BMW vibration

Murfs

Hi looking for some advise from anyone on here that has had any issues with car vibration while driving on the motorway.

Ok here's the issue so i have just upgraded my alloys from 18" BMW alloys to 19" VC7 alloys with new tyres, I have already had the new wheels balanced and had the tracking/ allinement redone on the car all 100%.

Car drives fine around town and back roads but on the motorway as soon as I hit 100kph I can feel a bad vibration in the seat only nothing in steering wheel, the vibration is there till I hit 120kph then the car is perfect again, not pulling or anything like that.

Any advise what could be causing this?? Thanks in advance.

Atlantic Dawn

Perhaps droplinks or bushings.

johnayo

Have the rear wheel balance checked again.

Murfs

johnayo wrote: »

Have the rear wheel balance checked again.

Yes all wheels balanced and checked twice.

Murfs

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Perhaps droplinks or bushings.

Thanks, would bushing not make noise if they where gone? Maybe the droplinks are the cause.

rex-x

Is the centre bore of the wheels exactly correct? Many of the cheaper aftermarket wheels have too large a bore to fit 'many cars' and leads to this vibration

gctest50

Driveshaft ? pilot bearing

Murfs

rex-x wrote: »

Is the centre bore of the wheels exactly correct? Many of the cheaper aftermarket wheels have too large a bore to fit 'many cars' and leads to this vibration

As far as I know the centre bore is correct, I bought the wheels and tyres from a alloy wheel company that supply to public so I'm assuming they have calculated the measurements. I did notice this vibration on old BMW 18" OEM alloys but no where as bad as with the new 19" alloys.

I will compare the centre bore measurement myself just out of a matter of interest.

Murfs

gctest50 wrote: »

Driveshaft ? pilot bearing

I'm no mechanic but I'm sure a pilot bearing is part of a clutch?? Do you mean wheel bearing?

Ardent

Check for one or more buckled alloys

gctest50

Murfs wrote: »

I'm no mechanic but I'm sure a pilot bearing is part of a clutch?? Do you mean wheel bearing?

Carrier bearing is what I should have said

The one halfway-ish down the driveshaft

you'd want to check the driveshaft anyway - much destruction when they fail - this sort of thing :

Moanin

Tyres can be an issue also. I had similar on a Passat a few years back. I changed the tyres and it sorted it

Cee-Jay-Cee

Murfs wrote: »

As far as I know the centre bore is correct, I bought the wheels and tyres from a alloy wheel company that supply to public so I'm assuming they have calculated the measurements. I did notice this vibration on old BMW 18" OEM alloys but no where as bad as with the new 19" alloys.

I will compare the centre bore measurement myself just out of a matter of interest.

I wouldn't take that as any great proof that they check anything. They buy in cheap wheels to sell to customers. I'll guarantee you that the vast majority don't take offset or wheel width into consideration. I'll also guarantee you that the tyres were thrown on the wheels and were not lined up with the valves according to the colour coded dots around the tyre and in case you are wondering what I'm referring to, every tyre has a red or yellow dot on the side wall. Its the heaviest part of the tyre (as the side wall is not 100% uniform all the way around and there are some sections that may be slightly thicker and therefore heavier) The tyre companies mark that point with a red of yellow dot and tyre fitters are supposed to line that dot up opposite the valve but NONE of them ever do as they're generally clueless monkeys working in such places.

I went into one huge alloy wheel place a few years back looking for a set of 5x100 wheels for a Subaru, the idiot working there showed me several sets of wheels made for VAG cars with a low offset of +35. I pointed out that Subaru's need at least +45 offset but preferably +50 and was met with a vacant look and the line 'sure theyre only slightly out' comment.

So like I said, don't take the fact that their business is selling wheels as any proclamation as to their knowledge on wheels/tyres.

Murfs

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I wouldn't take that as any great proof that they check anything. They buy in cheap wheels to sell to customers. I'll guarantee you that the vast majority don't take offset or wheel width into consideration. I'll also guarantee you that the tyres were thrown on the wheels and were not lined up with the valves according to the colour coded dots around the tyre and in case you are wondering what I'm referring to, every tyre has a red or yellow dot on the side wall. Its the heaviest part of the tyre (as the side wall is not 100% uniform all the way around and there are some sections that may be slightly thicker and therefore heavier) The tyre companies mark that point with a red of yellow dot and tyre fitters are supposed to line that dot up opposite the valve but NONE of them ever do as they're generally clueless monkeys working in such places.

