Matouti

Hello all,

Recently I have noticed steering wobble that occurs when i go over bumps on the road.
The steering also wobble when going 90+kph.

I switched the front wheel with the rear ones and nothing changed (to check for bent rims)
I checked the supension components with the car raised and there are no loose parts/tore rubber. I even removed the engine cover to check stabiliser bar
Front wheel alignment have just been made and it improved a bit the situation without completely resolving it.

At 57000 kms, I would doubt that any suspension component would be faulty. There are no specific sounds, and nothing specific happends when turning the wheel
My brake discs are at the end of their life and i do get some vbration while braking hard. No burnt smell/blue color.

Maybe out of balance wheel ? I think the tires are pretty old.

Thanks for any clue.
Matt

habbyguy

"Wobbles" aren't generally associated with an out of blance tire - that tends to produce a more constant vibration. There are a number of suspension components that can cause your symptom - tie rods (inner or outer), bushings (particularly the large one on the front control arm), maybe even a worn strut or strut mount. If the problem is the control arm bushing or tie rod ends, you can probably feel a sharp "thump" when you tap the brakes sharply, through the steering wheel.

donpb

Sounds like tie rods. Have an indy BMW mechanic take a quick look see.

habbyguy

Another way that usually works is to put the front wheels of the car on ramps (you may have to raise it with a floor jack to do that, of course), and have a TRUSTED helper turn the steering wheel back and forth a few inches. If you can see / feel any movement between parts that shouldn't be moving relative to each other (like tie rods / ball joints / bushings, etc.) you've likely found your problem. I've done this many times on my Jeep (famous for wearing out front end components, which probably has something to do with banging it over rocks and gulleys in the desert). ;-)

Matouti

Hello guys,

First thanks for your quick replies.

I think what I have is called "bump steer" right ?

I have checked suspension components without moving the steering, I'll try to do what you are suggesting habbyguy. I would suspect inner tie rods from what i see online. If I remove the outer tie rod from the wheel knuckle (keeping it moutend on inner tie rod), will it change the alignment ? I would like to check if it's loose.

Thanks again,
Matt

habbyguy

I think most folks would call it bump steer, though that can refer to other issues as well.

Yes, a bushing that feels tight to your massive hand strength might flex considerably with the steering wheel deflecting a few inches.

And yes, you won't affect the alignment by removing the tie rod from the knuckle, as long as you don't adjust it in the process. Ball joints (of all types) can feel pretty secure until you have them loose, even if they're worn far beyond their "normal" state. Many times, I've pulled a tie rod end or ball joint that I didn't suspect at all, only to find out that it's very, very loose (normally not "wobbling" around, but taking very little force to move it around - and that can cause issues).

Matouti

Hey guys

I couldn't find anything wrong with the tie rods.

However I have found some play on the wishbone. On the two sides it's about the same so I took a video so someone could tell me if that's normal. I don't know if it's me just compressing the rubber with my hand or what. Here is the
Also i noticed that the damper in the front suspension is completely worn out
And some scratch on the rubber of the control arm
Time is as much a killer for rubber parts than mileage i suppose.
Here we go for some pics :

kd7iwp

You certainly can refresh those components, I hope it helps. I refreshed all my dampers, front tension struts, strut mounts, etc. and can't say I noticed any improvements (not that I really had problems to begin with, just knew they were old). My old shocks didn't really pop back out any more after being compressed by hand.

habbyguy

I replaced all the bushings and or control arms on my E61, and they were probably better than those of yours. ;-) That front control / compliance arm is the suspect in a whole lot of front end issues, and could easily explain your issues. I like just shotgunning the whole "system" so I only need to get one alignment done (since if one part is toast, the others are probably following close behind). It's also nice to have "like new" feel through the suspension again.

seanjordan20

That's how I handle mine also. Just easier for me to manage knowing I changed everything