS Tuning has it for $185. My local dealer wanted way more...