[lowrydr310]

I feel your pain. I still have similar vibrations but thinking it's a bad balance, slightly bent rim, or slightly warped rotor as I feel vibes when lightly braking at highway speed (but firm braking and there's no vibration.)

Steering rack? Not sure how to inspect that. What about all the steering shaft joints? Have you checked all of those?

Rotor runout? You could still have slight warp or deposits that aren't heating up any more than normal. A portable dial indicator can test that.

Bad wheel bearing? Again I don't know how to properly test that unless it's making noise or has excessive slop which it sounds like you already ruled out.

Bent knuckle is a possibility too, another one I don't know how to confirm as there could be a minor bend that passes the visual test.

What struts do you have on your car? How old are they?

[e90yyc]

+1 on feeling your pain (just in a slightly different way… my issue is looseness and not shudder).

Given how few obvious culprits remain coupled with the relative ease of rack replacement on RWD cars, that’s what I’d do: replace the rack. I’ll admit it’s kind of a “throw some parts at it” approach, but because you’ve exhausted so many other leads, a good condition used rack seems like a small expense at this point relative to other possibilities.

Sorry—can’t recall if you mentioned this—but did you try swapping different wheels on? If not, see if you can get your hands on a set. Perhaps a local forum member has one you can try…

[Nando_e90]

I’m on the same boat too. A the end of 2022 started noticing the steering wheel shaking when lightly braking above 50 mph. But have noticed that pave condition has to do with it. In some highways concrete made its more violent the shaking and in others made of asphalt is less noticeable. So this tell me is suspension or steering related.

I checked front suspension components removing them all and checking ball joints and bushings and they all look ok, so in my case I think could be the rack which btw I haven’t been happy with since I own the car.

[cdziekan]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

I feel your pain. I still have similar vibrations but thinking it's a bad balance, slightly bent rim, or slightly warped rotor as I feel vibes when lightly braking at highway speed (but firm braking and there's no vibration.)

Steering rack? Not sure how to inspect that. What about all the steering shaft joints? Have you checked all of those?

Rotor runout? You could still have slight warp or deposits that aren't heating up any more than normal. A portable dial indicator can test that.

Bad wheel bearing? Again I don't know how to properly test that unless it's making noise or has excessive slop which it sounds like you already ruled out.

Bent knuckle is a possibility too, another one I don't know how to confirm as there could be a minor bend that passes the visual test.

What struts do you have on your car? How old are they?

thanks for the reply

steering rack could be the culprit.. but dont feel any play side to side on tie rods or when turning

just replaced the rotors too and cleaned the hub

just got brand new b4 oem bilstein front struts and new KYB mounts with new bump stops and everything

and i did check the e10 torx bolt on the steer column joint


Will inspect on the knuckle! +1 on that!

[cdziekan]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

+1 on feeling your pain (just in a slightly different way… my issue is looseness and not shudder).

Given how few obvious culprits remain coupled with the relative ease of rack replacement on RWD cars, that’s what I’d do: replace the rack. I’ll admit it’s kind of a “throw some parts at it” approach, but because you’ve exhausted so many other leads, a good condition used rack seems like a small expense at this point relative to other possibilities.

Sorry—can’t recall if you mentioned this—but did you try swapping different wheels on? If not, see if you can get your hands on a set. Perhaps a local forum member has one you can try…

Im highly considering the rack. Need to find a used one

The vibration occurred on my stock wheels and then i swapped wheels to forgestar f14's and still getting the vibration.
I see 0 hop/out of roundness when the wheel is on a balancer.
(i work at a shop)

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by cdziekan

just got brand new b4 oem bilstein front struts and new KYB mounts with new bump stops and everything

Did you notice any difference in vibrations before or after installing those struts?

Only asking because that's exactly when I noticed the vibrations and sloppy feeling. I'm wondering if I got bad struts? I too installed B4 but with Lemforder mounts. However I have a E93 335i which has stiffer D8 springs. Bilstein claims the same strut 'fits' the E90 Sedan; I don't disagree. It fits, but I suspect it's too soft/weak for these springs. RealOEM clearly lists different parts for the Sedan and Convertible.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

+1 on feeling your pain (just in a slightly different way… my issue is looseness and not shudder).

Given how few obvious culprits remain coupled with the relative ease of rack replacement on RWD cars, that’s what I’d do: replace the rack. I’ll admit it’s kind of a “throw some parts at it” approach, but because you’ve exhausted so many other leads, a good condition used rack seems like a small expense at this point relative to other possibilities.

Sorry—can’t recall if you mentioned this—but did you try swapping different wheels on? If not, see if you can get your hands on a set. Perhaps a local forum member has one you can try…

Oh I have the looseness on mine too! And vibration. On the E93. But as I mentioned I'm pretty sure the vibration is a pad/rotor issue as I get mild pulsing when lightly applying brakes, and a pulsing squeak at really low speeds.

Sorry. Though we have similar symptoms; OP is much farther along in the diagnosis procedure than I am.

