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Mick525i View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Steering wheel wobble!!
    Posted: 12-December-2005 at 16:26

H Guys,

I finnaly picked up my 5 series and its fantastic. The only problem I have and I hope you can help is a wobble in the steering wheel between 40 and 60. Now I know your all thinking whell balance but I have had the wheels ballaced and they are also brand new 18" wheels and tyres. I have just moved the fronts to the back and the same wobble exists. I am going to bring it back to the Dealer tomrow but I would love to know if anyone out there recognises the problem.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Michael. Dublin, Ireland.



Edited by Mick523I
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-December-2005 at 16:47
Congrats on the purchase. Where did you get it?
Does the shake occur when driving or just when braking?
what make are the rims?
I see from your previous posts that they are not E39 originals. These may be the cause. Also are the wheels the same width as generally 18" on the E39 won't swop as the fronts are narrower.
Anyhow, what are your track rods, bushings, etc. like?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-December-2005 at 16:53

Thanks for the quick reply. The 4 tyres are 235/40/18 all round. I thought it might be discs but I dont get anything back from the breaks only when driving between 40 and 60 mph.

Its going for an NCT tomorrow but i recon the track rods would have to be broken in half for them to notice. How can I best check the condition of them? I even purchased a Haynes manual... :)

 

Thanks

 

Mick.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-December-2005 at 17:10
Seemingly Haynes is rubbish. Bentley is the one to get.
Anyhow, the NCT might show the fault up or failing that talk to a specialist.
Whereabouts in Dublin are you?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-December-2005 at 17:11
It sounds like the wheels might be reps-if they are then the metal might be softer than OEM which can cause small almost imperceptible buckling in small areas.

Saw a 5 series with 4 2month old ACS reps with 3 buckled!!!

SORRY-just read other thread that they are apparently BM wheels-might still be worth checking to see if there is buckling or what the runout's like.

Also, get the balancing checked-blanacing machines have been known to not be set up correctly giving untrue readings, also even shifting a balancing machine in one foot wither direction can throw the calibration.

Edited by Stone-IslandM3
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-December-2005 at 04:06

Thanks KBannon, Im in Rathfarnham.

 

Mick

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-December-2005 at 04:15
maybe give Robert Harrison (BMW Specialist) in Sandyford a shout on 086 2552905



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-December-2005 at 16:44

Nice one. I am going to give the stealers a go at sorting it as its under warranty. If they cant sort it I will deffo ring him.

 

Regards Mick

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-December-2005 at 17:00

Hi folks,

 

The latest update is that they have checked everything but still not sorted. Ballanced tracked tyre pressures different studs, It also passed the NCT well with in all suspension limits????

Can anyone shed some light on this. PLEASE>>>

 

Mick

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-December-2005 at 17:03
If you want to meet up sometime and try on my wheels (or even my track wheels*) to see if it is your wheels causing it let me know.

* the wheels were spurious E34 wheels bored to suit the E39 but gave no problems at all in Mondello!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-December-2005 at 05:59

i get a "steering wheel wobble" at 75-80mph, ive had it since i bought my E39 523 (september), i thought i'd get rid when i was changing my alloy's to 18'z...... but nope still there!?? had all the front end part's checked disc's, bushes, joint's...etc but nothing has shown up visualy? mine came with 2 brand new front lower arm's and bushes and ive had my standard 16" wheel's back on and it still wobbled got my 18" alloy's checked for balance, all was spot on.

i had a similer wobble a few year's back with my old MK3 Granada Ghia and it turned out to be the rear disc's that where warpped, ive not checked them yet but it's getting it's new lower suspension fitted next wedensday and i'll ask the garage to give them the once over.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-December-2005 at 08:59

Hi all,

I put back on the orignal wheels and wobble still there. so saturday morning will be spent replacing the front disks.

Ill let you know.

 

Mick

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-December-2005 at 07:20

most balance machines locate the wheel diametrically on a part of the wheel that is not used when the wheel is mounted on the car. Thus if there is a small machining error or damage to the wheels they may never balance up  right.

Another common problem is that the tyres are not round (sounds stupid but can happen) , and that the tyre can move slightly on the rim or settle in the first few hundred miles- this will also throw the balance off. 

