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Thread: Stubborn high speed vibration

  1. #1
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    Oct 2005
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    Default Stubborn high speed vibration

    I have a 1995 BMW 540i, with about 260000km, and it has a real mysterious vibration that starts up at about 80-90km/h (~50-55 mph). As I speed up it gets even stronger and hits a peak at about 140km/h (~85-90 mph), but it's there all the time. It does not seem to be coming up directly through the steering wheel, although this is vibrating too. Rather, the whole car tends to shake, and all the seats, dash, ... vibrate and jiggle around. It's not terribly bad, but pretty uncomfortable for an autobahn car.

    Ok, here is the long story: The vibration was there a while ago, I took it to a shop, they checked my wheels, tires, suspension and steering links, bushings and driveshaft mounts. Eventually they said the rear tires were slightly flat spotted (but not enough to cause a big vibration) and rear brake rotors were warped, replaced these, vibration subsided but still started at about 140km/h. I did drive on some fairly bad roads since then and finally it came back altogether and now it starts at 80 again. I live in Toronto and I took the car to Bruno at Racing King to check it out. He checked all the suspension and steering links again, wheel bearings, motor and transmission mounts. He told me the thrust arms bushings are slightly worn, as is one of the steering links, but none serious enough to cause such a big vibration.

    So it is all still up in the air. If anyone has experienced anything like this and knows what it might be, please please let me know! it's driving me nuts!

  2. #2
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    Default

    aftermarket wheels?
    replace your thrust arm bushings,
    did you replace the rear tires?
    these cars are very sensitive to anything that set up a vibration everything must be in top top shape,in the wheel tyre/suspension department.
    /

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    Gone but not forgotten

  3. #3
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    Stock 15 in wheels. Nope, I still have the same rear tires and front thrust arms. Both fellows who looked at my car said neither on its own would cause a vibration (at least not nearly as noticeable). I just don't want to start replacing stuff randomly unless I'm fairly certain, you know.

  4. #4
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    well thats a tough one...as I said these cars are vibration sensitive......perhaps start with a wheel balance and alignment then you will be able to rule that out and see if any wheels are bent and see how bad the flat spots are.Go to a good tyre place,perhaps Bruna can recomend a place.perhaps the fronts are also flat spotted or out of round and combined with marginal bushes is giving a double whammy
    Good luck
    Gone but not forgotten

  5. #5
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    Ok that seems reasonable. Could bad wheel balancing/front end alignment be the culprit if other things more or less check out? Thanks for the help/

  6. #6
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    You've eliminated the usual suspects, but until you put those tires and wheels on a Hunter 9700, you haven't tested far enough to eliminate problems there.

    Problems like you're reporting that I've had with 'cheap' tires are what convinced me that Michelin was the only tire I'd put on my cars. Through maybe 30 sets of tires, I've never had a problem of any kind with a Michelin tire. Never.

  7. #7
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    Default

    I had a somewhat similar problem with my 540, I had a bad bearing mount on the driveshaft along with a worn out bearing at the transmission output shaft. Not real easy to check, but I had the same symtoms....Good Luck

  8. #8
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    out of round tires cannot be fixed even on the hunter road force balancer...been here dont that, ended up being shitty tires.

    The scenereo went like this: new tires=vibration...10 trips back replaced with new different tires=vibration, 15 trips back. I give up, 3 new replacement rims=vibration.

    get $60 snows for winter =vibration GONE.

    Draw conclusion.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  9. #9
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    Is your power steering fluid low? Have you tightened the nut behind the wheel? http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=15145
    :: HIDCanada.com | Illuminating Your World


  10. #10
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    ahhh the old nut behind the wheel culprit!

    Quote Originally Posted by Qube
    Is your power steering fluid low? Have you tightened the nut behind the wheel? http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=15145
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

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