2006 X5-Front End Wobble-Highway Speeds-

[cfoss]

Hi all.

My daughters X5 again...

She had a wobble at 90-100k that disappears at 70 nd 130k, so we changed the front tires for some other ones suspecting a tire balancing issue. She says it usually get worse the longer she is at highway speeds though, which is of course not a wheel balance issue. With the new tires the wobble is gone at highway speed... so there was a wheel balance issue...but....

Sure enough, after some time the wheel starts visibly shaking back and forth, and when the brakes are applied there is pulsation felt. At lower speeds/starting out they are dead smooth.

The rotors have been done recently, so of course I diagnose the calipers and we changed them.

We still have the same issue.

I have heard that brake hoses can sometimes trap pressure in them and cause the caliper to build heat. Do these X5s have a common issue with this??

Thanks,

Chay

[andrewwynn]

If the control arms are at fault you can force a wobble one of these ways:

From ≈ 50 mph gently engage the brakes down to about 40. Hold the steering gently and feel for shake.

Then: at faster speeds like 65: drive on center lane of freeway so you are on the top of the crown. Steer very gently back and forth in your lane holding the wheel gently. As the steering goes past "noon" and the wheels flip from right to left you'll get 2-4 wiggles of the control arms are worn.

The other ball joints that can cause that wiggle are tie rod and the main ball joint but those are more rare.

In my case it was the steering gear.

You can usually rule out the steering gear by having somebody turn the wheel back and forth with the car off and hand or stethoscope on the tie rod.

If there's play in rack it will often cause this symptom you are describing.

[cfoss]

Thanks for the info. I will try that.

I wasn't thinking suspension because the problem changes as the vehicle travels for longer.

I'd think suspension would either be there or not be there.


Chay

[andrewwynn]

So rule out the steering gear first. Your symptoms sound just like mine. I've replaced the control arms and ball joints. Even the outer tie rod. It got better with every patch.

In the end I could only get the wobble on a particular road going a particular direction. So it was about a 40 min. round trip to test.

The gentle s curve over the crown of center lane (or right on the dash stripe of a country road where you can safely drive right down the middle) will almost always root out a loose ball joint but wouldn't rattle the steering rack. Is it possible it's not a time driving but a special location?

When wife's e53 control arms failed the steering would wobble in one particular curve and only that curve 100% of the time.

If you're in the states and determine it's the rack I have a spare. Bought to fix my rare wobble but deer took out the car before I got a chance to install.

[Themoog]

Sticking caliper I reckon

[X5chemist]

Mine had a similar wobble. It was very apparent when slowing down. Control arms, bushings, shafts, and guidos were all replaced. It was still there. Eventually, new rotors and brakes fixed it. I think the rotors were way out of flatness. The set on it were old from looks of them. A new hardware brake hard too. Remove the wheels and check the rotors.