Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 37

Thread: Yet another E39 wheel/driveline vibration

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T

    Yet another E39 wheel/driveline vibration

    So I bought myself an E39 touring, and driving it home I found out it has a nasty vibration above 65mph. I did test drive it and look for this specifically, but where it was located there were no smooth roads, so I didn't feel it until I was on a bit of smooth freeway heading home.

    The problem is a pronounced vibration in the car which appears briefly at about 30mph and disappears, only to reappear above 60. It's not through the steering wheel - it's definitely through the seat and you can see the passenger seat and sunvisors shaking.

    After beating myself up about making such a schoolboy purchasing error for a couple of days, I started problem solving. Here's what I have done:
    - wheel balance : no effect
    - another wheel balance : no effect
    - removed wheels off my other E39 and swapped over : no effect (other car has no vibration problem)

    At this point I took it to the mechanic I use, who showed me the discs were all worn below the minimum spec. I had to get this fixed for registration purposes, so he fitted all new discs and pads around. While the car was on the hoist, we took the wheels off and ran the car up to full speed. Smooth as a rock, no vibration seen or felt through the car.

    Re-fitted the wheels (still the ones off my other car) and ran it up to speed (still on hoist). Both left and right wheels visibly jumping the suspension up and down. Checked runout of rims - rims seem OK. Checked runout of tyres - a little bit of variation but not much.

    Swapped other set of wheels to rear, and ran car up to speed on hoist. No jumping on right hand side, but wheel jumping a little on left hand side.

    Mechanic concludes it must be wheels/tyres. I explain to him that my other car felt no such thing with those wheels - but the evidence was right there for me to see - no wheels - smooth. Wheels on- vibration.

    While up on the hoist, checked all suspensions bushings and joints. Thrust arm bushings recently replaced (first thing he checked), slight wear in LHS transmission mount, but not serious. Guibo on driveshaft looks fine, didn't drop the exhaust to see uni joints - mainly because no noise and vibration is constant on road speed, and not on load (ie accelerating, coasting, vibration stays). There is some play in the rear subframe bushes, but they don't look visibly worn. I must say the wagon feels a lot more 'thrummy and drummy' than the sedan, I don't know if this is condition or just a wagon thing.

    So at the moment the wheels are back on, and the vibration is still there, perhaps slightly less (it's hard to be objective about these things, as it depends on speed and road surface).

    The original wheels are heavily kerb-damaged (every wheel) so his suggestion is to get the rims re-rolled, repaired, and put some new tyres on and see how this goes. He says this is the most likely reason and also the cheapest, because starting to replace driveline components is expensive.

    The guy isn't an idiot and has been looking after a lot of E39's for a long time, so I'm inclined to believe him and try this route.

    Any suggestions on what else to check, try? I know what a well sorted E39 is like, and it took a lot of convincing to the significant other to ditch her VW and get another BMW, so it hasn't gone over well. I'm very keen to get this one running smooth. It's a good car in every other respect.

    My only guess is that the suspension is a bit worn, so is hyper-sensitive to out-of-balance wheels as it can't damp out any vibration inherent, whereas my other car might be a bit fresher and thus can isolate wheel vibration more (it has more miles, but has had a gentler life by the looks)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    8,409
    My Cars
    98 540i6
    drive shaft (prop shaft) support bearing and guibo - check them.


    running the car up to speed on the lift is a terrible idea - the suspension isn't loaded; thus nothing is under normal operating conditions. so, don't ever expect to see normal suspension movement/vibration.
    Last edited by mattmartindrift; 04-08-2010 at 02:05 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Shadyville, NJ
    Posts
    2,893
    My Cars
    '17 Durango, '10 Panny
    I concur with Matt...but since I'm having the same problem with my Touring...let me provide some insight. I bet that your rear subframe bushings are SHOT and once you replace them the car will drive better (did mine last summer/fall). Also I would gather that your suspension is shot as well, I have about 150K on mine and will be replacing them. I also believe that part of the problem may be related to wheel bearings at each corner. I am now feeling a vibration through the steering wheel which wasn't there before....and I can only attribute it to wheel bearings going bad, so they will be replaced as well. For a while I thought it was the driveshaft which I replaced but the problem still persisted....so I'm still shooting in the dark, but I believe its suspension related. When I get the touring between 80-90, it seems to normalize itself and simmer down...so give that a shot, which is what led me to believe its a suspension issue rather than drivetrain.
    BMWCCA #389756
    e39 Touring SOLD.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Washington DC
    Posts
    108
    My Cars
    2000 BMW 540i 6spd. 1989 Mazda 626 GT turbo.
    Bring your car up to 65 or whatever and hit the brakes, if it gets worse its your front control arms....a common failure on these cars. Mine shook like HELL and actually, while they did have some play in them ive seen far worse on other cars with less vibration. Dunno.

