[Mighty_5series]

Right i replaced both the thrust and control arms a few weeks ago...
I am currently investigating a bit of a wandering issue.

I replaced my control arms, thrust arms, tie rods, centre tie rod..
The idler bush is in good condition.
Ive also replaced the rear subframe bushes and pitman arms..

Ive had the car tracked several times now and i still have a wandering issue...

When i accelerate hard it will move gracefully right towards the middle of the road.. But with half throttle it will stay straight... Ive had it tracked at 3 different places to no avail... And when i go over an adverse camber, it will steer into it, left or right...

I went over what ive done time and time again and the only thing ive done wrong is the main thrust and control arm pins, i torqued them up without the load on the suspension, so i tightened them freely, with the suspension at the bottom of its travel... Could this cause an issue like this? :confused

thanks...:thumbsup

 

[Ronnie]

I went over what ive done time and time again and the only thing ive done wrong is the main thrust and control arm pins, i torqued them up without the load on the suspension, so i tightened them freely, with the suspension at the bottom of its travel... Could this cause an issue like this? :confused

thanks...:thumbsup

No, wouldn't cause it.

Your wheels, they're e36 wheels are they not?

 

[Mighty_5series]

No, wouldn't cause it.

Your wheels, they're e36 wheels are they not?

Yes M contours i believe....

I dont know a lot about wheels, the previous owner had em fit.... however, there is a spacer on the front wheels so they clear the shock towers, but no spacers on the rear wheels... common sense tells me that aint right..???

 

[Ronnie]

The ET on the M contour wheels is ET41, your e34 should have a ET between 13-20 so the wheels "may" not be helping, you will probably be best to have a word with A20 though as he likes his wheels but he won't be online for a while as he is waiting for his Interweb to be switched on after changing companies or something :hihi

That is why you have spacers on the front as the ET is incorrect. The bigger the ET the more the wheel will sit in towards the centre of the car

 

[Mighty_5series]

i see... naturally, i have a hint of play in the steering box, i can't adjust that anymore, or else it gets too stiff... but if the wheels are causing a bit of a tracking issue, its going to be amplified through the play in the box, i would imagine... its damn annoying, especially when overtaking lorries on the M6 as its all over the place. Going around corners though it feels perfect..? strange..

 

[RYM]

Do you have a spare set of 5 series wheels that you can fit to the car? Or do you know anyone that can lend you a set of wheels for a very brief amount of time?

I'm pretty sure that this wheel situation is not helping matters. I presume this wandering you've been experiencing has been present since the day you took ownership of the vehicle?

What size spacer is being used on the front? Is it a 3mm or 5mm???

When fitting 3 series wheels to a 5 series you should be using a 25mm bolt on spacer kit to take the wheel from 3 series fitment to 5 series. These are not cheap though and can cause vibration issues:frown

 

[Mighty_5series]

Do you have a spare set of 5 series wheels that you can fit to the car? Or do you know anyone that can lend you a set of wheels for a very brief amount of time?

I'm pretty sure that this wheel situation is not helping matters. I presume this wandering you've been experiencing has been present since the day you took ownership of the vehicle?

What size spacer is being used on the front? Is it a 3mm or 5mm???

When fitting 3 series wheels to a 5 series you should be using a 25mm bolt on spacer kit to take the wheel from 3 series fitment to 5 series. These are not cheap though and can cause vibration issues:frown

Unfortunately no, i dont, but i'll get a set from the scrappy for the purpose of testing, it has a 25mm spacer on the fronts... and that only just clears the shock... i mean its a wafer thin amount...

I have no vibration issues since replaceing the thrust arms.. I've always had the wander, and found at 2 knackered ball joints, so i just replaced the lot, as the others had split boots... and this issue still exists..

i had to brake hard in it today, and it feels as though the front wheels are snatching at each other, like as if they are fighting the direction of travel.. This to me feels like tracking.. but ive had it done at ATS, kwik idiots and then finally a garage... but still no good.. (this happens when im travelling in a straight line also, but cornering has good feel)

can i just check here, does the 525 sport have different alignment settings to the normal 525? Im plucking at straws here i know, but if they are the same im off to the scrapyard tomorrow..

 

[RYM]

Alignment settings are done for the MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND SIZE ENGINE:thumbsup

What size tyres are you running?

 

[Mighty_5series]

I see... just a thought, the shocks are different on mine over the normal 525.. mine has the bilsteins..

tyres are 225 45 17... speed rating W.. :thumbsup

 

[RYM]

I was thinking about this at work today:hihi

If the front wheels are fitted with the spacers to make the E36 wheel sit in the correct position but the rears have not then the rears will be at a different distance apart than the fronts (50mm difference). I'm sure this will cause a massive upset on the handling but still explain why the car corners okay.

