steering wheel is shaking

fedor · 02-14-2009, 11:06 PM

the steering wheel and front end of the car shakes when I drive around 40 mph or when I brake. What would be the problem? I replaced the brake pads and rotors and rebalanced the tires.

Thanks,

dguzzardo22 · 02-15-2009, 01:01 AM

i had a shake when turning it was control arm bushings . .. jack up the front of your car and start looking at all your bushings and stuff.

tiFreak · 02-15-2009, 01:13 AM

might be a bent rim, did you watch the tires get balanced? even if they're bent they can still zero out on the balancer

fedor · 02-15-2009, 06:45 PM

It might be a bent rim. How are we gonna check if it's bent or not? and How to fix?

Thanks,

b.u.ti-ful · 02-15-2009, 07:02 PM

My guess is ball joints or bushings.

A simple method I use to check if motorcycle wheels are bent is to set a can of WD-40 with the straw in it next to the jacked up wheel. Then spin the wheel with the end of the straw as a gauge along the rim.

Never tried it on a car.

713bmw318ti · 02-15-2009, 07:39 PM

It has to be your control arm bushings, I had the same problem I bought original rotors and pads. Then I changed my contorl arm bushings and the problem was solved.

fedor · 02-16-2009, 04:02 AM

I searched on the internet and I'm very sure that it is the control arm bushings.
What is the danger of not replacing it? I don't want to spend $200 dollars at the repair shop and I don't have the tool and place to do it myself.

Thanks,

dguzzardo22 · 02-16-2009, 05:53 AM

all you need is a press . take the control arm off and take the bushing to either a metal shop or any shop . drive around back and ask someone that works there that just does the work and not the paperwork. ask them for help and sometimes you can pull them aside to help you out . ask is they can press the balljoint in there for you it'll only take a min,

stay away from the front door i always drive around to the shop and try get a favor first. hehe..

dguzzardo22 · 02-16-2009, 08:31 AM

http://understeer.com/lcab.shtml

check here 2 !!!

fedor · 02-16-2009, 03:14 PM

Thanks guys,

I'll see what I can do

LN318TI · 02-16-2009, 05:10 PM

If its doing this after being left outside in the cold weather its Ice Build up and will subside after the car is left inside in heat and the ice melts. Mine did this thought I had a flat lol.

leighsean95ti · 02-19-2009, 04:56 AM

a bad tie-rod end can cause symptoms of a warped rotor and/or unbalanced wheel. check your tie-rod ends.

Mopho · 02-20-2009, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fedor

the steering wheel and front end of the car shakes when I drive around 40 mph or when I brake. What would be the problem? I replaced the brake pads and rotors and rebalanced the tires.

Thanks,

I just replaced my left side lower front control arm assembly with a Z-3 lower arm due to a lower front ball joint being loose. I now wish I had changed over to solid bushings while I had the control arm off, then do the right side.

My '96 ti with 178K is kinda skidderish, and I know solid bushings would definately help. Less play in the lower suspension that way, means tighter steering.

The stock rear lower control arm bushings are too soft and flexable ( to soften the road vibrations and make the car quieter, I guess) and I see there is solid bushings you can get to replace them from Pelican and Bimmerworld.
That would be the way to go.

I am also using the Z-3 lower control arms, they look stronger (from the wrecking yard, they are the same except fewer holes in the arm), and you can buy them pretty cheap compared to new. You could then have them rebuilt, and ready to replace the lowers in a shorter time frame.

If you are like me, I can't have the car down for more than a half a day...

MDDraco · 02-20-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fedor

the steering wheel and front end of the car shakes when I drive around 40 mph or when I brake. What would be the problem? I replaced the brake pads and rotors and rebalanced the tires.

Thanks,

Hi, I'm here, and I'm on my first ever BMW, so all I can do is describe things that I've had to sort out on mine really... actually something I had to do on my very first car as well... I'm a lucky bugger me!

Anyway, does your steering wheel squeak when you turn one way or the other? Or do you meet extra resistance turning one way or the other? Because if this is the case, it can actually be ghosting the issue to make you think it's other things when it could be the steering rack assmbly, pretty cheap to replace that as long as you have the knowhow (which sadly I don't (cost me NZ$192 inc. tax)) as I was getting this in mine, and I couldn't for the life of me figure it out... I thought the same, must be the rotors (had them checked) balancing/alignment (all checked out) ... basically everything checked out and it was only when I took the car into the local garage and they had a look that it got figured out! I bought mine on the cheapy, so there were things wrong with it, like it had been in a smash which is most likely what had caused that problem, but it could be as simple as one to many curbs bounced up and down, or big ass pot holes, so it's something to look out for... Apparently (no idea how true this is, as it's only "what I've been told" and this is my first BMW) it's a relatively common fault on the 318 series.

Anyway, hope I helped and didn't just give you a whole new nightmare scenario to worry about!!

Dan

briansol · 02-20-2009, 08:45 PM

my car did the same thing. only shook between 40 and 50.

ball joint was the problem.

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