New tires re-balanced multiple times, Car still SHAKES at speed
12-08-2011, 10:15 AM
#31
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Dont rule out the wheels. i chased this one for a while even after getting new wheels. turned out one of the rear wheels was slightly bent and caused a vibration at 70mph. a local tech swore it was the wheels. i called discount tire and they sent me 2 new rear wheels. problem solved. discount tire direct has awesom customer service.
12-08-2011, 06:40 PM
#33
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My Ride: 07' BMW 550i
Yes,it's surprising,but BMW wheels made BBS are soft, my car had never seen bad road,even I second owner,I knew first one he lives same area as me, so rear wheel bent too.
12-08-2011, 06:57 PM
#34
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To quickly summarize my story: My old goodyear/kumho setup was worn out (and never vibrated at highway speeds) so i got a set of Yokohama Avid Envigor touring all seasons from discount tire direct. These tires continued to vibrate the steering wheel, sunvisor, my seats, you name it at highway speeds, even after being rebalanced 3 times! I called discount tire and they sent me a new set agreeing that the old set may have been defective. fast forward 2 weeks into having the new set and they are starting to do the same thing! I even had the new set mounted and balanced at a different and also highly reputable tire shop in town, so i know it's not a case of the shop not knowing what to do! 
Symptoms:
-at highway speeds (and sometimes even around town) there is a vibration that i can feel through the gas pedal, steering wheel, and the seat of my pants. small objects in the car like the visors when down also vibrate.
-NO ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, so this is why i do not suspect suspension damage
-my old tire setup NEVEr did this and they did not wear unevenly either
PLEASE HELP, im at the end of the rope. this is extremely frustrating and is totally ruining the best car ive ever had! FYI, tire size is 225/50/17 on stock 545i wheels
Symptoms:
-at highway speeds (and sometimes even around town) there is a vibration that i can feel through the gas pedal, steering wheel, and the seat of my pants. small objects in the car like the visors when down also vibrate.
-NO ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR, so this is why i do not suspect suspension damage
-my old tire setup NEVEr did this and they did not wear unevenly either
PLEASE HELP, im at the end of the rope. this is extremely frustrating and is totally ruining the best car ive ever had! FYI, tire size is 225/50/17 on stock 545i wheels
12-09-2011, 06:44 AM
#35
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You can't add hub rings to them if they are original BMW wheels for that car. The wheels are manufactured to fit on the hub with a close tolerance. If aftermarket wheels were installed then yes, hub rings would be a good starting point all day long. If it didn't do it with the old tires, its possible one of the tires is bad, try swapping each wheel with the spare and drive it. Or try to find a complete set of wheels you can borrow and do the same thing. I originally had a vibration like yours and had cracked 545 sport rims. I bought all new rims and the vibration was still there. It turned out to be a bent back rim (a brand new one) I suspect they bent it mounting tires. I got 2 new rear rims and the problem is solved.
12-11-2011, 07:19 PM
#36
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This same problem was driving me crazy for a year, I did 4 road force balance, re alignment, changed the control arm and hub rings to my 20inch wheels, nothing worked it got a little better but still shook on the freeway like your describing,I finally bought a set of use 124's and the car drives perfect. But now i think it was the tires that I had on my old wheels to begin with, so I think you might just need a different set of tires.
12-11-2011, 08:20 PM
#37
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You can't add hub rings to them if they are original BMW wheels for that car. The wheels are manufactured to fit on the hub with a close tolerance. If aftermarket wheels were installed then yes, hub rings would be a good starting point all day long. If it didn't do it with the old tires, its possible one of the tires is bad, try swapping each wheel with the spare and drive it. Or try to find a complete set of wheels you can borrow and do the same thing. I originally had a vibration like yours and had cracked 545 sport rims. I bought all new rims and the vibration was still there. It turned out to be a bent back rim (a brand new one) I suspect they bent it mounting tires. I got 2 new rear rims and the problem is solved.
12-12-2011, 02:21 AM
#38
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My Ride: 2008 535i LCI with sports/premium package, Sports trans with paddle shifters, CF emblems, JB4 Software, Dinan Exhaust, Navigation, M5Tech body kit, Carbon wrap interrior trim and CIC Controller.
It really does sound to be more in the tires than in the mechanical side of the car. My X5 was also vibrating and my wife even complained about it. I just said it was the road because it did seem to come and go instead of being constant. I took it in for service and they told me that Continental tires of this particular type have a problem of flat spots as the car sits. They changed all four out to Michelins and the vibration is gone. I've heard of other tires doing this but not always one type. Perhaps the yokohama's are having the same problems. Sux because my e60 needs tires and this was on the top of my list to try this time instead of the Michelins. Maybe its best I just stay with what I have.
12-12-2011, 04:15 AM
#39
It really does sound to be more in the tires than in the mechanical side of the car. My X5 was also vibrating and my wife even complained about it. I just said it was the road because it did seem to come and go instead of being constant. I took it in for service and they told me that Continental tires of this particular type have a problem of flat spots as the car sits. They changed all four out to Michelins and the vibration is gone. I've heard of other tires doing this but not always one type. Perhaps the yokohama's are having the same problems. Sux because my e60 needs tires and this was on the top of my list to try this time instead of the Michelins. Maybe its best I just stay with what I have.
Bridgestone are the worse. I have had luck with Yokos though in my 94
12-12-2011, 05:18 AM
#40
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My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i
I'm currently trying to find someone local to swap wheels with to see if that's the problem. i did notice a few small scratches on the outside of my wheels after installing the new tires, so now i'm paranoid that one of them is bent. But still, wouldn't the other shop had noticed if one of the wheels were bent??