Anyone in the NYC area know of a mechanic I can bring this to for a checkup? Or do I just bring it to the dealership?

 

i'd check your anti-sway bar. maybe it broke?? or an end-link broke??

 

May be as simple as tram-lining (where your tires follow grooves in the pavement). E60's do seem more prone to it than some others, with RFT's seemingly more so than non-RFT's (so it can actually be worse in a car equipped with the sport package). I know you have non-RFT's, but it still may be what you're experiencing.

 

Is the sway bar under the hood in these cars? What about the end link?

 

look here:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...31&hg=31&fg=10
the bar basically attaches to both wheels, and helps keep the car even, but it also gives to allow independent suspension.
usually though, if you have a bad stabilizer bar or links, you'll hear noises.

have you checked the basics, like are your tires properly inflated?

 

Check the air pressure in the tires

 

Sport or non-sport X-drive - doesn't matter. Their suspensions are identical. Sport on Xi means seats and shadowline, basically.

I'd ask member C's Bimmer for a recommendation in this case - he's dealt with Xi suspension and may know someone.

In my personal experience, ALL mechanics eventually become thieves - some right away, others later. But there are exceptions - people who truly care and know how to fix these cars.

If you find a good one, please post it on this board or better yet, if you can, shoot me a PM and let me know who. TIA

It is tramlining. It is most likely the combination of control arm damage, old tires (though OP said he does NOT have the RFT's I think) and older shocks. To really fix this, you'll need to find a really professional mechanic, who would dedicate enough time and effort to diagnose the car properly - too many different things could be causing this. First step is always to find the closest lift and have all the suspension points checked for "tightness". Once you've ruled out immediate danger (not likely), you can continue to diagnose this issue.

Also, since its a CPO, I'd just take it to a BMW dealer and have them diagnose it. But tell them not to do any work, until you okay it - this way, if it is shocks and they aren't covered, you can go and have them done at a fraction of the cost by some reputable indie mechanic.

PM me if you have any more questions. I'm really anxious to see what you will be told - my Xi has the same issue/problem, but I'm planning to swap out the springs and shocks in a bit anyway, so I'm just kinda waiting it out. Nevertheless, if its something I can tighten or swap easily right now, I might jump on this too... well, either way, keep us (or just me ) posted on this, and good luck with the car!

 

My previous ride, e46 M3, started to do this around 70k. The RTAB was shot. Perhaps you should have your bushings checked?

 

A friend just switched RTABs on his E36 M3 vert though, and even though he had Rogue Engineering RTABs put on, the tramlining is still there because the car needs shocks.

Besides, I don't think Xi even has trailing arms, but I could be wrong.

 

What does RTAB stand for?