My `93 525i was at a BMW shop recently for a week. The car has 144K mi. Mostly routine maintenance with the exception of a nasty clunk in the front-end. The only things that were at fault, at 1st, was the left sway-bar link, which the boot was torn, and the right tie-rod could be rotated. Decided to replace both sway-bar links (though the right was ok) and both tie-rods (though the left was ok). Lemfoerder/BMW parts. The center-link was not replaced, as it's rare they ever need replacing I'm told. After installation and a supposed alignment, they heard a clunk still present on bumps from the left front. They noticed the left upper-control arm/thrust-arm ball-joint was shot. I was advised to replace just the left and it's bushing. I decided do the right upper-control arm and the bushing too. Lemfoerder stock parts. I told them to make sure they were not fully torqued until the car was resting on it's suspension (don't preload) - they knew this. Charged me 1 hr. labor for each side (installing the control arms and installing the bushings into the arms). They said they would not charge me for a 2nd alignment (odd another one would need to be done, as it's my understanding the tie-rods and centerlink replacement, are the only parts if replaced that require an alignment - not control arms).
When I picked up the car it steered very weird exiting the shop (right 90 degree turn). I had to pull the steering back to the center. Typically, the wheel would naturally lightly spring back to the center, without much force. This was odd. But maybe this is normal I thought. I felt a feint intermittent shimmy at 48-58mph. Today I drove it more. The steering feels like it's more numb and dead on-center on the highway - sometimes the wheel dances around a tad on center. More play than before. But then at moments if feels ok. The shimmy is still there. Taking a hard right turn, the steering wheel wants to go full-lock right on it's own -requiring me to force it back to center. Left turns are not nearly so bad. Played around in a parking lot - reverse turns, act like it did before, wheel springs to ctr more so. It doesn't clunk like before - the best part. But the ride is a little stiffer, and the wheel jerks more hitting bumps than before. The car does not pull left or right, and the wheel is centered on a even-straight road.
Since I owned the car (2008), it's never had front-end shimmy due to susp. parts. New tires, done last summer - only 10K mi. on them now. Alignment a year or 2 earlier - not off by much. The left lower control arm was replaced in 2008 at 94K mi. with an aluminum one. The right side is still orig.
I took it to the dealer, they advised either balancing the wheels - and/or a full-front-end inspection at $168. I don't feel too comfortable with this other shop doing anymore front-end work. So I really think the dealer is the best bet (though costly). 2 people suspected it may not be aligned correctly - which may be causing the shimmy and these issues. Or there is some other part that needs replacing.
Could these new parts be making another older part (ctr. link, right lwr control arm) act up? Could a bad alignment cause these issues mentioned? Thank you for the help!
When I picked up the car it steered very weird exiting the shop (right 90 degree turn). I had to pull the steering back to the center. Typically, the wheel would naturally lightly spring back to the center, without much force. This was odd. But maybe this is normal I thought. I felt a feint intermittent shimmy at 48-58mph. Today I drove it more. The steering feels like it's more numb and dead on-center on the highway - sometimes the wheel dances around a tad on center. More play than before. But then at moments if feels ok. The shimmy is still there. Taking a hard right turn, the steering wheel wants to go full-lock right on it's own -requiring me to force it back to center. Left turns are not nearly so bad. Played around in a parking lot - reverse turns, act like it did before, wheel springs to ctr more so. It doesn't clunk like before - the best part. But the ride is a little stiffer, and the wheel jerks more hitting bumps than before. The car does not pull left or right, and the wheel is centered on a even-straight road.
Since I owned the car (2008), it's never had front-end shimmy due to susp. parts. New tires, done last summer - only 10K mi. on them now. Alignment a year or 2 earlier - not off by much. The left lower control arm was replaced in 2008 at 94K mi. with an aluminum one. The right side is still orig.
I took it to the dealer, they advised either balancing the wheels - and/or a full-front-end inspection at $168. I don't feel too comfortable with this other shop doing anymore front-end work. So I really think the dealer is the best bet (though costly). 2 people suspected it may not be aligned correctly - which may be causing the shimmy and these issues. Or there is some other part that needs replacing.
Could these new parts be making another older part (ctr. link, right lwr control arm) act up? Could a bad alignment cause these issues mentioned? Thank you for the help!
Front-Susp. Work Leads to More Issues
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