Here is my story - Bought a car about 1 month ago -all tires worn especially fronts on the outer side(both R&L) and the car had a constant steering wheel shake from 45-60mph. Bought a set of rims 17' (mine were 16) with good and balanced tires and the previous owner said that his steering wheel was rock solid. But I still have that same shaking only sometimes!!! Sometimes it's there -sometimes it's not. Sometimes it happens when I'm braking - sometimes not. Sometimes on the curves.

Can someone tell me what to do???
Thanks

Here is my story - Bought a car about 1 month ago -all tires worn especially fronts on the outer side(both R&L) and the car had a constant steering wheel shake from 45-60mph. Bought a set of rims 17' (mine were 16) with good and balanced tires and the previous owner said that his steering wheel was rock solid. But I still have that same shaking only sometimes!!! Sometimes it's there -sometimes it's not. Sometimes it happens when I'm braking - sometimes not. Sometimes on the curves.

Can someone tell me what to do???
Thanks

Welcome to the most common e39 problem. You need to replace both the front and rear ball joints, have a road force balance, repalce your worn shocks and have an alignment. That will clear it up. Nearly every e39 owner over 60K miles has experienced this. It will clear up.

What's a road force balance???

Also anybody know where to get a right wheel alignment in NYC area?? my local delaer - LIFE QUALITY BMW quoted me $200 for it. That's nonsense I think. Also he quoted me $270 for an oil change with some microfilters tha let engine breathe ( never heard about those) and $170 without them.

The $270 isn't that much off. My dealer does it for $250.

the ball joints replacements are mad expensive at the dealer. They gave me a quote for something like $1300+ for the rear alone and I just laughed.

If the OEM shocks and ball joints are gone at 60K miles, who sells more expensive replacements that lasts longer?

What's a road force balance???

Also anybody know where to get a right wheel alignment in NYC area?? my local delaer - LIFE QUALITY BMW quoted me $200 for it. That's nonsense I think. Also he quoted me $270 for an oil change with some microfilters tha let engine breathe ( never heard about those) and $170 without them. Find a good independent shop to do all your work. The dealer will always rape you. I just had an alignment done on my car. The local dealer wanted $220, but I took it to a local guy who is a club racer and really knows his stuff for $90. You can also save a good chunk of money by doing things yourself.

^^^How would you do the alignment in your own garage?

What's a road force balance???

Also anybody know where to get a right wheel alignment in NYC area?? my local delaer - LIFE QUALITY BMW quoted me $200 for it. That's nonsense I think. Also he quoted me $270 for an oil change with some microfilters tha let engine breathe ( never heard about those) and $170 without them.


ROAD FORCE balance is a machine that lowers a pneumatic wheel/roller bar against your spinning tire and wheel assembly while it is on the spin balance machine. This machine exerts roughly 1500 lbs of pressure (essentially similar to the weight of gravity on each corner or your vehicle) as it is spin balancing the tire. This method of balance will both seat the tire bead better against the wheel and is better at finding and mitigating those microscopic high-spots on a tire which result in shimmy or imbalance at higher speeds.

Road force balancing runs about $50 per wheel and only a few tire shops/dealerships own this type of machine (due to its high cost). Each of the dealerships in my local area has one.

^^^How would you do the alignment in your own garage? The guy who did my alignment runs a shop. he just also happens to be a club racer.

EDIT: ok I get what you were asking now. For something like an alignment you probably don't want to do it in your garage. But oil changes and stuff like that you can.

Anyone know this?
If the OEM shocks and ball joints are gone at 60K miles, who sells more expensive replacements that lasts longer?

What are the numbers of fron ball joints - I can't find the on realoem.com ???