steering wheel wobble under braking 2004 E53 3.0D Auto

[Smeeagain]

Yes that old chestnut again a steering wheel wobble under braking.

I've had it before and eliminated by replacing front control arm bushes and subsequently also replacing the discs pads when there was another wobble a few months back

I've searched for and read all the previous related posts

I only appear to get it under braking although there is a very slight wobble at certain speeds regardless of braking, however the wobble under braking is quite extreme
I plan to get the wheel balanced and the tracking checked. The tyres are heavily worn (but not illegal) and will be replaced.
Can the wobble be anything other than discs. They only have 20,000 miles on them and I do 99% motorway driving (by comparison the previous discs returned 100,000 miles).
So can there be any other culprit than discs for a severe wobble under braking ?

Smee

[jonsteele]

That's where I'd start.


Sent from the dark side by the power of the force!!

[Smeeagain]

even with only 20k miles motorway driving and 100k out of the last set (both sets were pagid)?

[jonsteele]

The symptoms point to warped discs, it's a fairly easy check to confirm or rule out.


Sent from the dark side by the power of the force!!

[jonsteele]

A few other things you could check:

1. Are the wheel bolts done up evenly, and to correct torque?
2. Are the discs tight on the hubs?
3. Is there an uneven build up of friction material on the discs?
4. Are the discs cracked?


Sent from the dark side by the power of the force!!

[Smeeagain]

that great, thanks - it does feel like the wheels arent attached to the car. maybe they're not !!!

smee

[X5-D-Sport]

I had a similar issue on my 3.0D earlier this year...
I had it all to bits, changed bushes etc, even brake pads...

Reading the postings here... could be SIMPLY that a brake calliper is partially seized, causing the disk to snatch.

I thought my disks would be cooked after I had this problem... but all ok.

Easily detected by comparing the temperature of the front wheel centres for temperature difference.
I bought a calliper kit for both wheels for about £25 from Flea-Bay....
      ....problem solved....

[x6edge]

Hi, Had the same problem on my old 03 3.0d sport. changed the front brake discs three times and skimmed once. Each time the problem would disappear only to return about 2000 miles later. Never got to the source of the problem and eventually got so frustrated with the issue that I sold the car.
used Padak and BMW discs as well as changing the front pads without success.

[Smeeagain]

I think in my case it it may well be the tyres. They are shot I know they need replacing, so that will be the first call, at which point they will be balanced and I will be getting the tracking done too. I went to a local tyre place and presented them with the symptoms and they reckoned that given the tyre condition that it would be the tyres. In their opinion warped discs would show up when braking at various speeds whereas this wobble only shows up when braking around 60mph> they didnt take the wheels off to inspect the discs as I didnt have the time this morning

It is a bugger of a timing as I normally have Vredestein Wintrac Extreme which have been great in snow etc but Im out of cash and think I will need to go the budget route for now  At least is has been a relatively mild winter where I am in Hampshire so snow performance is not required.

I currently do 200 miles motorway on a Sunday night to South Wales and 200 miles home on a friday night and 2 miles a day in between so will take whatever I can get pre Christmas. Not helped by the fact that I know when i put the summer set on they are shot too and will need replacing also.

[Smeeagain]

local place has offered Junyo (?????) but Im going with the guy I usually usual on Vreds as they were a better price that Id seen eslewhere on t'interweb

Smee

[briankerrys47]

Have you checked on Nexum tyre brand ?

[Smeeagain]

yes they looked not bad but the vreds were only £9/corner extra

[crash]

Im getting a crappy rumble noise from my near end of life tyres and slight vibration at certain motorway speeds so due a full replacement set. Just can't bring self to go non star rated due to the possibility of future problems and also my crap luck that it will cause me issues!

[AVI-8]

Hi, although my bushes were fine, before I changed my tyres I was getting a shake through the wheel, especially
when braking , changed the tyres and problem solved, I went for Yokohama tyres, they're not too much more than budget tyres, think I paid around £650 for a set (20 inch) but the grip is up there with the best , and it's about £200  less than the premium brands, have a look at Yokohama advan sports, I got them through black circles, the cheapest budget will be around £100-150 less but in my experience ... They're not good in wet grip, I've done it before but wouldn't recommend it, there's a very noticeable difference, and the budgets don't last long either in my experience.

[Smeeagain]

[quote="Smeeagain"]
Yes that old chestnut again a steering wheel wobble under braking.

I've had it before and eliminated by replacing front control arm bushes and subsequently also replacing the discs pads when there was another wobble a few months back

I've searched for and read all the previous related posts

I only appear to get it under braking although there is a very slight wobble at certain speeds regardless of braking, however the wobble under braking is quite extreme
I plan to get the wheel balanced and the tracking checked. The tyres are heavily worn (but not illegal) and will be replaced.
Can the wobble be anything other than discs. They only have 20,000 miles on them and I do 99% motorway driving (by comparison the previous discs returned 100,000 miles).
So can there be any other culprit than discs for a severe wobble under braking ?

Smee
[/quote]

Turns out it was front offside disc, warped.