unbeatable problem

[ericbendler]

Well I have gone down the list.

I have the 55-68 mph shimmy. Before you write me off as another guy who hasn't read the archives-

I have replaced:

upper and lower control arms
tie rod assemblies
balanced and aligned the car

I have however,

switched to 18 inch rims
and will be putting new rotors and pads on.

When I say that it shimmies, I mean it. I CANNOT drive between about 54 and 70 miles an hour.

Would switching to the powerflex bushings help?

I tighted the arms down under weight, and I use Lemforder parts.

I will change the rotors and pads, and take some pictures.

I guess what I am asking is WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE!!!

Does anyone have a non-traditional answer about the shimmy in the BMW e34? Wow, I really hope that it is not what my import shop says.

"BMW e34s are underbuild for their size. That size wheel (18) will cause wear and problems for your underbuild suspension parts"

[Dan in NZ]

Were the wheels new when you put them on? Could be out of round. Have you checked the offset, maybe they need those hubcentric rings?

[ericbendler]

I got the wheels on ebay and they said that the offset was +20mm. They looked brand new when I took them out of the box.

Can the hubcentric rings only improve the situation>?

Where can I pick them up at?

[Paul in NZ]

the hub centric ring will improve the situation if (and its likely) your wheels have a hub dia id of 74mm(or so),the E34 has a hub dia of 72.5.If the wheels are not exactly on the centre of the the hub it sets up a bounce as it spins,hence the shimmy.The hubcentric ring isbasically a shim to ensure the wheel goes on centrally.

[Kalevera]

Dead shocks will also do this, so will bad wheel bearings. Check the archives on how to inspect both -- I've outlined the procedure before, as have others.

If the wheels were out of round, the symptom would only get worse with more speed (ie - above 70mph)

"underbuil[t] for their size"? I think that's more of a testament to their lack of understanding of the car than anything else. The suspension components on these cars are hardly underbuilt.

best, whit

[tnt525i]

im almost sure you need the rings, i've been having the same problem. i wrapped some electrical tape around the hub to fill the space then put back on the wheels and now the shimmy is gone,,, btw this is a temporary fix till i get my rings

[ra_pro]

I would agree with the mechanic in general. The front end and suspension is not up to par when it has to be replaced at about 60-70k miles at least for the 540 model I have. From what I have heard e39 has few of these problems which makes me believe that the BMW engineers realized that the front end on e34 was weak and strengthened it by reducing weight and improving components.

[Derek A.]

Try another set of wheels. If the problem is still there its possible its highly related to the news wheels. Tires out of round - bent rim - balanced by someone that didn't know what they were doing.

[632 Regal]

dude! you absolutly need hubcentric rings with aftermarket wheels, get the plastic ones not the aluminum ones...while your at it get 2 sets cause they can get pretty beat up after a couple times of moving wheels and tires around.

Any play in the steering assembly can cause shimmy, even a worn steering box. Check that out again real good, put on the hub rings and see if that helps.