Vibrations still

[Jordo]

Explain this to me.

1) You feel vibration.
2) you replace part "A"
3) Vibration goes away.
4) Vibration comes back
5) You replace part "B"
6) Vibration goes away
7) Vibration comes back
Repete 5 times.

As someone who diag. for a living, something isn't right. How is it corrected, then reapears and can be gotten to go away again by a diffrent part.... But still comes back after x amour of time.

[ArtMan]

Originally Posted by Jordo

Explain this to me.

1) You feel vibration.
2) you replace part "A"
3) Vibration goes away.
4) Vibration comes back
5) You replace part "B"
6) Vibration goes away
7) Vibration comes back
Repete 5 times.

As someone who diag. for a living, something isn't right. How is it corrected, then reapears and can be gotten to go away again by a diffrent part.... But still comes back after x amour of time.

it all started around 93K I was told by the dealer that the LCA are going bad and need replacing etc. I drove like this for a bit more and had a torn CV during which i replaced 2 ball joints and was pretty vib free for a bit until around 130K in which i decided to replace all front components that the ebay kit provided. This kit has been purchased by fellow members who had great results as in quality and longevity. I decided to do it since it was only 250 parts i know cheap price = cheap parts etc what ever, 5 other members here used it and have no problems.
Now, keep in mind parts are all new!!! when turning while going 50+ on highway i would get deadly shaking to the point that i have to stop or ill loose control....turns on the bushings on the LCA were made of sponge like material. I then decided to change out and put lamfound/bilstein parts i lost all trust in the cheap parts...not sure how other members are ok but mine were just shit. after the LCA were changed i bought new tires got an alignment and noticed that at 60+ i have a steering wheel wobble so i thought maybe its the damn cheap tie rods? (the ball joints on them) the mechanic had also mentioned that the left axle was loose i mean it had play in the CV and asked if it were ever replaced and i said no never oem still but the right was thus i bought the whole tie rod assembly and new axle and joint just to not have any issues. then went a got another alignment and balance in witch things seemed ok like i said 3 weeks went by and now i have the same vibration in the body / steering shaking....

so i decided to change now the trust arms since some ppl have mentioned that when its loose noise at slow and vib at slow speed but some ppl noticed vib at higher speeds...

the way i see it if i feel only in the steering its understandable as in the rack might be loose etc but i feel it in the whole car then it gets translated into the steering.


I knw the axle was a good thing to replace because i had serious vibration when accelerating and now its gone after the new axle so it was something that needed to be replaced.

it also cat be flat spots on the tires i mean its the second set with different brand i cant be that unlucky to get 2 sets of out of round tires! and since vibration it feels the same its some suspension gremlin thats there i wounder if we put the car on a lift and then raise and drive to see if wheels wobble or not can this been done on the X?

[imbvl]

What about the wheels? I had after-market 22-inch wheels on my X5, which continually had balance problems. The hole in the center of the wheel was loose relative to the hub. (With BMW factory wheels there is no clearance between the wheel and the hub.) So the local shop measured the hole in the wheel, and the diameter of the hubs, and bought some 'spacers' to take up the gap. Made the problem better, but didn't make it go away. I never had a 'good' balance on those wheels. When I ran into a curb and dented them, I bought some used BMW wheels and new Michelin tires - cured the problem.

[z168]

I skimmed through the whole 5pages. Wheel shake at 40-50mph is common not only for BMWs but for some Mercedes models as well

And while replacing parts may be a good thing in the long run, I dont like spending on something that doesnt directly address the problem

Assuming the usual suspects have been checked (i.e. steering shock damper, wheel balance, or LCA in working order), the other steps that worked for me were:
1. lower PSI (33 front & 35 rears) - works for both my MB and E39
2. proper torque for lugbolts - night and day with the shimmy shake
3. proper weight rated tires - worked on my MB

[ArtMan]

Originally Posted by z168

I skimmed through the whole 5pages. Wheel shake at 40-50mph is common not only for BMWs but for some Mercedes models as well

And while replacing parts may be a good thing in the long run, I dont like spending on something that doesnt directly address the problem

Assuming the usual suspects have been checked (i.e. steering shock damper, wheel balance, or LCA in working order), the other steps that worked for me were:
1. lower PSI (33 front & 35 rears) - works for both my MB and E39
2. proper torque for lugbolts - night and day with the shimmy shake
3. proper weight rated tires - worked on my MB

Originally Posted by imbvl

What about the wheels? I had after-market 22-inch wheels on my X5, which continually had balance problems. The hole in the center of the wheel was loose relative to the hub. (With BMW factory wheels there is no clearance between the wheel and the hub.) So the local shop measured the hole in the wheel, and the diameter of the hubs, and bought some 'spacers' to take up the gap. Made the problem better, but didn't make it go away. I never had a 'good' balance on those wheels. When I ran into a curb and dented them, I bought some used BMW wheels and new Michelin tires - cured the problem.

