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      10-28-2008, 12:24 PM   #1
jgorman13
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Steering Sucks?

Why does it seem like my Z4 consistently has steering issues. It gets dragged by any imperfections in the road and the steering wheel leans right.

Ive tried everything from wheel alignments, wheel balances, to even replacing the steering column and pieces in in.
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      10-28-2008, 12:35 PM   #2
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Have you tried getting rid of the stock run flat tires?

They have the tendency to cause tram lining.
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      10-28-2008, 02:02 PM   #3
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Could be run flats, could be the POS electric steering.
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      10-28-2008, 02:10 PM   #4
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2005 Z4 2.5i  [8.00]
Sure sounds like the RFTs.
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      10-28-2008, 03:23 PM   #5
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If the car constantly pulls to the right and you've already done a wheel alignment, it could be bad tires that are causing it. Switch the wheels side to side and see if the car now pulls to the left. If you have directional tires (most likely), find a safe place to do the test.
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      10-28-2008, 03:27 PM   #6
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change tires. when my contis were bald they tram lined like crazy
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      10-28-2008, 06:49 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dammmittt View Post
Could be run flats, could be the POS electric steering.
electric steering isnt a POS
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      10-28-2008, 07:45 PM   #8
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i prefer EPS over conventional hydraulic system

then again, i'm not a racer or anything. just lighter @ parking lot, stiff on hwy. works for me
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      10-29-2008, 02:05 PM   #9
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Thanks for the input. I was thinking it was the RFTs, as they not only make my ride a living hell, it feels as though the tires a probably the reason. I hope it works I really do.
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      10-29-2008, 02:16 PM   #10
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Mine also follows every groove in the road and I have non-rft Conti's on mine. Freaked me out at first, but I've gotten used to it. Oddly enough, loosening the death grip on the steering wheel helps immensely. Just let it do it's thing and it usually just takes a tiny correction to keep her on line. Worst is when I hit the brakes on an uneven surface. Talk about a heart stopping moment when I wasn't ready for it. But I don't even think about it anymore.
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      10-29-2008, 11:34 PM   #11
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IMHO it's both the electric steering AND, even moreso, the crappy runflat tires. Having owned/driven an E90 330i on both, I can assure you that the switch to "real" tires is extremely dramatic - it completely transforms the car into a beast you'll love 100x more than the runflat-equipped turd that BMW sticks you with without choice. DO IT.. you'll agree that it's the best $$ you could spend on the car. Scour the forums, virtually everyone who's done this says the same thing. You'll also see defenders of runflats, saying they're "not that bad!" or how BMW "tunes the suspension for runflat tires", which is marketing double-speak for softer bushings and slightly softer springs, to attempt to mask the harshness of the tires. Hooey!!

You will also lose the tramlining effect (wandering) with the switch to real tires. Do it.. you'll thank me later!
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      03-11-2009, 12:06 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinC View Post
... or how BMW "tunes the suspension for runflat tires"...
I thought I read somewhere that it was actually the other way around with the Coupe. That the suspension was developed/tuned with conventional tires in mind but switched to run-flats at the last minute by the powers that be.

From my own test drives, the 135i on 18" wheels with run-flats rides significantly better than a 3.0si Coupe w/ Sport package. This is not to say the 135i wouldn't benefit from conventional tires as well.

The steering has been a bit of a let down for me as well. I felt my S2000's steering was better, even though the Honda system was never touted as being great. Precise, but lacking in feedback.

I'd be happy if conventional tires could at least get my Z4 on par with the S2000 I traded in for it.

Last edited by UncleScottie; 03-11-2009 at 12:24 PM..
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      03-11-2009, 03:28 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jgorman13 View Post
Why does it seem like my Z4 consistently has steering issues. It gets dragged by any imperfections in the road and the steering wheel leans right.

Ive tried everything from wheel alignments, wheel balances, to even replacing the steering column and pieces in in.
Get an M , they dont come with RFT
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      03-11-2009, 10:35 PM   #14
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i mean, ur a bit late to this. issues were resolved a whileeeee ago. Dunlop SP Sports on it now
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      03-12-2009, 05:08 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jgorman13 View Post
Thanks for the input. I was thinking it was the RFTs, as they not only make my ride a living hell, it feels as though the tires a probably the reason. I hope it works I really do.
The RFT's really react badly to low air pressure. They seem to need checking all the time. Keep them at the recommended pressure, 35 front 38 rear for my car. Makes quite a difference.
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      03-12-2009, 05:20 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jgorman13 View Post
i mean, ur a bit late to this. issues were resolved a whileeeee ago. Dunlop SP Sports on it now
better late than never....still get an M
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