BMW X5 wheel wobble

[Rallyman52]

Can anyone help? I have a 2002 X5 which has always been regularly serviced and is now in Spain and has developed a wheel wobble at around 60 to 70 mph. We have checked all the steering joints and have replaced two which showed very slight wear, we have changed all four tyres for new ones and have carried out 4 wheel tracking and balancing, twice!! Just to make sure we had it right and the car still has a steering shudder, it has done around 75, 000 miles so isn't on it's last legs, shocks are all good, we've run out of ideas and would like to sort it out once and for all......help!!

[E-bmw]

Swap wheels front to rear & see if that helps.

You CAN balance buckled wheels but the steering will still wobble, that will at least tell you if it is that or not.

[Rallyman52]

Thanks for your response, but that doesn't help, we already thought of that, all new tyres, wheels aren't buckled!!

[HoHoHo]

Warped discs?

Not sure it can be anything else....

[E-bmw]

I would still recommend swapping front to rear as it doesn't need to be out by much to cause it, the only other things that rotate and are speed related at the front & that is drive shaft/bearing/disc/hub etc.

While play in suspension joints can amplify any imbalances they don't cause it.

[E-bmw]

HoHoHo said:

Warped discs?

Not sure it can be anything else....

Won't be warped discs, if the disc is warped, as the warped section goes past the calliper, it pushes the pads out & that is it, no more interaction until you hit the brakes & have a slightly long pedal action before the brakes bite.

[d_a_n1979]

I agree, I’d still change the wheels round and see what difference makes, if any

I’d also be looking to take the brake discs off and thoroughly clean the hub face and the rear of the disc and then put them back together. You only need bit of cack in there to make a world of difference

Have you considered top mounts and maybe the dampers too?

Have you actually watched that alloys as they’re being balanced too? I know you say they’re not buckled, but how do you know this. Don’t take the word of anyone else until you’ve watched them being spun up to speed in the balancing operation

[E-bmw]

d_a_n1979 said:

I’d also be looking to take the brake discs off and thoroughly clean the hub face and the rear of the disc and then put them back together.


Have you actually watched that alloys as they’re being balanced too? I know you say they’re not buckled, but how do you know this. Don’t take the word of anyone else until you’ve watched them being spun up to speed in the balancing operation

1. Hence why I said hub/disc

2. ^^^Wot 'e said, it only takes a couple of mm deflection over a small section of rim inside or out where a kerb was taken too quickly to do exactly what you describe.

[Rallyman52]

Thanks everyone for your comments, the front and rear wheels are a different size on the X5, so we can't swap them, pretty sure it's not a warped disc as the wheels wobble at around 60 to 70 mph, not when braking.
Really stumped on this one!

[E-bmw]

I know they are a different size, you can still swap them for a quick test.

[ATM]

Gentlemen

I believe the x5 of this era is basically an e39 with raised ride height. Wheel wobble on an e39 is well documented.

I believe this is due to worn bushings on the suspension arms.

[Vixpy1]

Yes, that will be lower arms

[Rallyman52]

Brilliant, thank you, we will have a look at that next

[d_a_n1979]

Ah I'd missed that... Thought the OP had said all the suspension had been checked over!

Yup; front and rear lower and upper arms, get them all checked. The 50-60mph shimmy is well known, usually failed 'thrust arms'

Easy to source parts for, use RealOEM for the part numbers and then get the Meyle or Lemforder arms via BMWmotormec or C3BMW on eBay; personally, I only use those 2 resellers

[ATM]

Rallyman52 said:

Brilliant, thank you, we will have a look at that next

Don't look at them just change them.

[Rallyman52]

Pretty certain this is going to be the right answer

[E-bmw]

d_a_n1979 said:

The 50-60mph shimmy is well known, usually failed 'thrust arms'

Yes, it is well known & yes the early ones were e39s on stilts but having had 2 e39s what the OP describes isn't the e39 shimmy.

[d_a_n1979]

E-bmw said:

Yes, it is well known & yes the early ones were e39s on stilts but having had 2 e39s what the OP describes isn't the e39 shimmy.

Very true. Both my E39 530i motors had the shimmy/wobble but at 50mph... I do think this issue is more wheel/tyre related, but these motors have surprised us before with fickle issues

[Rallyman52]

What we're going to do is to change the obvious bushes and go from there, we have already spent quite a bit trying to eliminate the problem, but this sounds like a sensible lead, many thanks to all who contributed

[E-bmw]

....and it will cost you nothing to swap the wheels front to rear.