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Thread: E30 weird handling

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    My Cars
    1990 BMW 325i

    E30 weird handling

    So my 1990 bmw 325i has been doing this thing sence I got it 2 years ago but lately its been getting worse and I want to figure out whats going wrong. If I go around a turn. Like just turning right onto a road from stop or anything and just go streight, the steering feels like its out of alighnment like its “stuck” to the right a little and wants to go right... i can fix it by giving it a quick jult to the left. same thing with left turn (gets stuck to left fixed by jult to right) but doesnt seam as apparent.

    Let me know what you all think

    -Thank you

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Regina, Sask, Canada
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    82 320i 89 325i
    worn rack and / or bad strut bearings will do that

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    Quote Originally Posted by 82eye View Post
    worn rack and / or bad strut bearings will do that
    Okay thanks, would there be any other symptoms of that?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    corpus christi, texas
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    No e30s, again :(
    I dont know but the strut bearings are an easy swap
    No e30s again.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    NW suburban Chicago
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    hiss by my window
    Is there a slight "catch" in the steering feel every quarter turn or so?
    There is a universal joint in the steering shaft, under the hood near the steering box. I'll bet yours is failing, look for signs of rust around the four bearing caps on the joint.
    If so DON'T be tempted to spray some lube on it and go. When these fail they can bind hard, not good. Replacements aren't expensive and while tedious it's not a hard job.
    https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-2...int-flex-disc/

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    1990 BMW 325i
    Quote Originally Posted by ross1 View Post
    Is there a slight "catch" in the steering feel every quarter turn or so?
    There is a universal joint in the steering shaft, under the hood near the steering box. I'll bet yours is failing, look for signs of rust around the four bearing caps on the joint.
    If so DON'T be tempted to spray some lube on it and go. When these fail they can bind hard, not good. Replacements aren't expensive and while tedious it's not a hard job.
    https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-2...int-flex-disc/

    Thank you I’ve brought it in to a repair shop. today was day three of them looking at it I’m about to be at $300 just in diagnosis ughhh.... theyre sepparating to things or something to better look at the steering system. we’ll see and ill post what they find.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    492
    My Cars
    e30s
    Don't waste your money. Spray some spray lube on the steering knuckle or use PB blaster to remove the corrosion. have someone turn the steering wheel while doing this. I had this issue plenty of times and it should free up your wheel. it's located below the brake booster. Depending on the mileage it "could" be the rack but more often then not it turned out to be the knuckle. many guys parts these cars and save them.
    Last edited by Ceekers; 06-09-2018 at 06:02 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    North Carolina
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    My Cars
    1990 BMW 325i
    Its been a while but still having this problem, it took the shop a week (will not be returning, may even bring car to another shop to relook at the problem and see what they say) but they said that it was the struts that needed to be replaced. The shop sprayed some lithium greese in the steering knuckle (i think, see pics) which seamed to help slightly but not enough. They said that the car was lowered (previous owner)and that replacing the stuts might help a litte but they wernt sure how much of the problem was coming simply from the car being lowered. So I could either replace stuts or raise car back and than replace struts

    Both options are expensive and im just not sure what to do with this. Let me know what you all think. Thanks

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=15x..._Htb0IP5N0f2bs

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Grandview, MO
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    1989 Bmw325IC
    First you need to determine if car was lowered?

    Second your car is 28 years old. From reading your comments, I get the impression, that do not have experience of working on cars. If not you better start getting some. Labor costs will eat you alive and then you will be paying full list price for parts. This you have found out from the shop you took the car to. Old cars have to be maintained and repaired. If you can't do the work yourself, with help from forums like this, you will be better off selling the car.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    1990 BMW 325i
    Yes, the car was lowered I knew that when I got it I just didnt know it could cause handeling problems, I understand that the car is 28 years old (and 7 months to be exact). From what I understand struts are hard to do yourself because you have to use a machine to compress them. And yes I’m doing my best to learn more about repairing cars by reading fourms and doing as much labor as I can myself. (Only 18 here so only 2 years under my belt)

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Grandview, MO
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    1989 Bmw325IC
    Great to hear you willing to go at it! Struts are not that hard to do. I guess you are talking front struts. You have to carefully follow the removal of the coil/shock assembly from the car in that they fall out the bottom. Once the struts are off, most auto parts stores will loan you a strut compressor which is a simple tool to compress the coil spring so you can remove the shock. Not really hard, just have to be careful. You must follow directions so that everything comes apart in the right sequence. Then carefully reassemble as directed. I have no idea how cars are lowered. So I can't help you on what may be causing your problem.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    1990 BMW 325i
    Quote Originally Posted by aaverhulst View Post
    Great to hear you willing to go at it! Struts are not that hard to do. I guess you are talking front struts. You have to carefully follow the removal of the coil/shock assembly from the car in that they fall out the bottom. Once the struts are off, most auto parts stores will loan you a strut compressor which is a simple tool to compress the coil spring so you can remove the shock. Not really hard, just have to be careful. You must follow directions so that everything comes apart in the right sequence. Then carefully reassemble as directed. I have no idea how cars are lowered. So I can't help you on what may be causing your problem.

    Okay thanks I might do that, I just dont want to if its not going to make that big of a difference, like if the majority of the problem is from the car being lowered.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    No e30s, again :(
    I always lower my cars and none of them have the problem you have. the only one I have that has the problem you have, right now, is the one I am building for my 15 year old, and it is factory ride height right now. its the rack on his.
    No e30s again.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
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    North Carolina
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    1990 BMW 325i
    Quote Originally Posted by superj View Post
    I always lower my cars and none of them have the problem you have. the only one I have that has the problem you have, right now, is the one I am building for my 15 year old, and it is factory ride height right now. its the rack on his.
    Do you think it could still be the struts?, when they found it they were dry and there were no caps on either of them.

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