This thing is driving me crazy! Can't take it anymore. The car is a 2001 540i sedan, manual.
Here is the backstory:
I know I have an old an relatively complex car. But to me the best car EVER build. I maintain everything properly and repaired properly- every important bit is original, or at least original manufacturer. By that I mean that when I could find a 3$ wiper- that I would take any day compared to the 50 buck Bosch set, that it's crap anyway. But I won't by a $100 AutoZone alternator or radiator. I won't go through everything that I've done to the car.
But this is what matters:
All 4 corners new shocks, springs, spring mounts. All 4 new control arms, trailing arms and whatever you call them on this car. New outer tie rods x2. 2x new stabilizing bar links and the mounting bushings out front. All new pads and rotors. Just refurbished 17", ET20 with proper 235/45/17 new rubber. They fucked up the paintwork on the wheels, but I leveled them and went with the level all around them- they were perfectly straight to my eye and level.
Nothing was done by me! Well except the stabilizing bar links, but I know the car will run even without those, so sure it's not them and me. Properly done work by I mechanic that I know and always does the job right.
Stuff that it still might be the problem. Center link and the steering box itself. The center link was rock solid to my eye and my guy also recommended not to replace- maybe I should have, but... The steering box has no play on or off at center. After half a turn or more it has half an inch of dead play. It does not effect the steering in a corner under load at all. You always know where the wheels are and it always pushes back correctly to my feel for 3 years now- noticed the problem about an year ago. It is only a problem when you are stationary and if the wheel is turned at least half way in either direction- car on or off. Never at center-car on or off.
So I don't think it's these things, but I might be wrong.
The problem is more or less wobble at around 50MPH and between 70MPH or 80MPH- after 90MPH it goes away or I pay much more attention the the trees and Priuses.
At 50MPH, 75% of the time you can't even feel it. But at higher speeds it's always there. Sometimes if I let go of the wheel you can actually see the wheel play-sometimes not. Sometimes it's less obvious- but I can always feel it through the floor and on my feet. It is the exact symptom of an unbalanced wheel. But my problem has always been there- more or less, and so far I've had 4 different sets and makes of tires and 2 different sets of wheels- and like I said the last ones where just refurbished and straightened. Now the only thing that crosses my mind is that they were painted poorly and the center bore was painted so it had to be sanded down in order for the wheel to fit on the center hub bore. I know that on these cars this is the thing that actually centers the wheel to the hub and having it sanded down I'm sure that it might be part of a mm off here and there-but can that really make that much of a difference? Plus I don't thing you sand a lot of aluminium off the wheel itself- they just took the paint off.
Now as you can see I'm already working on the try and error method. I really don't need you telling me to change the steering gearbox- unless you want to give me a $1000+ with no questions and favors asked. But I will take any reasonable idea that I haven't tried already.
What I need to know is has anyone ever had this kind of un-fixable problem? It's really not that bad, but it drives me more crazy the fact that I can't put my finger on this shit. I know my valve covers are leaking and that my steering box is bad- but I know the problem and how to fix it- it's just a matter of time and money. But when I don't know the problem... It's eating me up. And to a passenger it's unnoticeable.
The other thing is- any volunteers in Chicago area for a good wheel swap and try- just to be 100% sure that it is not the wheels. If there is somebody with a good set on a car that runs 100% smooth and is willing to help I would gladly accept.
And I'm giving you the whole boring story because my point is- the problem has always been there. No matter what I did. It kind of faded out when I did some of the things but more or less it's always there.
PLEASE HELP!
Here is the backstory:
I know I have an old an relatively complex car. But to me the best car EVER build. I maintain everything properly and repaired properly- every important bit is original, or at least original manufacturer. By that I mean that when I could find a 3$ wiper- that I would take any day compared to the 50 buck Bosch set, that it's crap anyway. But I won't by a $100 AutoZone alternator or radiator. I won't go through everything that I've done to the car.
But this is what matters:
All 4 corners new shocks, springs, spring mounts. All 4 new control arms, trailing arms and whatever you call them on this car. New outer tie rods x2. 2x new stabilizing bar links and the mounting bushings out front. All new pads and rotors. Just refurbished 17", ET20 with proper 235/45/17 new rubber. They fucked up the paintwork on the wheels, but I leveled them and went with the level all around them- they were perfectly straight to my eye and level.
Nothing was done by me! Well except the stabilizing bar links, but I know the car will run even without those, so sure it's not them and me. Properly done work by I mechanic that I know and always does the job right.
Stuff that it still might be the problem. Center link and the steering box itself. The center link was rock solid to my eye and my guy also recommended not to replace- maybe I should have, but... The steering box has no play on or off at center. After half a turn or more it has half an inch of dead play. It does not effect the steering in a corner under load at all. You always know where the wheels are and it always pushes back correctly to my feel for 3 years now- noticed the problem about an year ago. It is only a problem when you are stationary and if the wheel is turned at least half way in either direction- car on or off. Never at center-car on or off.
So I don't think it's these things, but I might be wrong.
The problem is more or less wobble at around 50MPH and between 70MPH or 80MPH- after 90MPH it goes away or I pay much more attention the the trees and Priuses.
At 50MPH, 75% of the time you can't even feel it. But at higher speeds it's always there. Sometimes if I let go of the wheel you can actually see the wheel play-sometimes not. Sometimes it's less obvious- but I can always feel it through the floor and on my feet. It is the exact symptom of an unbalanced wheel. But my problem has always been there- more or less, and so far I've had 4 different sets and makes of tires and 2 different sets of wheels- and like I said the last ones where just refurbished and straightened. Now the only thing that crosses my mind is that they were painted poorly and the center bore was painted so it had to be sanded down in order for the wheel to fit on the center hub bore. I know that on these cars this is the thing that actually centers the wheel to the hub and having it sanded down I'm sure that it might be part of a mm off here and there-but can that really make that much of a difference? Plus I don't thing you sand a lot of aluminium off the wheel itself- they just took the paint off.
Now as you can see I'm already working on the try and error method. I really don't need you telling me to change the steering gearbox- unless you want to give me a $1000+ with no questions and favors asked. But I will take any reasonable idea that I haven't tried already.
What I need to know is has anyone ever had this kind of un-fixable problem? It's really not that bad, but it drives me more crazy the fact that I can't put my finger on this shit. I know my valve covers are leaking and that my steering box is bad- but I know the problem and how to fix it- it's just a matter of time and money. But when I don't know the problem... It's eating me up. And to a passenger it's unnoticeable.
The other thing is- any volunteers in Chicago area for a good wheel swap and try- just to be 100% sure that it is not the wheels. If there is somebody with a good set on a car that runs 100% smooth and is willing to help I would gladly accept.
And I'm giving you the whole boring story because my point is- the problem has always been there. No matter what I did. It kind of faded out when I did some of the things but more or less it's always there.
PLEASE HELP!
Wobbly front. 540i
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