If you flush change the fluid you can go to Pentosin CHF 11/S (or equivalent).

Steering too heavy?
 

I added at-205 in mine when it was acting up. Instant fix. It's designed to refurbish the seals people use it almost anywhere. Read the bottle to see the max ratio. I was low a couple oz. So I just used it to top off. Fixed the cold start moaning instantly

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8389dd44b1.jpg

One of my favorite!

The engineers screwed up a bit so the radios of the ramp doesn't actually align with the exit lane but if you know where to cross the fog line I can take the tighter initial arc 45. Have to go 40 if tool boxes in the wrong configuration. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...83de7d1f76.jpg

Notice that the ramp can be smoothed into two perfect arcs. No need to steer. People that are OCD about staying centered in the lane will lose 10 mph. I think that offramp is rated 25.

The fun part is that when you get through that initial Sharpwe arc at 40 to 45, the c300 That was behind you is nowhere to be seen by the time you get to the straight. at that point I’m already going 5 to 10 miles an hour faster than the speed limit on the cross road So I just stay going 35 or 40 through that gentle curve on the exit. It is still what my wife calls a "Love curve" because it squeezes all the passengers together.


It’s convenient to merge when you’re going slightly faster than the traffic on the Cross Road.

Oh Chicago land a lot of the on ramps are S shaped. They tend to have about six or 7 feet of safety lane with the flags drive very far from the grass. I find that if I cheat the ffog stripe one and a half feet I can go at least 8 to 10 miles an hour faster.

when I had my Z 28 with the eagle GSC tires In 20+ years before there was a thing called a smart phone with a GeForce app on it I would use the poor mans G meter known as a soda bottle half full. Firmly planted in the center console. I would regularly get the angle in the fluid over 45°. that of course is the magic number for 1G. With the bank on 1/8 mile radius 270 I’m pretty sure I would take those at about 1.2 G.

Funny thing is that with my fully loaded 5500 pound gross X5 Once there is the slightest bit of moisture on the road I can actually corner harder in the X5 then I could in the Z 28.

I learned a trick that when I have a Z 28 how to maximize your speed and curves that had a constant radiusAnd that is to hold your left knee against the steering wheel. On the X5 the steering wheel is a little too high and I hold my left knee into the bottom of my left hand. The steering wheel does not move at all it’s much more comfortable for your passenger is not getting jiggle left and right and you can add at least two or 3 mph around the curve.

That trick works as well at 45 on a 270 offramp as it does at 90-95 on a sweeping curve designed to go 80.

The other trick to making curves smooth and fast is to write out a minor judgment call that’s inaccurate. In other words if you turn in too soon and you’re going to go one or 2 feet over the fog line just let it happen.

Drivers that don’t know that rule actually give me a stomach ache when they drive.

With winter coming I am going to start a thread that describes a couple winter driving techniques that can very much keep a car on the road otherwise wouldn’t. I learned to drive in 1971 Chevy impala in Wisconsin. I remember one day with freezing rain the road was so slippery the rear one wheel started turning as soon as I put the car in gear and took my foot off the brake.

One of the tricks I figured out myself how to keep that car on the road and slippery spots I was quite amazed to discover the same exact trick works in the X5.

Caveat on the fog stripe rule; sometimes they put the rumble strip two or 3 inches past the fog stripe in that case It will not make it a smooth curve.

yes, that's a great product and is worth trying

The cap to the power steering reservoir should list the correct fluid. If it list Pentosin, don't put in ATF fluid. The two fluids are not compatible.

Above somebody said you can swap if you remove all the fluid. I don't know how you would and would not be worth it unless you were replacing the pump and rack I'm thinking

The steering wheel on my e39 530i is harder than my 4.8is.

That's interesting. My e39 drove like a dream. The steering was the best feeling, in terms of feedback, in any of our bimmers. It was a MT m52 with the M sport package and was a stage 2 Dinan car. And a slick top! Totally regret selling that car.:(

My X handles quite well for such a porker. We have a super windy road that goes over the mountain from one community to another and my daughter and I drive it often for fun and to go to our mechanic. She's in an e46 coupe and I stay right on her. And she can drive. She's 25 and has been driving a bimmer since her 16th birthday! I was pretty damn surprised after I got the feel for the X and what it's limits are. Although I haven't really tested it's limits. Yet.....

The feedback is great on it. It's just heavy. BTW, I just got it. Loved the first one I had (1998 528i) and decided I will own another one e39.