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  • fastbmw

    Feb. 23, 2011 5:57 p.m. fastbmw New Reader

    My brother's e30 touring has an annoying steering wheel vibration, it's nothing major just a tiny side to side wobble that he wants to get rid of. (wobble is felt at speeds over 60kph, most noticeable at 110kph)

    Here are the details

    • Brand new front suspension (Bilsten shocks, shock mount, control arms, tie-rods)
    • Brand new ASA AR1 wheels w/+10mm spacers supplied by Tire Rack -3 year old Kumho SPT with about 90% tread (the tires sat for 2 years but the tire shop said they were balanced on the ASA wheels).
    • 2 year old front wheel bearings
    • 2 year old steering rack

    With the brand new front suspension, the only cause of the vibration that I can think of would be the spacers. Is there anything else I am forgetting? Is there a fix to make the spacers vibration free?

  • Tom Suddard

    Feb. 23, 2011 7:04 p.m. Tom Suddard SonDork

    What kind of spacers are they? Are they the kind that are fit to center themselves on the hub?

  • porksboy

    Feb. 23, 2011 7:44 p.m. porksboy SuperDork

    Did the tires sit on wheels on a car? If so maybe they are flat spotted.

    Can you run the wheel/ tire combo be run with out the spacers? Maybe by not turning the wheel lock to lock.

  • Streetwiseguy

    Feb. 23, 2011 8:08 p.m. Streetwiseguy Dork

    I presume, being German, the wheels are held with bolts, not studs and nuts. If the wheel spacers are too thick to allow the wheel to center on the hub, or if the hole in the wheels is too large to center, it will always shake.

    My experience has been that you can get away with non hubcentric wheels on studs, but not with bolts.

  • rodrammage

    Feb. 23, 2011 9:24 p.m. rodrammage New Reader

    Those BMWs use hubcentric means to mount the wheels. Your spacers must be of the hubcentric variety as well.

  • iceracer

    Feb. 24, 2011 9:33 a.m. iceracer Dork

    If the spacers move the wheels out enough it could cause a problem like that. Also, check for wheel/tire run out, radial and lateral.

  • SupraWes

    Feb. 24, 2011 4:02 p.m. SupraWes Dork

    Were the lolipop lower control arm bushings replaced also? Jack it up and start grabbing wheels, shouldnt be too hard to find.

 
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