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#1
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[e39] lack of directional stability
I posted about this issue before, but still haven't been able to resolve
this. The car in question is an '02 530i with sport pkg, 36k miles. Since I got it at 30k miles, it has not been very solid/surefooted at speeds of 85mph and above. It feels floaty, like I'm getting hit by crosswinds on a calm day and the whole car slightly sways to either side. I have to keep correcting with the steering wheel to remain in my lane. I had the alignment done/rechecked twice. All the suspension and steering components were visually inspected by 2 different shops - they all claim everything is intact. I have a new set of tires, but the issue existed on the old tires as well, so I don't think it's a tire issue. I don't want to take it to a bmw dealer as they'll probably tell me to replace all suspension components and charge me an arm and a leg for it. I don't want to blindly begin replacing component after component either. Isn't there some way out there to properly diagnose what is responsible for such stability issues? While it isn't totally awefull, it still takes away from the "ultimate driving machine" experience. I feel like I'm driving a buick. Where should I start? Thanks, Pete |
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#2
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[e39] lack of directional stability
On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:55:01 -0400, "Pete" > wrote:
>I posted about this issue before, but still haven't been able to resolve >this. The car in question is an '02 530i with sport pkg, 36k miles. Since >I got it at 30k miles, it has not been very solid/surefooted at speeds of >85mph and above. It feels floaty, like I'm getting hit by crosswinds on a >calm day and the whole car slightly sways to either side. I have to keep >correcting with the steering wheel to remain in my lane. > >I had the alignment done/rechecked twice. All the suspension and steering >components were visually inspected by 2 different shops - they all claim >everything is intact. I have a new set of tires, but the issue existed on >the old tires as well, so I don't think it's a tire issue. > >I don't want to take it to a bmw dealer as they'll probably tell me to >replace all suspension components and charge me an arm and a leg for it. I >don't want to blindly begin replacing component after component either. >Isn't there some way out there to properly diagnose what is responsible for >such stability issues? While it isn't totally awefull, it still takes away >from the "ultimate driving machine" experience. I feel like I'm driving a >buick. > >Where should I start? > >Thanks, >Pete > Sounds a bit like the 730d Sport package I drove the other week. Didn't really know where it wanted to go. Reason......... 20" wheels and rock solid suspension. total crap ride and directional stability and this was a dealer NEW demo vehicle. Wouldn't buy one ever.................. The same vehicle in standard trim with adj suspension + 20" wheels felt like a boat on soft and still wandered and on "sport" mode (stock springs) bumpy and wander. Not a good package. The 19" wheels are about as big as you want to go if derivability is not to be forfeited. Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! |
#3
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[e39] lack of directional stability
> wrote > Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! I have the factory 17s with 235/45 tires. I don't hear any other sport pkg. owners with the same size rims/tires complaining about such issues as I'm experiencing. Pete |
#4
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lack of directional stability
On Apr 24, 2:32 am, "Pete" > wrote:
> > wrote > > > Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! > > I have the factory 17s with 235/45 tires. I don't hear any other sport > pkg. owners with the same size rims/tires complaining about such issues > as I'm experiencing. > > Pete The suspension is usually under considerable forces and it is sometimes difficult to see if anything is actually worn. You need big crowbars and/or remove everything and inspect them. ....or it's just your shocks :-) |
#5
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lack of directional stability
In article .com>,
adder1969 > wrote: > On Apr 24, 2:32 am, "Pete" > wrote: > > > wrote > > > > > Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! > > > > I have the factory 17s with 235/45 tires. I don't hear any other sport > > pkg. owners with the same size rims/tires complaining about such issues > > as I'm experiencing. > > > > Pete > The suspension is usually under considerable forces and it is > sometimes difficult to see if anything is actually worn. You need big > crowbars and/or remove everything and inspect them. ....or it's > just your shocks :-) It's very difficult to tell by the old way of levering as there is so much compliance built in as standard. The common wheel shimmy caused by worn control arm bushes may not show up on a UK MOT where they lever everything looking for play. -- *Young at heart -- slightly older in other places Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
#6
