Front Bearing Removal Tool UPDATE PROBLEM SOLVED!

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by Overboost

Ah gotcha. I assumed you felt the vibration and wobble in the steering wheel. My E46 went through this and is was the u-joint at the end of the driveshaft.

I don't get the shake in the wheel until I get up over about 70 to 75. The wobble feels kind of like the car is moving side to side. It's weird.

[80stech]

That sure sounds like a bad tire or maybe a bad suspension bushing. You say you checked the front control arm links?

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by 80stech

That sure sounds like a bad tire or maybe a bad suspension bushing. You say you checked the front control arm links?

Checked the control arm links. I have poly bushings on both the thrust arm and lower control arm. Ball joints seem tight. I eliminated the bad tire by running it with the spare at each corner. There was no change, so not tires.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Fifty150hs

Checked the control arm links. I have poly bushings on both the thrust arm and lower control arm. Ball joints seem tight. I eliminated the bad tire by running it with the spare at each corner. There was no change, so not tires.

When the front end is shaking do you feel the brakes pulsing when you apply them? Have you checked the run-out on the rotors? This is just a Wild Ass Guess.

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by upallnight

When the front end is shaking do you feel the brakes pulsing when you apply them? Have you checked the run-out on the rotors? This is just a Wild Ass Guess.

No. No pulse in the rotors. The vibration and shake are reduced when letting off the gas. Which is why I suspected the drive line.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Fifty150hs

No. No pulse in the rotors. The vibration and shake are reduced when letting off the gas. Which is why I suspected the drive line.

Could be an unbalance driveshaft. Was the driveshaft removed for any type of service?

[andrewwynn]

I had weird random shimmy would come and go for 20 months. I assumed it was lower control arms and already have replacement.

However when I was changing my CV axle and bearing I noticed a couple odd things:

1. After removing the axle from the hub noticed the hub had a ton of wobble (meaning bearing was no longer solid)

2. The brake pads on that side were far far more work than the other side.

3. After installing new bearing the steering wheel suddenly closer to straight

Soo: I'm pretty sure the bearing had play for a long time before it started to howl. I put the spare tire on to squelch the howl for a few months until finally enough stars aligned to get the part replaced. I expected and still may need to replace the control arms I should know today after I get my replacement replacement alternator hooked up (thankfully warranty and they let me change back to valeo after two Bosch units failed on me)

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Could be an unbalance driveshaft. Was the driveshaft removed for any type of service?

It wasn't removed, but I did disconnect it from the diff when I worked on it. I pulled it completely this time and was very careful about putting it back together with everything matched up. I also checked it for thrown weights while I had it out. Didn't see any. Checked the u joint and it seemed tight. No signs of damage or leaking grease. I suspected the CSB, but after replacing that and the flex disk, no joy.

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

I had weird random shimmy would come and go for 20 months. I assumed it was lower control arms and already have replacement.

However when I was changing my CV axle and bearing I noticed a couple odd things:

1. After removing the axle from the hub noticed the hub had a ton of wobble (meaning bearing was no longer solid)

2. The brake pads on that side were far far more work than the other side.

3. After installing new bearing the steering wheel suddenly closer to straight

Soo: I'm pretty sure the bearing had play for a long time before it started to howl. I put the spare tire on to squelch the howl for a few months until finally enough stars aligned to get the part replaced. I expected and still may need to replace the control arms I should know today after I get my replacement replacement alternator hooked up (thankfully warranty and they let me change back to valeo after two Bosch units failed on me)

That is my next suspect, although the manual says it could be associated with a diff problem. I pray it's not that.

[Overboost]

You could barely feel the slightest notch when rotating the u-joint by hand. I would never have thought that little tiny notch would cause so much vibration on my E46 but it was. I tried the CSB first but no love, it was better but still there. Replaced the driveshaft and all was well again. Definitely horrible under load but still vibrated over 70MPH on the freeway.