Steering wheel vibration

[ricanbandit]

Mine just turned 35k this weekend and I have the same thing. I think I started to notice it when I changed wheels. But I had them checked, aligned the car, balanced etc... still happens at about the same speed 65-80 before and after the car positively glides. Smooth as silk

[mtrhed]

Since I drove the **** out of my car this weekend and could really feel this, and since my wife is out of town for a couple more weeks(fun me time!) I decided to tear into the car today and get it ready for the new cab's, new motor mounts, and euro headers. My control arm bushing are both starting to seperate from their shells right at the offset where the control arm tang passes through. I would say about an inch section on each, barely visible but easily pried open with a screwdriver. If I hadn't just dropped money on other things I would probably do my control arms also but they should be good for awhile longer, will have to do cabs again when I change them, oh well. Will report back when new cab's are in.

Dan

[BMW Maniac]

Originally Posted by mtrhed

My 06 with 66K is just starting to do this. I ordered new control arm bushings from ECS yesterday. They have new brackets w/bushings already in for a pretty good price. $66 and change I believe.

Dan

I didnt see any cabs on their site....link?

[mtrhed]

Originally Posted by BMW Maniac

I didnt see any cabs on their site....link?

I put the links in Post #22 of this thread. They don't have pics but TurnerMotorSports site does. They are actually $63 and change from ECS, they were $66 from TMS.

[BMW Maniac]

Thanks, I went ahead and ordered a set of bushings....I love the fact that they come already inside the lollipop...that is half the battle right there!

I can get them installed on both sides in about an hour....should be a piece of cake! Hopefully, this will fix my issue before my 12 hour drive to Orlando!

[mtrhed]

Update!

Both Turner and ECS advertise the brackets w/bushings. It looks like the left bracket is back ordered with no date/time frame. This was from ECS. Turner confirmed none in US or Germany, no date. I changed my order at ECS to just the bushings. Turner told me bushings weren't available seperately

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/31107838575/


Front Control Arm Bushing Set

ECS told me these were avilable and would ship on the 28th.

Dan

[jdoublehcubed]

Jumping on the bandwagon as well, I've had this issue for some time, "A" wobble. 72k miles. I guess I'm in line for some new bushings.

Anyone who has already ordered these care to post some pictures of the install process? Can this be done without a shop press?

[Shipkiller]

Although, theoretically, you can replace the FCAB’s without doing an alignment, in practice, if you are having issues because of the FCAB, when you change them, your toe may change and have to be adjusted.
I had this issue first hand. I went from zero toe (my default) to toe out when I replaced the FCAB’s.

[RobertRO]

While in some cases the control arm bushing (CABs) may be the culprit, keep in mind that you may replace them only to find out that the vibration is still there.
If you check my post above, you'll see that I replaced the CABs twice, to no avail.

[Shipkiller]

RobertRO,

This is a off the wall thought, could your 'reinforcement plate' be loose????

[RobertRO]

Shipkiller, thanks for the hint. However, I have replaced and correctly torqued down the reinforcement plate bolts on two occasions (first time when I replaced the CABs, second time when I replaced the control arms + CABs). But it didn't fix the vibration.

[Shipkiller]

It was an off the wall shot.

[elerner61]

Originally Posted by ricanbandit

Mine just turned 35k this weekend and I have the same thing. I think I started to notice it when I changed wheels. But I had them checked, aligned the car, balanced etc... still happens at about the same speed 65-80 before and after the car positively glides. Smooth as silk

Same for me. Happens with my summer tires/wheels (CSL Reps) but not with my winter tires on the OEM rims.

[seank]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

RobertRO,

This is a off the wall thought, could your 'reinforcement plate' be loose????

That's what fixed mine. More torqueing and it wasn't even loose. Takes 4 min and worth a try.

[ZStig]

the big metal plate that protects the car from scratches on the bottom?

[mtrhed]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

Jumping on the bandwagon as well, I've had this issue for some time, "A" wobble. 72k miles. I guess I'm in line for some new bushings.

Anyone who has already ordered these care to post some pictures of the install process? Can this be done without a shop press?

I didn't take any pics of removal. Front of car on jackstands. Remove reenforcement plate. Remove two 17mm bolts holding LollyPop to frame. Use 2/3 jaw puller(I borrowed one from autozone, small3 jaw)to pull LollyPop off control arm. Had to use Dremel to make control arm tang flat to seat puller.
Since I ended up just ordering the bushings I will either need to have a shop press out/press in for me. Or.......Take a trip to the new Harbor Freight up the road and see if they have any small presses and do it myself. Hmmm
Bushing has an arrow that aligns with nub on bracket when pressing in.
INstall, lube CA tang with dishsoap, use a rubber mallet to pop bushing on to CA tang, bolt LollyPop back to frame. I don't have a torque spec on hand.

[Shipkiller]

Just go to Advance and rent their large bushing kit. That was the kit I used to do my FCAB's.

I did not grind the tab off of the housing. Not sure why you would do that.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by ZStig

the big metal plate that protects the car from scratches on the bottom?

Yes the big aluminum plate.
The plate is a structural member to stiffen the chasis.
....not to protect from lo-rider scratches

[mtrhed]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

Just go to Advance and rent their large bushing kit. That was the kit I used to do my FCAB's.

I did not grind the tab off of the housing. Not sure why you would do that.

The tang on my control arms had rounded riser at the end and the puller I used would slide off of this as it was tightened and cock sideways. About 30 seconds with a Dremel removed this riser and gave the puller a flat spot to seat. I'm talking about the screw that you turn to apply force to the puller. I couldn't get the thing to seat until I Dremeled it....*&^& %$#!

[Shipkiller]

Oh, I understand.

In the TIS, it tells you to put a punch-mark in the control arm so that this does not happen.
TIS 31 12 049

[mtrhed]

I gotcha! I guess I should get the TIS for this car. Would have been prepared for that...I have a TIS but it cuts of at the e46. I wish they had a good Bentley for it. All in all everything is very straight forward but there's alway the little steps/tricks that make the job faster.

[StickMon]

Just ordered both side lollipops from Tischer.
And 4 new bolts. Don't forget new bolts.

We'll see if a box shows up in a week, or I get an email from them saying "you can't get those".

And thanks for the punch-mark tip Ship.
At least somebody's reading the instructions.

I usually save the instructions for after I do something. To see if they wrote them correctly.