But if you have swapped wheels this isn't likely to be it.

I think brake discs are the next port of call, (and it could be the rears that make the front wobble...). I'm afraid that a few greasy fingerprints on a brake disc can cause uneven thickness wear and this is not tolerated at all on any car. Mostly people say 'my discs were warped' when the run-out was tolerable but the thickness variation was not, thinking the converse. After having muppet mechanics maul my brake discs one too many times I flat don't let them near my brakes now. If it was just oil it'd be OK, it can be cleaned off, but its often MoS2 laden grease and that is very difficult to shift.

A sticky brake caliper/pad and a slightly warped disc can cause wobbles too.

 After discs I'd check that the hubs are actually running true; to do this you need a dial gauge hung off the brake caliper. I'd also check that the location spigot on the hub is the correct size- 0.1mm or more under (ie the slightest bit slack) and the wheels may never centralise on the spigot properly.

Although you have had the suspension geometry settings checked its worth checking the toe is correct. You can do this by putting a line of aerosol paint (say acrylic) on the tread and going for a little drive, a mile at a time. If the toe is bad you'll see the paint go from one side of the tread before the other. If the toe is bad enough it can be as bad as having wheels with the wrong offset fitted; in both cases the suspension loads up sideways through an unbalanced trail force, and this can be an element in the wobble.   

Older 5 series and 6 series have been notorious 'wobblers'; nine times out of ten its a wheel/tyre/brake disc fault, but some have only fixed the problem by fitting stiffer control arm bushes; I don't know if this is a known 'fix' for your model 5 series or not.

cheers

 

 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-December-2005 at 12:34

Brucey,

 

Thanks for the reply. I have just put on the new disks and the fecker is still wobbling. Its only at about 45 - 55 mph. If I put my foot on the break it gets much worse. This is driving me nuts.

Should I know try changing the trackrod ends?

Thanks

 

Mick

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-December-2005 at 13:29

Mick,

Had a similar problem myself some time ago,  the wobble seemed to happen especially on the motorway after just using the brakes gently to slow down a little, after that the steering would shake like mad whatever speed I was doing. Some times it would just seem to clear and be OK for a while then just come back. Tried all the checks like balancing, buckled wheels, anything loose or bent but to no avail. Went to see my BMW independent who said it was a sticking caliper. He stripped and cleaned it all and its been fine ever since. Could this be your problem. He said that the shaking is exacerbated because it upsets all the ABS and Traction etc. May not be the same problem but perhaps worth checking. Hope this helps, Steve.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-December-2005 at 13:58

Steve,

 

Thanks Mate, Ill take it all off again tomorrow and clean the whole lot. I did notice that the Drivers side caliper was hard to push back. Fingers crossed.

 

Mick.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-December-2005 at 14:06

Mick

had same problem on my 5 tried all the usual, took car to dyno specialist who balanced wheels on vehicle, apparently this takes all the minor inperfections into account car now drives luverly.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-December-2005 at 12:58

Hi folks,

At last she is perfect.  Let this be a lesson to all. Tyre fitters know nothing. 3 attempts by so called pro's and the wobble still persisted. Checked everything and even replaced disks all to no avail.

Finally took the car to my friends Dunning Motors and the magician Paul took his time to setup the machine for my wheels and spent 20mins on each wheel. Result perfect. 45mph no wobble,55mph no wobble and all the way up to 120mph the car is smoth as silk.

The the lesson is if you think its the wheels then it proberly is.

Thanks to all of you for your imput, perticurly Dutch who convinced me to check the wheels again.

I can sleep happy tonight.

Hope I can help some of you soon.

Mick.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-December-2005 at 14:40

no problem mick anytime.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-December-2005 at 16:01

Hello Mick / everyone,

I too am having the same wobble whell problem.  Recently purchased a 1990 520i and noticed that the wheel wobbles, and at times seems to have a bit of play in it.  Could my problem be the same as Miks?  Please help.

 

Also, I was driving today and the egine just died while I was driving.  Placed the car in nutral (it's a manual) and then restarted.... it did, then just died again had I not keep my foot on the accelerator.  This fault repeted itself for about 2 minutes then all was well.  PLEASE ADVICE.

 

Thanks

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