I would advise you to put some standard wheels on for the purpose of eliminating the wheels as the cause... I'm almost sure that the wheels are the fault especially considering all the work you have done:thumbsup

If the wheels are the cause then all you'll need to do is replace the wheels or obtain another pair of 25mm spacers:cool

 

[Mighty_5series]

Cheers mate....:thumbsup

I must admit, i still have scuffs and missing knuckles on my hands from doing all that work :hihi

I know the E34's are very sensitive to steering issues, and anything slightly amiss, it will upset the thing... but ive checked, rechecked my work just incase i missed something, loose bolts etc... but i will get some factory wheels... im super convinced its the wheels now... i tightened the steering box so there was no play but also it was as stiff as boards, just to test the steering box for internal wear, but the car was as you were but with stiffer steering...:hihi

so i will get the wheels and i will report back, hopefully with a (FIXED) on the title... :thumbsup

 

[RYM]

Cheers mate....:thumbsup

I must admit, i still have scuffs and missing knuckles on my hands from doing all that work :hihi

I know the E34's are very sensitive to steering issues, and anything slightly amiss, it will upset the thing... but ive checked, rechecked my work just incase i missed something, loose bolts etc... but i will get some factory wheels... im super convinced its the wheels now... i tightened the steering box so there was no play but also it was as stiff as boards, just to test the steering box for internal wear, but the car was as you were but with stiffer steering...:hihi

so i will get the wheels and i will report back, hopefully with a (FIXED) on the title... :thumbsup

The 5 is VERY sensitive and I'm 99.999999999999999999 percent sure the wheels are the problem

I hope to see a (FIXED) in the thread title next time I read:hihi

 

[Mighty_5series]

I think you are definately on to something there...

Just had a thought.....

its had 4 wheel alignment right using manufacturer specs.... so if the front wheels are 25mm out either side due to the spacers... wont that affect the whole alignment, and give false readings on the laser scales??

 

[RYM]

I think you are definately on to something there...

Just had a thought.....

its had 4 wheel alignment right using manufacturer specs.... so if the front wheels are 25mm out either side due to the spacers... wont that affect the whole alignment, and give false readings on the laser scales??

Not necessarily, the front gauges do all the work. The rears are only there to show that the fronts are set within the correct tolerance and in line with the rears,

For example, if you just had front gauges then you can set within the tolerances but the wheels may be out of line with the rears.

This is why the steering wheel is centralised and clamped secure, there are numbers on the rear 1 - 12 IIRC the front setting will then be set and both rear gauges should be reading exactly the same as the other EG NSR 5 and OSR 5 or 5.5 or 5.75 etc. This is what keeps the steering wheel centralised when driving.

There are no rules to say that the front toe setting must be achieved by having the rear gauges on a specific number.

I hope this reads okay, it's easier to show how it works on the car than trying to explain it:frown

 

[Mighty_5series]

yeah, i do kind of see what you are saying there...

ive located a set of factory wheels and good tyres on ebay... £100. Seems fair the wheels do look new...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-5-SERIES-E34-WHEELS-TYRES_W0QQitemZ230328504119QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Rims_Car_Wheels_ET?hash=item230328504119&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A7|39%3A1|240%3A1318

might give em a gander... :thumbsup

 

[Mighty_5series]

just an update on my problem here.... I have'nt got hold of the bmw genuine wheels yet... but.. out of interest i swapped the rear wheels for the front, and no real difference..

however, when i was tightening the front o/s wheel it looked like it was moving... like a shot bearing or summat, but i get no bearing roar or whine like you typically get with bearing issues.

One other thing, there is a slight clink noise, whilst going over bumps on that side... its hard to pinpoint the source of the noise, but im suspecting shock top mounts.. ive inspected the drop links and they seem in good condition..

Mystery continues...:frown

 

[steve23002]

Have you jacked it up and push and pulled the wheel MOT style?
I also had a prob with a 5 a couple of years back where the shock top loosened itself! Its worth popping the caps off the top of the strut tops and checking the amount of thread on each just to compare them.

 

[Mighty_5series]

Have you jacked it up and push and pulled the wheel MOT style?
I also had a prob with a 5 a couple of years back where the shock top loosened itself! Its worth popping the caps off the top of the strut tops and checking the amount of thread on each just to compare them.

yeah, checked them steve, they are tight and do seem pretty even... im gonna check the rear strut mounts tomorrow... ( they are a little awkward to get at)... im going to check to hub nuts aswell, though ive never known these to come loose... its a bit of a mystery, given the symptoms and what ive replaced,...:confused

 

[RYM]

yeah, checked them steve, they are tight and do seem pretty even... im gonna check the rear strut mounts tomorrow... ( they are a little awkward to get at)... im going to check to hub nuts aswell, though ive never known these to come loose... its a bit of a mystery, given the symptoms and what ive replaced,...:confused

Think positive Mighty... By the time you find the problem you're going to have an almost brand new car:cool

 

[Mighty_5series]

Yeah, thats what i tell the missus..:hihi

Hottuning (the bfuk vendors) do have a lowering shock and spring kit on ebay... for a very low price £205 i think...im tempted just to replace the shocks get new mounts, new wheels and hope for the best...:thumbsup

Im going to need some feedback on the 'quality' of these items first mind... but in all seriousness, these are pretty much the only things i havent replaced!!:eek