Member
Today the steering shaft just snap in half when making a U-Turn, no apparent reason, no resistence when turning, just a big pop and no more steering......
Glad that happened going 2MPH in a small residential street
Now the question, what could have cause it to clean brake like that?
IMG_8431[1].jpg
Ralph
Ok, that's kinda scary. How many miles? Any steering issues leading up to this? Ever had the rack replaced? Pump ok? Car ever wrecked?
Member
Got the car a year ago, 45000 Miles, no accident that I know of, no apparent steering symptoms.Originally Posted by Mr Bingley
had to move the car out of the way and was still able to steer holding and turning the lower part of the broken shaft by hand in the engine bay, so power stiring still work fine.
Ralph
Well, certainly save the broken shaft when it is replaced for further analysis. I've never seen anything like that before--and at 45,000 miles too--it doesn't make sense. Did you pull a Carfax on it when you bought it? Did you really piss off you mechanic the last time you were in?
Member
What does the lower part of the shaft look like? I wonder if the rubber flex disc was replaced in the past.
Sim Simma
Moderator
This is quite scary... I have some theories but I dont think we have enough info to figure out why this happened
Prior to this happening, had you ever observed any slack in the steering? A small dead spot near center perhaps?
Member
Carfax show no accidents and the engine bay look original factory, probably could have piss of the mechanic if he left some grease on the seat...:-)
and yes I will have it review/test to see what could have happen.
Just ordered a replacement shaft, will have this one out over the weekend or during next week and I will be able to look at it better.
nothing very obtrusive, maybe a slight wheel shake time to time around 45mph
Also a friend suggested maybe to look for something that was rubbing against it, i will have to look at that closely, but I think the only thing at that level are the brake lines.
Last edited by wildspeed; 06-08-2017 at 02:32 PM.
Literally a Cat
Are you sure you weren't keeping your electric angle grinder in there?
I can't wait to see what exactly the break looks like, how weird.
Member
With so little effort required to turn the shaft, I wonder what could have stressed it enough to break.
BMW MOA 696, BMW CCA 1405
Thin Air
Not the same thing, but I had a control arm ball joint stud snap (while pulling away from a light at less then 20 mph). My dealer said they had never seen this before. Sometimes there are unseen defects in metal which can fail with little stress.
2002 M Roadster, Steel Gray Metailic, Gray Nappa Leather, Black Soft Top, Steel Gray Metailic Hard Top, TC Kline Double Adj Shocks with H&R Springs, Stromung Exhaust, SSR Type C Wheels. Looking for a new home.
2022 Z4 M40i, Misano Blue Metallic, Prem Pkg, Driver Assistance Pkg
2023 X5 M50, Phytonic Blue, Black Extended Merion Leather, Driving Asst Pro Pkg, Park Asst Pkg, Exec Pkg, Climate Comfort Pkg.
Member
That is very scary....be sure to keep us posted on what you find.
2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe--Sterling Gray/Sunroof Delete/5MT
Member
Got busy and never got a chance to work on the car,
My mechanic did the swap, apparently a bracket or something in that area had been push against the shaft and was rubbing to the point of cutting the shaft.
IMG_8502.jpgIMG_8503.jpgIMG_8504.jpg
Have been driving it and looks like everything is back in order.
Last edited by wildspeed; 06-24-2017 at 06:08 PM.
Member
So how did the bracket get pushed against the shaft and cut it? What bracket, and who did it? This is not something that is the fault of the car, that any of us have to worry about
BMW MOA 696, BMW CCA 1405
Ralph
Yes, I would want to know exactly what bracket it was, how it got there, and what the mechanic did to relocate it.
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