right front wheel wobble

[tally]

My right front wheel wobbles front to back when i brake.
Any ideas? There are no broken suspension parts.

Thx

[crazy0000]

Then its probably supposed to be that way if nothings broken.



anyway... how sure are you that nothings broken or worn?

[jehu]

Idler Arm Bushing... I am replacing mine Monday . The Rubber center wears out and the bolt wabbles allowing substantial wheel play .

[M Quick]

"no broken suspension parts"..

Ok. Then it is the thing behind the wheel that's broken! ;)

Seriously, it's like asking "why does my vehicle drive like there would be a flat tyre? -it's not a flat tyre!" When it indeed is a flat tyre.


Nothing else but the suspension parts are holding the front wheel in a steady place, so it can't be anything else that's broken than a piece that has to do with the suspension.


That is if i undesrtood your question. The tyre is not turning left/right but the tyre is going front to back (like you explained: it changes caster). The whole wheel won't go front to back if there is any steering parts broken, only suspension.

Idler arm is, something with the steering (if worn out; makes wheel steer left or right), nothing to do with front/back (caster).

[jehu]

I don't think his description rules out idler arm bushing.. what he thinks is front to back may be the side to side movement .. how does a wheel change the force load under braking? I don't see how what he thinks is happening can happen other than perhaps a broken strut mount, control arm ball joint or bushing or wheel bearing..lol..

[bmwmech1]

I don't think his description rules out idler arm bushing.. what he thinks is front to back may be the side to side movement .. how does a wheel change the force load under braking? I don't see how what he thinks is happening can happen other than perhaps a broken strut mount, control arm ball joint or bushing or wheel bearing..lol..

I think you covered most everything it could be,except tie rod ends... we need a more descriptive analysis, though... plus, I am assuming it's the E34, but he shows he owns an E36 also... more info please!!! My hunch, if it is moving front to back and not left to right is the thrust arm mounting... bushing or ball joint has to be bad... Biggest question is... how does he know it's moving in the first place? A camera mounted down by the wheel or sticking his head out while driving? Lol!!! Just thought it was funny after I thought about it...

Garey

[tally]

For gods sake. Whats with the swede (Taxed to death)? I am not a neophyte when it come to the e 34. I am still learning and appreciate the input from the forum. You guys have helped me replace a transmission, new headgasket,brakes ,window regulator, etc.... It is a simple question....
the wheel is moving back to front ....ie. north to south. Nothing is broken on the suspension. I suspect springs and strut are shot? Anything i am missing? Thanks guy's and lay off the critique!

i had my son hang out the window on the express to see what the thump was, may he rest in peace. Come on dude. I had him drive the car down the driveway( it is his car) and i observed the N to S movement.

[garethashenden]

Ok, parts aren't physically broken as in metal being cracked, twisted etc. but the bushings may be, if they are original they probably are, it happens to rubber.

Jack up the front of the car and go in with a pry bar. Apply force to the various suspension components and figure out what is loose. Replace the worn parts. It is my understanding that bushings on steel parts can be replaced but aluminum parts must be replaced as a whole assembly, bushings and link.

I'd start with control/thrust arms. Same thing, two names. They have the most control over the forward/backward movement of the front wheels.

Spring don't really wear out, they can break, but unless they are really rusty they don't have to be replaced. Shocks do need to be replaced, but don't just do one, do both fronts or all four.

Hope it helps

[tally]

Thanks, I asssume all is original. I will replace it all . Any words of wisdom on where to purchase parts and techniques or things to watch out for....as to not getting killed or maimed?

[garethashenden]

A lot of people like Autohauz and BMA. I've had luck with Autohauz and haven't tried BMA. Lemforder makes the best ones, OE I believe. They cost more, but last longer. There are other brands available for less with varying levels of quality. Avoid the complete kits available on Ebay.

Do you have a Bentley manual? If you do, follow the instructions. If you don't, get one. Get the print version so you can have it with you under the car.

Most if not all suspension parts must be tightened under load to prevent premature failure.
Get the old part out and the new one in. Tighten everything finger tight. Use a jack to lift the wheel hub until the car is just off the jackstands and supported by the jack. Tighten to the specified torque.

[GumbysE34]

I think my new [to me] e34 is also experiencing an issue like this also. When letting off abruptly from moderate to heavy braking I get a clunk from the front left and it feels as if something is loose. I suspect control/thrust arm bushings as well.

[tally]

I have the Bentley's manual...could not live without it. Thanks for the advice. I'll start with the struts and then work my way down. The struts are shot, I can move them up by hand. The control arms look to be ok but the bushings are shot. Do you think it is ok to replace just the bushings?