My 330i is SOLID feeling, with only a mild but manageable vibration due to an out of round tire (confirmed with a wheel along spinning on the balancing machine - wheel is good, then when tire is mounted I can see a high and low spot). I did just get a spare set of wheels and tires, but no guarantee that they're balanced and round. I'm going to put the 330 wheels/tires onto the 335 and see what happens since I know how they feel on one car.

[cdziekan]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Did you notice any difference in vibrations before or after installing those struts?

Only asking because that's exactly when I noticed the vibrations and sloppy feeling. I'm wondering if I got bad struts? I too installed B4 but with Lemforder mounts. However I have a E93 335i which has stiffer D8 springs. Bilstein claims the same strut 'fits' the E90 Sedan; I don't disagree. It fits, but I suspect it's too soft/weak for these springs. RealOEM clearly lists different parts for the Sedan and Convertible.

yes i did notice a diffrence
for memory when i replaced the struts i also did strut mounts and thrust control arms and new bridgestone potenza sport's installed on my forgestars

the vibration was originally gone until i hit 70mph then it was like a mild/medium shaking for like 1 day then the vibration came back gradually to anything over 45 or so. though it was a balance or tire issue. rebalanced, then replaced tires (Bridgestone QuietTracks) and nothing fixed it

maybe my luck with bridgestone has just been bad??

[NZE90]

Have you put a DTI (dial test indicator) on the discs to measure the runout? I know you have new discs but what if the hub that the disc bolts to is bent?

[9099]

Hi OP,

I have an e92 335d (2007), and have had the same issues since 2017.

Parts thrown at the problem:

Full set of Sachs Boge msport shocks and sundries
Full set of Sachs top mounts
Various tyres/tyre shop balancing and tracking

E9x M3 steering rack (low mileage / used)

F30 340mm brembo brake setup (this added new issues such as 12mm spacers all round to clear the calipers, which then amplified the vibrations at 70-95mph)

Move to 380mm f8x brakes and GG rated pads

Full set of e92 Lemorder suspension arms (wore out the rear ones fast)

Then moved to:
Full set of genuine TRW e9x m3 arms and m3 alignment.

Full refurb on my style 230 alloys (more on this later)

12mm all round spacers Bimecc brand and longer bolts

2x new SKF front bearing hubs

2x Lemforder front ARB links

2x Lemforder track rod ends

So... the fix for my car in the end was a brand new set of CSL replica wheels because the 230s were buckled but not enough to be noticeable, and the issue wasn't picked up by the place that did a full back to bare metal refurb, the wheels also act a heatsink for the brakes so the adverse effect of adding spacers to the style 230s was that the brakes weren't dispersing the heat. The 230s balanced fine even though one or both front wheels are out of round. I've also had the 380mm discs skimmed for good measure, but after fitting the new wheels that was more of a belt and braces approach tbh.

After chasing the issue for 4/5years I am certain that if I did these few things first the rest of the parts wouldn't have been necessary:

+ Had the wheels checked for buckles (not using a balancer but a place that specialises in repairing out of round wheels)

+ Had the discs resurfaced on the hub (In the UK we have pro cut on hub lathes at some places)

+ Not bothered with the spacers and got the wheels of the correct offset to clear the M3/M4 380mm brakes and calipers

+ Made sure the surfaces between the wheel>disc>hub were immaculate and flat

+ checked for sticking pistons on the calipers

Front shimmy can be a number of things.... if the shimmy is there but gets worse the longer the distance/time you drive in my opinion that's how you fix it.

I'm no expert but by now I've learnt a huge amount about this problem by wasting a huge amount of money and time fixing it.

[cdziekan]

Originally Posted by 9099

Hi OP,

I have an e92 335d (2007), and have had the same issues since 2017.

Parts thrown at the problem:

Full set of Sachs Boge msport shocks and sundries
Full set of Sachs top mounts
Various tyres/tyre shop balancing and tracking

E9x M3 steering rack (low mileage / used)

F30 340mm brembo brake setup (this added new issues such as 12mm spacers all round to clear the calipers, which then amplified the vibrations at 70-95mph)

Move to 380mm f8x brakes and GG rated pads

Full set of e92 Lemorder suspension arms (wore out the rear ones fast)

Then moved to:
Full set of genuine TRW e9x m3 arms and m3 alignment.

Full refurb on my style 230 alloys (more on this later)

12mm all round spacers Bimecc brand and longer bolts

2x new SKF front bearing hubs

2x Lemforder front ARB links

2x Lemforder track rod ends

So... the fix for my car in the end was a brand new set of CSL replica wheels because the 230s were buckled but not enough to be noticeable, and the issue wasn't picked up by the place that did a full back to bare metal refurb, the wheels also act a heatsink for the brakes so the adverse effect of adding spacers to the style 230s was that the brakes weren't dispersing the heat. The 230s balanced fine even though one or both front wheels are out of round. I've also had the 380mm discs skimmed for good measure, but after fitting the new wheels that was more of a belt and braces approach tbh.

