DBU

I feel your pain, err sideways movement, brother. In fact I just had my baby (6,000 on the odo) in for a check-up for this very issue. The tech who test drove the car with me agreed that he too felt the sideways shifting, but he also said that is 'normal' for our cars. His explanation was that these cars tend to follow the grooves in the concrete freeways that Caltrans like to put on the freeways in Socal. I must admit that I have not felt the movement on good black top surfaces.

In any event, I am not too pleased with this particular aspect of the handling of an otherwise superb driving machine.

Does it feel like your car is in a medium/strong cross wind or "dirty air" yet you don't actually have to move the steering wheel to correct the course?

AlwynMike

Alexeimoscow,

New tyres will always feel lighter on the steering than the old ones, whatever the make.
My experience with runflats is that they are VERY sensitive to tyre pressures. At the recommended pressures, the car tramlines a lot on anything other than very smooth roads. Increasing the pressures made this effect worse. I am currently running 3psi less than recommended all round, and the tramlining is improved markedly. My next step is to drop another 2 or 3 psi and see what difference that makes. In your case, it may be worth dropping your pressures a bit and see if it makes a difference. Make sure that your pressure gauge is accurate, or at least consistent with a few of your mates' gauges.

skyetripper

FWIW, I have only had my e60 a week (530d) and I have found the steering very heavy at low speed. Seems OK as the speed picks up, but parking and 'mini' roudabouts take a lot of effort. Could it be down to the wheel/tyre combo? Running 245/40/18F and 275/35/18R.

Tyre pressures are OK and the only other 530d I drove seemed fine with the same size front tyres??

MrTrilby

FWIW, I test drove a couple of E61s with active steering before buying my E60 without active steering.

I can't compare road feel because the E61s had M Sport suspension and very low profile wheels so they tramlined a lot (plus I'm not that consciously sensitive to steering feel).

Active steering felt pleasantly light at parking speeds, and maybe a touch light at speed, but overall I certainly didn't have the "HATE IT" impression that journalists seem to find so trendy. My non active steering car is perfectly well weighted at parking speeds - I feel no need for it to be lighter, although I can see the advantage to changing the gearing so I don't have to move the wheel so much. At motorways speeds I find the steering a touch too heavy - loading up through a tight slip road between motorways and it can be quite an effort to heave the wheel over. Absolutely perfectly weighted though for fast A road driving.

alexeimoscow

Appreciate everyone's input. I will tinker with PSI and see what that does. Bottom line RF are garbage, however dealer has agreed to swap my choppy/prematurely worn GY for another set of RF only (as dumb as this proposition sounded, I didn't have a choice). This time around, they threw in a set of Bridgestone. My concerns followed shortly after.
Ironically, they are going to purchase a new set of GY and see if this alleviates my handling concerns.

I am still convinced "Servotronic" is doing something it is not supposed to be i.e. loosening at higher speeds.
I just heard Servotronic is an option in E.U., can someone confirm? How does the non-Servotronic E60 drive/feel?

DBU

What is "tramlining" they asked from the other side of the Pond.

VIIV

It is the tendency for a tire to follow the grooves in the roadway, like a tram (trolley/ train) wheel riding on rails. This is more obvious on some cars and with certain tires.

alexeimoscow

VIIX-

Have you experienced this on your E60? What brand tires?

DBU

Thanks for the definition of 'tramlining' (which my US spell checker refuse to acknowledge).

This is exactly what my E60 suffers from. In the interest of perhaps finding a cure, or at least minimize this effect, I suggest anybody with this symptom post with following info:

Car detail: (year, model)
Sport Package: (yes/no)
Tires: (brand and size)
Miles on tires:
Tire pressure:
Active Steering: (yes/no)
Remarks:

Here is my data:
Car detail: 2007 530i
Sport Package: No
Tires: Original Goodyear Eagle RS-A 225/R17
Miles on tires: 6,500
Tire pressure: 29 - 36
Active Steering: No
Remarks: Feels like strong side wind affecting the car whenever I drive at speed on concrete freeways with grooves (typical for So. California). Experimenting with reduced tire pressures, but the jury is still out.

VIIV

Not really. Most of my daily driving is not freeway, though. But I took a long trip this summer on interstate highways and didn't have an issue. I've got OEM Gyear RSA 225/R17. I use the spec tire pressures. I've got ~7700 miles on them.