    However, the fact the vibration comes and goes at 30 and 65 tells me its being canceled out as the car moves at certain speeds. Every car I have had with bent rims exhibited this but you said you swapped out the rims and tires?

    I had a DSM that would shake like hell above 70 mph and 3 mechanics could not figure it out. Turned out to be 2 defective tires...however this problem got steadily worse as I went faster (a tire could not be balanced for some reason).

    Rear ball joints can cause a some vibrations too and they are another thing in the e39s that go.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    Correct that I swapped out wheels and vibration persisted, possibly a little better. Ironically the car that I swapped out the rims on has also developed a similar vibration (though not as bad), so the original wheels are probably bent (they have been balanced twice). I wonder if the former owner bent a/the wheel(s), drove the car with the vibration for x,000 miles and has stuffed the suspension. However, the wheels that are on the car are nice and true and have no bends in them, but the tyres are a little old (5+ years) and showing some signs of deterioation, even though they have plenty of tread left. Like I said in the OP perhaps the problem is worn rear suspension unable to control whatever oscillations are present in a wheel that is not 100% perfectly balanced. And it's hard to get a perfectly balanced wheel.

    True that running the car on the hoist doesn't replicate real life running, but it vibrated to hell with the wheels on, and didn't vibrate with the wheels off. This at least shows the wobble is likely related to the wheels and not, say, the driveshaft.

    Car has 70k miles on it and is a 2000 model. Visual inspection of all suspension bushes was OK, no cracks, deformation or anything like that.

    Visual inspection of Guibo was OK, center support bearing and uni-joints not inspected due to having to pull off the exhaust and heat shields. The mechanic is insistent that it doesn't present as a driveshaft balance problem due to the frequency of the vibration (driveshaft spins faster than the wheels) and it doesn't change in regards to operation - ie, coasting downhill in neutral, accelerating, braking, all the same as long as the speed is in the wobble range. Driveshaft issues should change depending on the load on the driveshaft.

    Taking it above speed limits is not really an option because very few smooth roads around here that aren't infested with police. All the backroads where higher speeds are possible aren't smooth enough.

    Thrust arm bushings are OK, and it's unrelated to front suspension as there is no wobble in the steering wheel. Brakes are all brand new, so are not a factor.

    Wheel bearings is interesting and could be a factor, though I'd like to hear of someone who replaced the wheel bearings and got an improvement. I'm not a fan of shooting in the dark, even though I know that's sometimes the only way to solve these things.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    130
    My Cars
    525iT
    i did replace all these parts on my except wheel bearrings and still have small vibrations.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    8,409
    My Cars
    98 540i6
    have the wheels been road-force balanced?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Shadyville, NJ
    Posts
    2,893
    My Cars
    '17 Durango, '10 Panny
    Quote Originally Posted by mattmartindrift View Post
    have the wheels been road-force balanced?
    Good Question...mine were and the problem still exists...I'll be taking a better look at it shortly..
    BMWCCA #389756
    e39 Touring SOLD.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    8,409
    My Cars
    98 540i6
    bad tires can be balanced, but their roundness, or lackthereof cannot; so, it could still be a tire issue.

    Typically, if the wheel bearings cause vibration it means your wheel is about to separate from the hub.


    I'm also assuming that any suspension work that was done, was done properly - control arms and bushings were torqued/tightened under operational static load (car on level ground/ramps)?



    OP, you mention that the thrust arm bushings were replaced. Was the entire arm, with ball joint, replaced?

