NEED Help From all X5 gurus and gods.........Shaking Badly

[m5james]

Originally Posted by SLX5

I didn't replace it even though I ordered the part because it was very tight on both ends. There was zero play

Your X5 weighs in excess of 5000lbs, so it's near impossible for you to sit/stand there and pull on it and be able to get even close to reproducing the forces applied to the suspension components. It's easier to just replace the whole arm instead of cutting corners by replacing just the bushings and assuming the ball joints are fine.

I wouldn't think the rotors are an issue since I'd imagine that you'd feel a vibration from there while driving in general as well if they're warped that badly.

Lastly, a lot of people don't do the suspension installations incorrectly and then automatically blame it on crappy parts...FCP stuff seems to get the biggest complaints, but it can happen to ALL brands. When doing the final assembly of suspension components, tight down the nuts/bolts till they're snug, put the vehicle back down on the ground so the suspension is compressed under the weight of the vehicle...on blocks, drive up ramps, whatever...then do the final torquing of the nuts/bolts. When people tighten everything down w/ the vehicle in the air and the suspension still drooped down, they're essentially pre loading the pieces in the wrong position and will cause a very premature failure.

[dpgx5]

If you have the parts, why dont you try and see if it solves anything. Wouldnt hurt.
Im puzzled as well, we have to find the culprit.

[SLX5]

Originally Posted by dpgx5

If you have the parts, why dont you try and see if it solves anything. Wouldnt hurt.
Im puzzled as well, we have to find the culprit.

Well there is also a minor detail I forgot to mention, click the link below
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...g-failure.html

[Laurence]

Originally Posted by SLX5

Well there is also a minor detail I forgot to mention, click the link below
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...g-failure.html

I think you may be better off replacing the bush as you have no guarantee that it will perform like it should do. A very slight warping in a disk will be magnified greatly if the bush allows too much lateral movement.

[SLX5]

I am going to have my front rotors turned tomorrow, just in case. While I am doing that I may go ahead and replace the tension arm ball joints.

[coffeesnob]

I had same problem, new ball joints fixed my shaking.

[SLX5]

Originally Posted by coffeesnob

I had same problem, new ball joints fixed my shaking.

I guess I could replace these out, but THERE WAS NO PLAY AT ALL IN THEM. I was tough for me to move them back and forth.

[Weasel]

To reiterate what's mentioned above, yes you need to make sure all the bushings (tension arm and control arm) were tightned at ride height, because that could be a culprit.

Secondly, just a thought passing through my head... You put drilled rotors and presumably performance pads on the front, which presumably gives more stopping power to the front, while the rears are still stock. This can throw off the brake proportioning balance and can make the braking distribution difference big enough to add to the shake in the front... Just speculation at this point.

At this point from the info I see, it could be contributed to by thrust arm bushings damaged during installation. Thrust arm bushings and control arms not in the correct pre-loaded position when tightened during installation. possibly warped rotors. And the possibility of improper brake balance front to rear. Hell, it could be all of the above but just slight enough on each account to add up to the felt affect.

But if it didn't do this until a certain job was done, I'd start with checking that. If it did this to begin with and that's why you originally changed certain parts, maybe you simply didn't isolate the culprit yet.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[SLX5]

Originally Posted by Weasel

To reiterate what's mentioned above, yes you need to make sure all the bushings (tension arm and control arm) were tightned at ride height, because that could be a culprit.

Secondly, just a thought passing through my head... You put drilled rotors and presumably performance pads on the front, which presumably gives more stopping power to the front, while the rears are still stock. This can throw off the brake proportioning balance and can make the braking distribution difference big enough to add to the shake in the front... Just speculation at this point.

At this point from the info I see, it could be contributed to by thrust arm bushings damaged during installation. Thrust arm bushings and control arms not in the correct pre-loaded position when tightened during installation. possibly warped rotors. And the possibility of improper brake balance front to rear. Hell, it could be all of the above but just slight enough on each account to add up to the felt affect.

But if it didn't do this until a certain job was done, I'd start with checking that. If it did this to begin with and that's why you originally changed certain parts, maybe you simply didn't isolate the culprit yet.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Well I had both the front rotors resurfaced today and the shake continues. I am going to replace the damaged bush and check things out again. When i am doing this I will replace the front ball joints and will loosen the control arm and tension arm bolts and re-tighten them. Can you put the front vehicle on the ramp and tighten the arm bolts or does it have to sit on the ground?

[mrbmwx5]

Originally Posted by SLX5

Ok here is the whole story
One day I got off the interstate, the vehicle started skaing as I applied the brakes. Came to a stop sign, and was driving about 45mph and the car started shaking. Stopped at a friends home and on the way back got to 45mph no shaking at all. But within the last two weeks, everytime I got to 45mph or when braking at that speed it was shaking.

I realized I had a stuck caliper. So I ended up replacing both the front calipers. I replaced both the tension bushings, and lower control arms. I didn't replace the tension arm ball joints since they were very stiff. Got an alignment done yesterday. The car drives straight, but the second I tap the brakes, the steering wheel shakes violently (Left/Right) yet my brake pedal does not pulsate at all. I replaced rotors with drilled rotors and ceramic brake pads less than 10K ago. Also chnanged the sway end links; I am completely lost and very very frustated with the damn vehicle right now. Any suggestion..........

Your problem is in this post...http://www.xoutpost.com/730884-post1.html