323i vibration at speed

[mark36]

Hi, i have a 99 323i, i am having problems with a severe vibration from the car, it seems to happen at speed, from about 70mph but lately happening at a slower speed aswell, the steering wheel shakes and car vibrates badly, i have today replaced the whole control arm bushings, took the car out got it up to speed and its still doing it, should i replace ball joints? Could that be the problem? How can i tell if ball joints are worn and what damage to the car could happen if i dont replace them?

Thanks for any help you can give

[porscheguy9999]

Well, I'm not mechanic, but perhaps a lug nut(s) on one of your wheels has come loose? Otherwise I dont know much about the suspention setup, therefore I dont want to give you any info that may lead to you replacing a part that doesnt need it or wrecking somthing and creating a bigger problem.

Sorry, I dont know about ball joints very much.

[CassiesMan]

It sounds like your alignment might be off. If you haven't already, get the alignment checked, it can cause a ton of vibration, even if it is barely off. It can also prematurely wear down your tires, and even hurt miliage. If the alignment is it, they might be able to tell you when you go to get the aligned.

[mark36]

Hi the alignment is fine i had it checked before i replaced the control arm, should i have it checked again now since ive changed them? They are new wheels and tyres that i bought a few weeks ago and havent noticed any unusual wear on them

[kazzoo]

Check that your wheels are balanced properly.

[CassiesMan]

Originally Posted by mark36

Hi the alignment is fine i had it checked before i replaced the control arm, should i have it checked again now since ive changed them? They are new wheels and tyres that i bought a few weeks ago and havent noticed any unusual wear on them

Yes. Anytime you take the wheels off, you should have your alignment rechecked. With new tires, control arms, and the like, if your wheels are aligned and you still have problems with vibration, it could be something else other than steering.

[mark36]

What else could cause this vibration then? Im tearing my hair out trying to think of what it could be and is it safe to be using the car especially with the kids in and the wife nagging me to get it fixed! Any ideas what else it could be??

[Ukrainian]

i`ve got a 2000 323i....also had vibrations,once-cuz my rims were bent,and last week because of my brake caliper.....it`s pretty east to determine of its a caliper or not......just simply feel your rims after u get off highway......one of my rims was just on FIRE!!!

[KamilMk]

Umm, it could be the wheel alignment, but it also could be something as simple as tire wear on one side (which usually comes from bad alignment)...
Check out both, but don't hold my word for it.
There is a lot of stuff that might cause vibration at higher speeds...

[CassiesMan]

Originally Posted by mark36

What else could cause this vibration then? Im tearing my hair out trying to think of what it could be and is it safe to be using the car especially with the kids in and the wife nagging me to get it fixed! Any ideas what else it could be??

1. Tell your wife and kids they are riding around in a BMW, they can suck it up and deal with the vibrations for a bit while you take your time (and money) to fix it.
2. As Killa stated, it could very well be uneven tire wear caused by bad alignment.
3. It could also be, as Ukranian stated, problems with the pads rubbing.
4. It may also be problems with your suspension system, not sure where, but somewhere in there.

So, what do I suggest?

In my humblest, take it to a tire place, a reputable one you trust. Buy four brand new tires, and have them ballance and align your wheels. If that doesn't solve it, you can either take it to a dealership or a mechanic, again one that you trust, and have them take a look at it.

[KamilMk]

I have a question to you Mark.
Does the vibration get more violent as you brake trying to slow down at high speeds? (60+ mph)

If yes, I would have to say that if it's not the alignment, or tire wear, then you will need to check the suspension out, like Cass said.
Check the springs out yourself, because those you can check without much hassle.
If they seem fine, there is nothig left in my mind that could be wrong besides something a little deeper in the suspension.
Something is either loose, or even worse, broken.
I would try to get that checked out faster rather than later, for the risk of doing more damage over time.

[CassiesMan]

Thats what I was thinking with the springs. They could be getting a little on the old side, which would translate vibration into the vehicle. Question...has the car ever been in a nasty accident?

[mark36]

Hi, in answer to your questions no it doesnt get any worse when breaking, and to my knowledge it hasnt been involved in any accidents, ive owned the car 2 years nearly and ive never had an accident in it, i know it has been modified, whoever owned it before has had the suspension lowered and everything looks pretty new to me under there, theres even the the sticker with the private licence plate of the previous owner on it still stuck on the suspension parts, whoever had it before me spent alot of money on it modifying it, it has alot of extras on it that werent factory standard i know. Oh well looks like ill be stripping the thing out again at the weekend and taking another look, the next step is change the disks although they are new anyway. Heres a rundown of what ive done to the vehicle in the last 3 months: New tyres and alloy wheels, new brakes, disks and pads. Balanced, tracked, new control arm bushings, that was a very easy job to do in my opinion, new radiator header tank as the other one split on me 2 weeks ago and steam was everywhere, need to fix power steering have a leak underneath think it might be due to a split pipe, just general wear and tear on a car thats 8 or 9 years old i guess

[KamilMk]

Hmm, though it might "look" alright when you take a glance yourself, there might still be something wrong there.
I would really take it to a mechanic, and see what he can come up with for an answer as to why it might do that.

[CassiesMan]

I think I might know where your problem is, but it depends on your next answer. Have you had this problem before, or is it fairly recent?