    Quote Originally Posted by brc5 View Post
    True that running the car on the hoist doesn't replicate real life running, but it vibrated to hell with the wheels on, and didn't vibrate with the wheels off. This at least shows the wobble is likely related to the wheels and not, say, the driveshaft.

    Rotational energy; specifically, moment of intertia explain why the vibration didn't persist with the wheels off. Also, the wheel and tire probably weigh in at around 15kgs or more. On the lift that's 15kg pulling down on the suspension - the suspension's main job is to support and damp forces coming from the opposite direction of this test. That means the CV joints could be slightly stressed causing vibrations due to their defflection.


    I'm inclined to believe it's not your drive shaft; however, the driveshaft may not show signs of wear without the appropriate load - maintaining highway speeds takes somewhere around 10-20hp.
    Last edited by mattmartindrift; 04-09-2010 at 10:06 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    SV, IL
    Posts
    268
    My Cars
    CRX 328is X5 528iT5sp 19
    To state it simply, you can't duplicate real driving conditions on a lift. Although I did sucessfully diagnose (on a lift) a 900 & 1800 rpm vibration (not road speed dependant) by pinpointing the clutch housing - an out of balance clutch ASSY on a lift. My old E36s DMF was sloppy and fatigued a clutch driving strap. It failed in tension and the remaining 2 straps threw the mass off center. Go UUC LWF kit!

    Have you found the culprit, yet? Here is what I've learned about my Touring since April....

    Is the vibration accompanied by any noise? I just did my rear wheel bearings (touring) and it seems to run smoother in the rear end now. I also did the subframe bushings 6 months prior, with similar levels of improvement. I knew the rear bearings were shot because the bad one made less noise in a swift turn. The subframe bushings made terrible "bottoming out" type noises over railroad tracks or the equivalent.

    I'm surprised to hear that a rear wheel bearing failure can lead to a wheel falling off. I thought of this as well, but after reviewing the parts diagram/Bentley I don't see how this would be likely. I suppose if enough heat built up to compromise the bolted joint it could happen.

    Now I just need to address other vibrational symptoms, which are probably front thrust bushings. I hear a clunk in the front end when manuevering slowly through parking lots and vibrations through wheel. Oh, and I'm getting the cold start shutters so I'm planning a vanos seal job too! This E39 sure is keeping me busy. Oh well, my E36 was getting this old when I sold it so if it isn't this it would've been that! I must say that I've learned quite a bit about the modern technology in autos by owning post 100k mi BMWs! I'm afraid of my wife's X5. Luckily, its been rock solid so far!
    Last edited by treat44; 09-20-2010 at 01:32 AM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    412
    My Cars
    2003 525I
    Do you have aftermarket wheels? Our cars use a unique 74.1mm centerbore and if you get wheels that were drilled out to fit, sometimes you still need hubcentric rings to really get a tight fit. This happened on another car I own. I put aftermarket Carlssons on it and didn't realize they were never made for the car. Got some hubcentric rings and that fixed it.
    2003 BMW M3 - Alpine White - 6 speed
    2002 BMW 330i - Gray - 5 speed

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Long Island NY
    Posts
    905
    My Cars
    93 W140 '02 E39 540i
    You may have flat spotted tyres as other have said above. This is more often the case from what I have seen, it won't matter what you do to the wheels, although should be OEM, with balancing and such. And throw away the idea that new tyres are good or that expensive tyres are good, many come with shifted treads, out of round belts/moulds, and a host of other aggravating issues. Many Kumhos have this issue, well, consider the source. Even with the latest calibrated Hunter GPS Road force balance, a brick will still be a brick.

    My Mercedes is SO sensitive to crappy tyres, the smallest run-out causes a shimmy.