[M Quick]

For gods sake. Whats with the swede (Taxed to death)? I am not a neophyte when it come to the e 34. I am still learning and appreciate the input from the forum. You guys have helped me replace a transmission, new headgasket,brakes ,window regulator, etc.... It is a simple question....
the wheel is moving back to front ....ie. north to south. Nothing is broken on the suspension. I suspect springs and strut are shot? Anything i am missing? Thanks guy's and lay off the critique!

i had my son hang out the window on the express to see what the thump was, may he rest in peace. Come on dude. I had him drive the car down the driveway( it is his car) and i observed the N to S movement.

Lol, yes i've been taxed to death for sure! Hehe

I was just like "WTF!?" when you said it's moving front to back and no suspension parts are broken, it's really like "WTF!?" to read. :)

And i'm just trying to clarify, that more information is needed to help you, otherwise you're not gonna get good answers.
When you say no suspenion parts are broken, i sure hope you know what you're saying, as the strut is a part of it, and the springs are also a part of the suspension. You feelin' me here? :)

I absolutely mean no offense here, i'm just trying to help.

[tally]

Sorry, I apologize for coming back so caustic. My Bad. The strut seems
shot, spring looks ok ..no rust or cracks. With the wheel off I can move
suspension up(to the sky) by hand with little force. The bushings all look pretty worn.
Thanks for the help

[M Quick]

No problem at all dude, sorry if it came out wrong from my side too :) But i sure laughed at your reply "have you swedes been taxed to death?" - that sure is true!

The strut may really cause that problem, for sure. As if it's worn out, the whole thing moves front to back when breaking! Good that we clarified ourselves, otherwise we'd probably miss that thing!

If any of the bushings seems to be cracked, replace them too. Or if you see that they have a gap somewhere.

[tally]

Thanks Miche! I will do that. How can I tell if I need to replace the SPRINGS? I was in sweden (Stockholm) a couple of years ago and paid $10 for a Heiniken....I would go broke very quickly living there.

[M Quick]

Thanks Miche! I will do that. How can I tell if I need to replace the SPRINGS? I was in sweden (Stockholm) a couple of years ago and paid $10 for a Heiniken....I would go broke very quickly living there.



Sweet!

If the springs are very rusty and/or broken into pieces or is somewhat weak somewhere (like they are ready to snap off), then replace them. Otherwise, they're fine. Springs usualy snap off 1 or 2 turns on the down or upside.

Hehehe, i know what you mean, it's expensive to drink over here! Though i don't mind, as i haven't been drinking for a couple of years now, when i had my time drinking from time to time i bought it on the "black market" like $20 for x24 beers. Sweden sucks, in term of taxes. But cars are usualy cheap.

[tally]

Thanks for the information. Take care.

[paanta]

If it's that bad, and you don't know when suspension parts were replaced last, just do everything all at once. Control arms, steering linkages (idler arm/tie rods/center link), strut mounts, struts, springs (might as well get something a little stiffer), sway bar links, bump stops/dust shields, etc. It's less labor to do it all at once rather than piecemeal, you won't accidentally ruin a dust boot on a good part while trying to remove one of the old rusty parts, and you'll only need one alignment, and worn parts won't be putting extra stress on the brand new ones, etc.

Trust me, you'll do the struts and then realize that only fixed part of the problem...then you'll do control arms and realize THAT was only part of the problem...then the steering linkage....then the strut mounts. Pretty soon you've spent 4 straight weekends working on the car and just as much money as if you'd done it all at once.

While you're at it, adjust the steering box and the big steering column nut (search for it).

Figure < ~$1500 for all the parts if you shop well and go with Meyle HD (which you can get from FCP Groton) over Lemforder. ~$250 for rear strut mounts+non-OEM front strut mounts, $500 for the control arm/sway link/steering linkage kit, $400 for 4 bilsteins, $250 for springs, and then some for assorted hardware (dust boots, bump stops, new nuts and bolts you might need, etc). Add a couple hundred more for the Lemforder stuff.

It's a big chunk of money to spend all at once, but you'll be gobsmacked by the improvement. It's a BMW, and the whole point is that it's supposed to handle well, not like a 10 year old Taurus.

[moroza]

Lower and upper (aka Thrust) arms are responsible for locating the wheel in both horizontal axes - east-west and north-south.

/original question.

As for what to replace, I'd do all four arms with brand new Lemförder parts. Whether to get the upgraded M5 aluminium lower arm, or an upgraded upper arm bushing, is a matter of debate. I've tried stock, 750iL, and M5, and don't have a clear recommendation.

As for where to get it, BMA gave me the best price on the four, but that was three years ago. Expect to pay ~105 per upper arm (with bushing installed) and ~85-90 per lower. BMA offers free shipping and no tax outside CA.