'97 740il Steering Wheel Vibration

I am experiencing a steering wheel vibration only while driving in a speed range of approximately 50 to 55 mph @ about 1500RPM.

The vibration occurs while accelerating through that range as well as decelerating. As soon as I speed up or slow down out of that range, the vibration smooths out.

I've had the wheels balanced and rotated - hasn't cured it. The dealer technician experienced it but had no idea of cause - suggested I ignore it. Has anyone had similar problem and/or found cause or cure?

Thanks for any input!

The trick to getting truely balanced wheels is to have them done at speeds that reflect the speeds you find the imbalance. The hunter folks offer a specific set of tests which most people have foudnsolves these types of issues. Search for a location near you on their web site
www.hunter.com

That being said, you can have a bent wheel causing this? Again the dealer is not the place to learn this especially if it is a warranty issue, get ti checked by a third party expert and then deal with it if it is out of warranty then get it straightened at a wheel repair shop.
Good luck,

John,

Thank you for the information. I will check it out.

I'm glad you posted. My 7 has just started making vibrations at the same speeds and rpms you mention. Haven't bumped anything and thought wheel balance but haven't sorted it out yet. Will look for a tech close to home with better equipment. A little concerned your BMW tech said to blow it off though, yikes. Might want to find another store!

In regards to the Vibration. Please have the Tech look at the Thrust rod and thrust rod bushings. I have done some research and have found that the original BMW parts are weak and a website suggested using after market bushings. Currently my bushings are cracked and I will have to replace them. I looked back at the service history and they were replaced at 51,000 miles. I have 83K currently. The BMW center replaced the bushings at 51K under warranty but are refusing to cover them under the extended warranty stating that they are wear items as brake pads. (I don't agree) I have spoke with other shops am told the warranty will cover so I am changing dealers. Technicians told me that hard braking is the leading cause of these bushing failures. Good luck.

I just upgraded to the M37 parallel spoke wheels with the low profile tires P235/50ZR18 Pirelli.

I have inherited this problem with the new wheels and tires at the exact same speed.

There are a few things you can do.

1) Running the tires at 41 psi will reduce it.
2) Take the car to a Discount or Americas Tire and tell them that you want a "Road Force" balance ($100). It is very high tech and even tells them where to mount the tire on the wheel. They break the bead loose and rotate the tire to it's optimum balance point. You should get a road force of no more than 10-15 Lbs per tire.

My new Pirelli's are giving me 35 Lbs. I contacted the vendor (Highline Wheels, Miami) and they are going to send me "centering rings" to ensure that the wheel is perfectly centered in the bolt circle, but ultimately I think I will end up returning the tires (I will never buy tires over the Net again!). The wheels are true and balanced well though. I will hopefully talk Highline into giving me my $$ back and buy tires locally where I can be a thorn in their side until my car returns to its smooth and quiet as a church ride.

Good Luck!

I stand corrected.

The centering rings completely stopped the vibration. They are the overgrown equivalent of the plastic ring on your milk jug, and just cause the wheel to perfectly center when it is installed.