    The touring will be more thrummy/drummy, the chassis has a lot more torsional twisting going on, the rear is a big open box as where sedans have rear parcel shelves and the great wall of Germany if you don't have folding seats. Cars without folding seats are the stiffest chassis. Although E39s, because god made them, are so stiff to begin with, Dinan only makes a strut bar for looks. The E60 is no stiffer either.
    Last edited by the andrew; 09-20-2010 at 12:28 PM.
    My beloved, 2000 323i, Loaded, h/k, sport/premium, Z3 Short shifter, edead all over, NHT1259 Free air, bilsteins HDs, two tone cardinal red leather on doors. Sold

    My German bricks: 1988 300TE Estate E-Class, 1993 S Class 500SEL, in a class of it's own, The "Beast", and a 2002 BMW 540iA, My daily, lots of fun .
    -BMW Service Technician

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Norfolk, Virginia
    Posts
    116
    My Cars
    1999 BMW 528i
    Does your shimmy go away after 30+ mins of driving. If so your alignment could be pinched (too much toe-in) causing vibration until everything warms up.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    Quote Originally Posted by treat44 View Post
    To state it simply, you can't duplicate real driving conditions on a lift. Although I did sucessfully diagnose (on a lift) a 900 & 1800 rpm vibration (not road speed dependant) by pinpointing the clutch housing - an out of balance clutch ASSY on a lift. My old E36s DMF was sloppy and fatigued a clutch driving strap. It failed in tension and the remaining 2 straps threw the mass off center. Go UUC LWF kit!

    Have you found the culprit, yet? Here is what I've learned about my Touring since April....

    Is the vibration accompanied by any noise? I just did my rear wheel bearings (touring) and it seems to run smoother in the rear end now. I also did the subframe bushings 6 months prior, with similar levels of improvement. I knew the rear bearings were shot because the bad one made less noise in a swift turn. The subframe bushings made terrible "bottoming out" type noises over railroad tracks or the equivalent.

    I'm surprised to hear that a rear wheel bearing failure can lead to a wheel falling off. I thought of this as well, but after reviewing the parts diagram/Bentley I don't see how this would be likely. I suppose if enough heat built up to compromise the bolted joint it could happen.

    Now I just need to address other vibrational symptoms, which are probably front thrust bushings. I hear a clunk in the front end when manuevering slowly through parking lots and vibrations through wheel. Oh, and I'm getting the cold start shutters so I'm planning a vanos seal job too! This E39 sure is keeping me busy. Oh well, my E36 was getting this old when I sold it so if it isn't this it would've been that! I must say that I've learned quite a bit about the modern technology in autos by owning post 100k mi BMWs! I'm afraid of my wife's X5. Luckily, its been rock solid so far!
    The vibration is still there, but swapping around wheels/tires has reduced it to just a mild annoyance. I've put some miles on it now and the car has developed a noisy wheel bearing, which I will attend to.

    Like you the car sounds very rough over sharp bumps, so I suspect the problem is also the suspension bushings. I've got to work out how to get one of those bushing removal tools I've ready about. I'm hoping with new wheel bearings, new bushings and new tires the problem will go away or at least be reduced to the point where you hardly notice.

    I've bought a new set of BBS wheels for the sedan (because I swapped wheels with the touring to try and eliminate the problem, but ended up giving the sedan a case of the shakes), but it has repaid me with developing an EWS fault and won't start. So all current attention and $ are flowing towards that and a new set of tires for it. The touring is doing family duty remarkably well in the meantime.

    How did you replace the suspension bushings. Did you get the specialised tool?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Woodinville, Wa
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2000 540i
    My e-39 has 102,500 and developed a loud continual clanking noise that increases while throttling but disappears when I push the clutch in. This noise started today abruptly. I have had all four wheels removed and brakes inspected. Nothing was noticeable & the problem still exists. I now need to check the Center Support Bearing, Flex Disc, Rear Ball Joints,Uni-joints, and maybe Guibo? I have read posts here for about 30 min's. Anyone have any input? Hopefully it is just a bumping heat sheild.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    If you have a vibration problem with your driveline (clutchplate backwards to wheel bearing) you need to ascertain if the noise changes with acceleration (load), coasting, or decelation (lift off gas pedal). If a noise increases with acceleration then it is less likely to be drivetrain related because acceleration loads the drivetrain with torque and usually (not always) takes up any slack/slap in the various components.

    Does the noise happen with the clutch out and gearbox in neutral and engine revs held to whatever they are when you normally hear the noise?

