Just noticed my e34 M5 has tendency to shake at speed between 60-65mph. Not just steering wheel, but the whole car is shaking. My front tires BridgeStone S-03 Ploe Position has 20,000 miles. Usually they last about 30,000 miles. I decided to have them re-balanced by the shop (WheelWorks) where I bought them.
After they were re-balanced, it doesn't cure the vibration issue, it only change the speed when vibration occurred - now at 55-60mph. The shop told me there is nothing they can improve except replace them with new tires. Since the old S-03 is no longer available, they suggested Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position.
Has this occurred to you that performance tire has tendency to vibrate when they get old? My front suspension bushings are all in good shape as far as I can see. I really dislike the E34 front suspension design, they seem to be very sensitive to even slightest imperfection.
Personally , I like the fact that the front suspension is sensitive to the slightest imperfection as it clearly reveals that something needs addressing in order to get the optimum performance available .
20,000 miles isn't terrible for a set of tyres either IMO .....If all of the usual suspects i.e. Control arms , track rods , thrust arms , bushes , wheel bearings , shocks , mountings etc are all in good condition , then a new pair of front tyres may well cure your vibration , which , IMO , would be a result !
Search some of the past threads re tyres and you will find that there are many members experiences and recommendations on tyres available that are likely to be superior to the old Bridgestones anyway .
Good luck......D
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Never had an issue with my M5, but on my E32 735i, I did notice that when the front wheels needed balancing, it tended to affect the steering wheel, and if the rear ones needed balancing, it tended to vibrate the whole car...............I know its a generalisation and things are never that black and white, but double check the back wheels...........?
Mark
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1995 3.8 6 speed - gone, but not forgotten.
1999 Land Rover Discovery Td5 ES
I thought 20,000 miles was a typo - I thought you meant 2,000 miles
Don't believe anyone when they say a tyre isn't available - S02/S03 are still available - it's just that they're harder to get hold of.
But if you're getting 20,000 miles out of a set of tyres you're obviously not using them to their full potential and so may as well go for some cheap long-life tyre instead
__________________ "If you're not producing skidmarks you're not trying hard enough"
Did not balance the rear tires because they were bought from different stop. They are 7000 miles old, I should try to balance them tomorrow and see what happen.
Karl
Quote:
Originally Posted by dronfieldm
Never had an issue with my M5, but on my E32 735i, I did notice that when the front wheels needed balancing, it tended to affect the steering wheel, and if the rear ones needed balancing, it tended to vibrate the whole car...............I know its a generalisation and things are never that black and white, but double check the back wheels...........?
Wow, this situation sounds mysteriously like the one we're having with the 540i M-Sport.
Everything up front has been replaced, with the exception of the aging EDC struts and we're still getting a very nasty shake from ~50-60. Wheels have no bends, have been balanced several times now. The tires have taken a lot of this abuse from the shimmy also. S03s aren't cheap!
Any suggestions folks?
__________________ -Trevor Ely "Other's do individual things better, but no car does so much so well" -Performance Car 1992
E28 535is - Alpinweiss/Pacific
B5 1.8TQMS - Light Silver Met/Onyx Sport Cloth E30 325is - Alpinweiss/Schwarz E30 318is - Brilliantrot/Natur E30 325is - Brilliantrot/Schwarz
E34 540ia M-Sport - Cosmoschwarz/Parchment
E34 M5 - Alpinweiss/Schwarz
Did not balance the rear tires because they were bought from different stop. They are 7000 miles old, I should try to balance them tomorrow and see what happen.
Karl
Any news Karl, I have a feeling it is the back aswell. How did it go?
Today I have rear tires balanced. It is a bit less severe when it happened, but the shaking is still there if I linger around 55-60mph too long. The condition has something to do with temperature too, with tires cold, it is more severe. I read a few post about e39 M5 has quite a few people has problem with cold tries shaking.
Today I have rear tires balanced. It is a bit less severe when it happened, but the shaking is still there if I linger around 55-60mph too long. The condition has something to do with temperature too, with tires cold, it is more severe. I read a few post about e39 M5 has quite a few people has problem with cold tries shaking.
Yup. Exactly the same here, after a proper balancing it seems to heal it temporarilly...As you noted, there's still a subtle shimmy when you linger around the speeds you mentioned.
__________________ -Trevor Ely "Other's do individual things better, but no car does so much so well" -Performance Car 1992
E28 535is - Alpinweiss/Pacific
B5 1.8TQMS - Light Silver Met/Onyx Sport Cloth E30 325is - Alpinweiss/Schwarz E30 318is - Brilliantrot/Natur E30 325is - Brilliantrot/Schwarz
E34 540ia M-Sport - Cosmoschwarz/Parchment
E34 M5 - Alpinweiss/Schwarz
If it's more of a seat of the pants vibration than a steering one, have a look at the driveshaft.
Beyond that, as others have said, anything in the front suspension is game. One item I would add to the list is the steering box itself -- I've seen a few cases of shimmy from slackness in the box, but they're typically at higher speeds, not in the 55/60 zone.
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