After chasing the issue for 4/5years I am certain that if I did these few things first the rest of the parts wouldn't have been necessary:

+ Had the wheels checked for buckles (not using a balancer but a place that specialises in repairing out of round wheels)

+ Had the discs resurfaced on the hub (In the UK we have pro cut on hub lathes at some places)

+ Not bothered with the spacers and got the wheels of the correct offset to clear the M3/M4 380mm brakes and calipers

+ Made sure the surfaces between the wheel>disc>hub were immaculate and flat

+ checked for sticking pistons on the calipers

Front shimmy can be a number of things.... if the shimmy is there but gets worse the longer the distance/time you drive in my opinion that's how you fix it.

I'm no expert but by now I've learnt a huge amount about this problem by wasting a huge amount of money and time fixing it.

thanks for the extensive reply!
i really dont think its the wheels . i wish it was
idek

[9099]

Originally Posted by cdziekan

thanks for the extensive reply!
i really dont think its the wheels . i wish it was
idek

One way to rule it out for certain is if know someone with an e9x that has no issues with vibrations, swap wheels for 10 minutes.

In my case I took the wheel to a wheel repair place and they have 100% confirmed the buckles, and the wheel has two buckles. It still balances and doesn't lose air, but needs 130g on the spoke side of the drum.

You only have two places you can go with your problem in my opinion, wheels or brakes.

[lowrydr310]

Just wanted to post an update to this thread, an issue on my 330i that was resolved.

I posted here on this page and the previous page about vibration issues I'm still trying to track down on my 335i - which I think is just caused by old worn out rotors. HOWEVER I have had an issue with vibration on my 330i ever since I got it three years ago where I'd feel a vibration at high speeds, getting worse the faster I went. This was on brand new struts, shocks, mounting hardware, new brake pads, and new rotors. I got new wheels to eliminate a bent wheel as a possibility and still had issues. I had the tires road force balanced three times and only after the third time did the shop point out to me that one front tire was out of round with an obvious high and low spot. I left it go and dealt with it until I got new tires.

Recently I got a set of used tires and wheels and wanted to just test them out on the 330. I am happy to say that my car rides like a brand new car now! Zero vibration from the front now that that nasty out of round tire is gone. These are Bridgestone DriveGuard runflats too. They're not as harsh as everyone says; just a LOT of tire/road noise. I'll keep these until they wear out, but definitely wouldn't pay a premium for them.

I almost feel like I won the lottery with this used set of wheels not being bent and already being perfectly balanced.

[cdziekan]

note: vibration is worse when going uphill, seems to lessen out when driving on a perfect flat road

[lordnikon]

As said earlier, changing the front rotors and pads eliminated 80% of the shake for me. I also changed the front tension arm bushings but the shake is still there at highway speeds. I'm suspecting my front rim is bent because I hit a pot hole (it burst my tire). Balancing is fine but I'll try swapping the rears to fronts to see if it makes a difference. (Square setup)

[cdziekan]

Originally Posted by lordnikon

As said earlier, changing the front rotors and pads eliminated 80% of the shake for me. I also changed the front tension arm bushings but the shake is still there at highway speeds. I'm suspecting my front rim is bent because I hit a pot hole (it burst my tire). Balancing is fine but I'll try swapping the rears to fronts to see if it makes a difference. (Square setup)

new wheels that arent bent... and new tension arms in the front

[cdziekan]

update:

switched out front wheels + new tires with the original stock wheels.... and vibration is exactly the same so wheels/tires is ruled out

for a recap medium/violent steering wheel vibration/shudder at anything over 55-60 mph and get worse as i get closer to 75 but then smooths out completely at 100 plus

whats been replaced on the car :

lower control arms
pads and rotors
strut mounts
oem struts
multiple sets of tires
wheels
road force balanced x6 times

there is no play in the wheel at 12&6 and 3&9 when the car is lifted
no play/roughness in wheel bearings
wheels are not bent
tires are not defects
no play in any tie rods
all bushing looks brand new/or are new
all bolts that ive checked have been tight - there are a few that i cant reach without going out of the way

please help lol

[NZE90]

I've said it already but I'll say it again. Measure the runout of the front hubs with a DTI.

[6MTFRVR]

Hi folks, I had similar issues that you describe with sloppy steering. After new tires and wheels, balancing, new control arms and steering rods - nothing has helped. Eventually I traced the issue to the steering column link that was worn out. Replaced it and now everything as tights as before.
Here is the video I made:

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by BMWTF?

Hi folks, I had similar issues that you describe with sloppy steering. After new tires and wheels, balancing, new control arms and steering rods - nothing has helped. Eventually I traced the issue to the steering column link that was worn out. Replaced it and now everything as tights as before.
Here is the video I made:

Dang! That is loose as hell!

I don’t want to threadjack but I will say I’ve been dealing with some steering BS and am going to take a second look at this joint. Thanks for the great video!

[lordnikon]

Did OP solve the issue? I'm so pissed that I continue to have this issue. It's ruining the experience of otherwise a very competent car.

[sonofsun]

Not sure about OP's problem but did you inspect your steering column and suspension components for play?