    A rattling heat shield will also likely rattle if you rev the engine while the car is sitting still. And usually sounds quite tinny.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    the moon
    Posts
    25
    My Cars
    m5
    Quote Originally Posted by brc5 View Post
    The problem is a pronounced vibration in the car which appears briefly at about 30mph and disappears, only to reappear above 60. It's not through the steering wheel - it's definitely through the seat and you can see the passenger seat and sunvisors shaking.

    Did you ever get this problem sorted out ?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    No, the problem hasn't been fixed yet. It's bearable but not ideal. I'm still planning on fitting new rear suspension bushings and wheel bearings, but so far no luck on getting the bushing removal tool. I tried ecs tuning as they have a tool for rent but no reply from them. Currently I'm looking at sourcing one from the UK and getting a friend there to send it to me.

    Right now I just use the sedan for doing highway work, it's running sweet since I got the EWS problems sorted out. And it looks the business since getting the new BBS rims on.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Chicago South IL
    Posts
    4,791
    My Cars
    2003 530i Sport
    if you swap tires from one E39 into another E39 both cars will vibrate
    This is because 2 cars have different alignment and rear camber on one can be -1
    where on another car can be -2
    This is why i never do rotation – the same vibration issue ( usually 35 - 45 MPH ) when you do front rear swap

    Buy new tires , keep it on one car and never rotate
    GL
    Last edited by champaign777; 07-18-2011 at 06:54 PM.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Amsterdam, NY
    Posts
    5,629
    My Cars
    97 528i 87 528e 65/74MG
    Quote Originally Posted by brc5 View Post
    No, the problem hasn't been fixed yet. It's bearable but not ideal. I'm still planning on fitting new rear suspension bushings and wheel bearings, but so far no luck on getting the bushing removal tool. I tried ecs tuning as they have a tool for rent but no reply from them. Currently I'm looking at sourcing one from the UK and getting a friend there to send it to me.

    Right now I just use the sedan for doing highway work, it's running sweet since I got the EWS problems sorted out. And it looks the business since getting the new BBS rims on.
    See if you can find someone with a new spare tire, many times the spare is completely unused and can be valuable for troubleshooting tire issues, try putting it on and the switching it from side to side, see if the vibration changes with the spare in place that should eliminate tire/wheel vibration to isolate the bearings/bushings. I was having issues with my driveshaft and ultimatelyt found the Universal was bad, but before it went totally I would get rythmic vibrations that kind of came and went but were not focused under the car more kind of came from everywhere but once new shaft fitted the vibration is gone.

    I would also check all subframe bolts and verify that the front thrust arm bushings are good, if they were installed incorrectly they can fail VERY quickly. these are the arms that are diagonal towards the front not the control arms that are straight out to the sides.

    Lastly I see nothing in your info about an alignment being done, this could cause a variety of issues that would lead to vibration so you might want to have it checked.
    >'97 528i, 200000 miles, Hella Xenons, 17" Stilauto wheels, Vogtland Drop Springs, Dynomax Race Muffler, Homelink, 540 brake upgrade, 15mm spacers >'65 & '74 MG Midgets BFC OT Lego Club #48 Manual conversion in process!!!



  21. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    I have two near-new tyres that came on the car when I got it, that I am going to re-fit on the front. The fronts that are on it are worn on the shoulders, though the middle of the tread is OK. But the tyres that are on it are about 8 years old now and do need replacing. I have some new wheels already and am just putting aside the cash to get the new tyres for those, plus the bushing removal tool and new bushes.

    I'm not sure if the rear subframe bushings are contributing to the vibration or not, but there is no doubt they are shot as you can feel the car lurch slightly when entering a corner, and you can feel movement in the rear on acceleration which is consistent with sloppy suspension.

    The front thust arm bushings were checked 12 months ago when I was originally trying to find the problem and were OK. There was one cracked gearbox mount underneath but the rest of the driveline seemed OK. I stress there is no vibration through the steering wheel, all the vibration (and harshness, it must be said) appears to be coming from the rear of the car. You feel it through the seat of your pants, not through your hands. It's nowhere near as bad as when I first got the car, getting rid of the bent wheels made a huge difference. But it's clear to me that x thousand miles of driving with bent wheels has accelerated wear on all the other driveline components. The moral being : if you bend a wheel or lose an alignment weight, get it fixed, don't just keep driving and vibrate your car to death. And if you buy a car, never, ever sign on the dotted line until you've taken it up to highway speeds and kept it there for a couple of minutes. I always have this rule since purchasing an old E34 with a wheel wobble, and I (partially) broke it when purchasing the touring. I say partially, because I did take it up to speed, but it was a bumpy highway and I didn't pick up the shake because of the bumps.