The main issue with mine is not just the steering but the fact that the whole car feels like its shaking....around that speed and then when speed up to 60+ it finally manifests itself as steering shake.

but i will double check all tire pressures lugbolt torque. Tires are the same oem once that came with my stock 17inch rims. Micheline mxv4 energy max.

[z168]

Hey ArtMan, yep i had that too. Lower the tire pressure and check your torque. Which incidentally whats our proper torque setting for the lugs? 125Nm?

[ArtMan]

So i got home and cant find my torque wrench....ill rent one tomorrow. I didnt bother checking the tire pressure i was pissed about my wrench. HOWEVER,

I jacked up the car on all four sides. i decided to do the old shake the tire to see if LCA bushings are bad etc this is were you grab the wheel at the 9 and 3 and try to pretend your boxing so left push then right push etc not up and down just pull push and alternate so front looks tight i couldnt make any bushings move but there was a bit play in the rack and pinion but not a lot just a bit. NOW i got to the back wheels for some reason i can when repeating the procedure i can push the wheel in on the right side and makes a cling sound.....and when i look under i can see movement in the bushings etc. this makes me feel like its plausable that the vib comes from the back because like i said before i felt like the whole car was shaking and as speed increased it eventually transfers to the steering...

has anyone who knows about the rear suspension can say if that movement is normal?

if its too difficult to explain ill make a video tomorrow with more light outside

[Isambard]

Originally Posted by ArtMan

So i got home and cant find my torque wrench....ill rent one tomorrow. I didnt bother checking the tire pressure i was pissed about my wrench. HOWEVER,

I jacked up the car on all four sides. i decided to do the old shake the tire to see if LCA bushings are bad etc this is were you grab the wheel at the 9 and 3 and try to pretend your boxing so left push then right push etc not up and down just pull push and alternate so front looks tight i couldnt make any bushings move but there was a bit play in the rack and pinion but not a lot just a bit. NOW i got to the back wheels for some reason i can when repeating the procedure i can push the wheel in on the right side and makes a cling sound.....and when i look under i can see movement in the bushings etc. this makes me feel like its plausable that the vib comes from the back because like i said before i felt like the whole car was shaking and as speed increased it eventually transfers to the steering...

has anyone who knows about the rear suspension can say if that movement is normal?

if its too difficult to explain ill make a video tomorrow with more light outside

From your description I can't tell EXACTLTY what bushings, or indeed what part of the suspension you are describing. But, there should be little to no play in any bushings. Thats the whole point of them.

When there is a problem in the rear it generally is felt 'through the car', in my experience through the seats. When there's a problem with the front its generally felt through the steering wheel. So it seems that what you have found is a very plausible reason for the shake, particularly as you have described it as the whole car shaking.

If you can't take a pic of what you are describing, post up a pic from realoem and tell us what part(s) you are talking about.

Sorry, just read the last line of your post, yes a video would be excellent!

[ArtMan]

Originally Posted by Isambard

From your description I can't tell EXACTLTY what bushings, or indeed what part of the suspension you are describing. But, there should be little to no play in any bushings. Thats the whole point of them.

When there is a problem in the rear it generally is felt 'through the car', in my experience through the seats. When there's a problem with the front its generally felt through the steering wheel. So it seems that what you have found is a very plausible reason for the shake, particularly as you have described it as the whole car shaking.

If you can't take a pic of what you are describing, post up a pic from realoem and tell us what part(s) you are talking about.

Sorry, just read the last line of your post, yes a video would be excellent!

Well that is my exact thought i have been taking notes in the car as ive been driving the last week or two as how i feel the vibration. I first feel it in the seats litterally you feel a wobble/vibration as the speed increases to like 70mph the vib can be felt in the steering and after more speed the steering shakes like a 2cm so its tiny amount but its there

the only thing on realoem i found this pic.


the movement is seen in the part 1. Now i can be wrong im gonna ask my mechanic to take a look and see whats wrong there.


I was also thinking about changing mechanics i mean this guy is good and honest but possible he isnt seeing the issue....who knows. ill talk to him tomorrow morning and later tonight ill try to make a video.


I actually found the rear suspension pic so the middle arrow is pointing towards the engine and the rest are the way i push/pull on the rear tire and the circles are the areas that i saw move when doing so.

[imbvl]

I would jack the rear wheels off the ground, and have someone shake the wheel, at noon and 6 o'clock positions, 3 and 9 o'clock, 10:30 and 4:30, and at 7:30 and 1:30. On my front wheels, I found the most play at 4:30 and 10:30 positions, so you have to try all four. Feel if there's movement between the left end of link 6 and the body, or between the right end of link 6 and the hub carrier #1, or between the left end of link #11 and the body, or between the right end of link #11 and the hub carrier #1. There should be NO PLAY at any of these 4 positions, on either side.