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[e39] lack of directional stability
"Pete" > wrote in message ... > > > wrote >> Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! > > I have the factory 17s with 235/45 tires. I don't hear any other sport > pkg. owners with the same size rims/tires complaining about such issues as > I'm experiencing. > > Pete > I have a 3 Series with the Sports Package and factory M3 17" rims carrying 225/45s, and my car goes straight as an arrow. It is "twitchy" on concrete freeways -- it likes to move around a bit -- but it is following the grooves on the cement when that happens. It is rock steady on smooth asphalt pavement. My car was delivered with 225/55x15s, and I traded them out for the equivalent tires on 17" rims. The tires made absolutely no difference in the personality of my car. Well, the sidewalls are obviously stiffer, and there is some effect there, but it is negligible. At least it does not bother me. |
#7
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lack of directional stability
"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message ... > In article .com>, > adder1969 > wrote: >> On Apr 24, 2:32 am, "Pete" > wrote: >> > > wrote >> > >> > > Now the 530 isn't that much different so the same could apply! >> > >> > I have the factory 17s with 235/45 tires. I don't hear any other sport >> > pkg. owners with the same size rims/tires complaining about such issues >> > as I'm experiencing. >> > >> > Pete > >> The suspension is usually under considerable forces and it is >> sometimes difficult to see if anything is actually worn. You need big >> crowbars and/or remove everything and inspect them. ....or it's >> just your shocks :-) > > It's very difficult to tell by the old way of levering as there is so much > compliance built in as standard. The common wheel shimmy caused by worn > control arm bushes may not show up on a UK MOT where they lever everything > looking for play. > Before we start blaming parts, I think we need to determine what the conditions are that the car moves around while driving it. If it is merely following the rain grooves sliced into the freeway lanes, then I don't think anything needs to be done at all. If it is drifting all about the road where there are no rain grooves cut, then we can start looking for worn parts. Having said that, if the car lives in a moderate climate -- like where I live -- then I doubt the suspension parts are worn out yet, unless the car has jumped a curb or two. |
#8
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lack of directional stability
"Jeff Strickland" wrote > Before we start blaming parts, I think we need to determine what the > conditions are that the car moves around while driving it. If it is merely > following the rain grooves sliced into the freeway lanes, then I don't > think anything needs to be done at all. If it is drifting all about the > road where there are no rain grooves cut, then we can start looking for > worn parts. It's doing it on all surfaces, even very smooth asphalt ones. > Having said that, if the car lives in a moderate climate -- like where I > live -- then I doubt the suspension parts are worn out yet, unless the car > has jumped a curb or two. I'm in south Florida. Since I'm the second owner, I have no way of knowing if the previous owner enjoyed jumping curbs over the 30k miles that he owned it. One thing I do know is that the front driver-side fender was repainted at some point. Again, I don't know the extent of the damage that it incured - whether it was just a scrape or the whole left front wheel took a hit. There are no visible scrapes/gushes on any of the wheels. The previous owner could have gotten a replacement wheel though and I wouldn't know about it. Pete |
#9
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[e39] lack of directional stability
"Jeff Strickland" wrote > I have a 3 Series with the Sports Package and factory M3 17" rims carrying > 225/45s, and my car goes straight as an arrow. It is "twitchy" on concrete > freeways -- it likes to move around a bit -- but it is following the > grooves on the cement when that happens. It is rock steady on smooth > asphalt pavement. Yeah, that is how my previous A4 (B5) with 225/45/17 tires behaved, too. I could go upwards of 100 mph and it was rock solid. In this e39 I don't feel nearly as confident at high speeds. Pete |
#10
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lack of directional stability
"Pete" > wrote in message ... > > > I'm in south Florida. Since I'm the second owner, I have no way of > knowing if the previous owner enjoyed jumping curbs over the 30k miles > that he owned it. One thing I do know is that the front driver-side > fender was repainted at some point. Again, I don't know the extent of the > damage that it incured - whether it was just a scrape or the whole left > front wheel took a hit. There are no visible scrapes/gushes on any of the > wheels. The previous owner could have gotten a replacement wheel though > and I wouldn't know about it. > The only time I experience what you are describing (328i E46 sport package) is when my winter tires are mounted - not an issue for you. But have you tried increasing the pressure differential between the front & rear tires? Tom K. |
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