    I've learnt a lot about touring e39's during this process. Seems you don't buy one without (a) having receipts for a total rear suspension overhaul at the 50-60k miles mark, or (b) if you do, you set aside enough money to do this yourself. If it's not the subframe bushings it's the air springs. It's a great design that gives a flat load floor but it seems to die faster than the sedans. My sedan has now got up to 85k miles and still runs sweet and true and handles great.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    QLD, Aus
    Posts
    54
    My Cars
    '97 535i, '00 528i T
    It's fixed!!

    I finally purchased the Franklin bushing removal tool from a UK seller, and ordered the bushings online.

    I installed them today after following the instructions in this thread:http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1183593

    I'm going to have to try and sell the Franklin tool now to recoup my costs, but I'm sure someone will want it.

    On a (pretty short) test run I took the car up to 120kmh (75mph) and no vibrations. Well, I won't say 'none' but a massive improvement on before. The tyres are 6 years old and due for replacement anytime now. Also gone is the loose feeling in the backend, and the shuddering and banging over short sharp bumps and expansion joints.

    While I've seen many people say that the bushings don't fix a tyre-like vibration, I can honestly say they are wrong. I tried swapping wheels and tyres around, tried different things, had them balanced countless times. Nothing cured the vibration until the new bushings were installed.

    I've got a theory on this - it goes something like this:
    - the BMW suspension is lightweight alloy in order to give better response and better handling.
    - when you get a tyre that is a bit out of round, or just a little bit out of balance, the low inertia of the lightweight suspension allows the tyre to 'bounce' around more than you would with, say, a live-axle rear end made out of cast iron.
    - if the subframe bushings are had-it (mine were) then the entire subframe is free to bounce around more, because more movement is allowed.
    - at certain speeds, the subframe develops some type of harmonic and starts to bounce around on the loose bushings, transmitting a vibration throughout the car.
    - because it's the entire subframe getting and transmitting the wobbles, the vibration seems to come from anywhere and everywhere at once (though not through the steering wheel). This is why attempts by various people to pinpoint the source of the vibration always failed - because the entire car seemed to shake (dancing headrests, sunvisors, etc).

    There a few people that have posted over the years that the subframe bushes don't move much, but I got underneath the car and gave the whole thing a real good shaking, and you can see how much of the lateral and vertical forces of the body are isolated from the suspension through the subframe bushes. They do flex a lot. ANd when they are stuffed, they make the car ride and handle very poorly.

    Anyway, it's just a theory. If you have a touring, get your subframe bushes checked and replaced if necessary. Dollar for dollar, the most cost-effective improvement in ride and NVH I've made.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Chicago South IL
    Posts
    4,791
    My Cars
    2003 530i Sport
    not a common for sedan ( even i have a good result with a new bushing ) but a MUST for touring

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Nutley
    Posts
    11
    My Cars
    Audi A4
    I've run into something really weird with re-occurring vibration on my car. I had my tires road force balanced by a very quality shop and the vibration became much smaller but as soon as I came back from a track event it came back. Now I'm super confused weather this is a sign of components going out ie. wheel bearings or wearing tires

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    5,563
    My Cars
    2003 525i
    Quote Originally Posted by brc5 View Post
    It's fixed!!

    I finally purchased the Franklin bushing removal tool from a UK seller, and ordered the bushings online.

    I installed them today after following the instructions in this thread:http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1183593

    Dollar for dollar, the most cost-effective improvement in ride and NVH I've made.
    Interesting.
    You initially said the Rear Subframe Bushings appeared fine.
    Yet replacing them helped.
    I ask because I am considering replacing mine in the sedan.
    "I'd smash that (Jennifer Connelly) like a failed coup in sub-Saharan Africa."
    ~Macktheknife in my epic Jennifer Connelly OT Thread

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •