Steering Wheel shake 35-41 mph

[T1T2GRE]

Yes, I did . And, I got some good answers that helped bolster my own knowledge. However, I'm still stumped. Here're the specs/situation:

Specs: 2011 (built 4/10) 128i vert w/6MT

Issue:
steering wheel wobble and front end shake at 39-41 mph

Makes no difference:
braking/accelerating
neutral/in gear
same on smooth/rough road

Exacerbates:
seems worse when first driving/cold weather

Mitigates:
seems less pronounced when warm/after driving several minutes
no symptoms <35ish mph or above 45ish mph

Fixes already done:
dealer re-balanced all 4 corners (under CPO and got new RFTs under CPO process) and replaced cracked RR wheel which did improve the situation significantly, but didn't completely fix it.

Any thoughts? I would think tierod/control arms usually higher speeds like 55-60mph, which is what my E30 used to do until I replaced the arms. Drive shaft imbalance? Motormount issue? Still another cracked wheel? Defective new tire?

Side note/ first time w/RFTs and they SUCK.

[MightyMouseTech]

Well, whatever cracked the rear wheel, probably hit the front wheel too.

Was the vibration there before AND after the tire replacement? You can bend the steel belts in a tire just like bending the rim, and that will give you high roadforce.

[T1T2GRE]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Well, whatever cracked the rear wheel, probably hit the front wheel too.

Was the vibration there before AND after the tire replacement? You can bend the steel belts in a tire just like bending the rim, and that will give you high roadforce.

So this vehicle was purchased by the dealer and put through CPO. They put all brand new RFTs on at the time of CPO. According to the key/VIN history and CARFAX there is no known damage. I have no idea if/when the vehicle encountered significant trauma, but I now know at least one wheel was cracked prior to CPO processing.

But, to answer your question, the tires/steel belts should be okay because they were installed post facto. Can a blister/bubble in the tire cause this?

[MightyMouseTech]

Yes, a sidewall blister can cause a vibration, that means the sidewall got pinched bad enough to tear the inner lining of the tire. And a poorly installed new tire can have excessive roadforce as well. Hell, some new tires can have excessive roadforce regardless.

[T1T2GRE]

Stealership called.

Found bent left front wheel, cracked left rear wheel.

And why they didn't find this the first time...

[T1T2GRE]

Aaaaaand. Back to the dealer again . I don't understand what I'm missing here. The vibration is still there. There's a very distinct front end wobble/shakiness at 35-42 mph, which seems worse before the car warms up. I am utterly perplexed.

I'm left with:
tie-rod
control arm
driveshaft
motormounts
defective tire

No progress at all. I'm debating taking it to a regular tire shop since the dealer can't seem to get it right.

[lowbudgethero]

What would you say the average time you let the car sit between driving? Could have sat in a lot too long (even before you got the car) and had a slight deformation of the tires.

if they change wheels, without tires, I wouldn't trust those tires

[cheshirecat79]

Possible suspension damage, but I would definitely get an alignment at the very least.

[T1T2GRE]

I think they just re-installed the same tires on the new wheels. I get the feeling they're going step by painful BMW handbooks step. Maybe this time they will check suspension. Then maybe the driveshaft....

As far as duration - it's my daily driver, so not enough down time to form flat spots.

[lowbudgethero]

I bet the tires are bad, if they damaged the wheel then they would have done a number on the tires and suspension. Keep taking it back till they actually fix it.

[T1T2GRE]

Saga continues. So, the shop was kind enough to put a set of '13s E88 wheel/tires on my car and test drive, then compare w/E82 (hardtop) w/my wheel/tires on it. I guess a *small8 component of the issue is inherent shake of a 'vert and the crappyass RFTs transmitting every single bump through the frame, but the issue was still there with MY tire/wheels. They've replaced two and straightened one, so I wonder if it's an actual tire defect (steel belt is jacked up or there is a blister).

By blind luck (or dealer planning) I've been given a '13 E88 loaner, and it's relatively smooth with only some expected 'vert shake. So they've chased down tie-rod, control arms, etc. and no dice.

Looks like they will be providing me with a new set of wheels/tires. Bummer for them, but huge help for me.

[SharkBite2009]

Was there any resolution to this issue? I have basically the same issue. Car was perfect, I hit a huge "pothole" and busted out the sidewall of the LF Runflat. I got the tire replaced and they informed me that my car now "shakes" and that all 4 rims were bent.

I found it hard to believe that I bent all 4 rims, so I took it to a different dealer and they checked it and said only the front two rims were bent. They fixed the two front rims, did an alignment and balance and the shaking was still there.

The shaking was between 38-50mph. The worst being around the 40mph mark. The shaking/vibration is in the wheel and the seat. If you look in the rear view mirror when its happening you cant see out the back window because the mirror is vibrating so bad. It seems worse when the car is cold.

I brought it back and they did 'road force' balance, still had same issue. They sent the rims to a 3rd party to verify that they were 'true'. Rims checked out, and since I wanted to get rid of the run flats, i decided that maybe one of the other tires were damaged and replaced all 4 tires with Conti DWS tires. The shaking has lessened and now seems to be more around the 50mph mark but there is still vibration. The dealer seems to not know what the problem is, I have asked them at least 5 times to check out the front suspension to find something loose or bent and they claim its all good. What else could be causing this shaking?

[T1T2GRE]

No resolution, sadly.

Unfortunately I can't give any more details due a legal agreement regarding the issue.