I went into one huge alloy wheel place a few years back looking for a set of 5x100 wheels for a Subaru, the idiot working there showed me several sets of wheels made for VAG cars with a low offset of +35. I pointed out that Subaru's need at least +45 offset but preferably +50 and was met with a vacant look and the line 'sure theyre only slightly out' comment.

So like I said, don't take the fact that their business is selling wheels as any proclamation as to their knowledge on wheels/tyres.

Thanks for the advise, I will check this over the weekend and see how we go.

CJhaughey

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

, every tyre has a red or yellow dot on the side wall. Its the heaviest part of the tyre (as the side wall is not 100% uniform all the way around and there are some sections that may be slightly thicker and therefore heavier) The tyre companies mark that point with a red of yellow dot and tyre fitters are supposed to line that dot up opposite the valve but NONE of them ever do as they're generally clueless monkeys working in such places.
.

Not that common these days, tyre manufacturing has moved on and most tyres are very well balanced from the factory and as such many don't have the yellow or red dot any longer.

Cee-Jay-Cee

CJhaughey wrote: »

Not that common these days, tyre manufacturing has moved on and most tyres are very well balanced from the factory and as such many don't have the yellow or red dot any longer.

Bridgestone Potenzas (with manufacture date of 03/17) still have them as have many of the less premium tyres being sold...but that being said my point was regarding the ignorance of many people selling and fitting wheels/tyres on the products they are selling.

Murfs

Ok so decided to take a spin into town this evening and noticed another issue that may give a clue to what's wrong, when driving the car I can now hear a ticking sound coming from the rear, this ticking sound increases and decreases with speed??

CJhaughey

Murfs wrote: »

Ok so decided to take a spin into town this evening and noticed another issue that may give a clue to what's wrong, when driving the car I can now hear a ticking sound coming from the rear, this ticking sound increases and decreases with speed??

Check the tyres for stones, nails or anything that may be stuck in the tread or puncturing the tyre.

Murfs

Update: I have checked tyres for stones/screws/nails and all looks fine, I have also checked the centre bore match for hub and alloy all ok nice tight fit, I have checked for the red/yellow dot regards valve postion but no dot on these tyres. Checked for stones in brakes and brake cover but all seems fine, Took alloy off car and when I spin the hub I get a slight tick sound with a rub sound??

TheFarrier

Bearing??

rex-x

Murfs wrote: »

Update: I have checked tyres for stones/screws/nails and all looks fine, I have also checked the centre bore match for hub and alloy all ok nice tight fit, I have checked for the red/yellow dot regards valve postion but no dot on these tyres. Checked for stones in brakes and brake cover but all seems fine, Took alloy off car and when I spin the hub I get a slight tick sound with a rub sound??

Did you actually measure the bore? 1 or 2 mm off will cause your vibration

Murfs

rex-x wrote: »

Did you actually measure the bore? 1 or 2 mm off will cause your vibration

Yes have checked measurements on bore and I have to hammer it in to place so no spare space as I said it seem to be a good tight fit.

Murfs

I have it booked into Colm Quinn BMW as the car is still under warranty, I suspect that it is a wheel bearing on the way out, will update you all later.

Wailin

Any update Murfs?

Autochange

Put the 18s on the front, Drive it and see if it improves. Then try again but with the 18s on the back.. Drive again and check. If you can isolate the offending axle then try one wheel on one side then the other. Isolate the offending axle and the side if possible.
The car is rear wheel drive yes?

Hope that makes sense.

mullingar

Don't forget to check the runout of the wheels when attached to the car.!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W8iXJTVzVWA

Curry Addict

i had this issue once upon a time. one tyre was imperfect. The best way to tell is to swop front tyres with back tyres. If a tyre is imperfect it will cause vibration on the front but the back is more forgiving and vibration is less likely/

if the bearings are worn it sounds like loud road noise rather than ticking.

Murfs

Update: Had the car into BMW garage who checked all the bearings all ok, they rechecked allinement and tracking, rebalanced all the wheels. BMW have come back and put the vibration down to the 20mm spacers.

Ok so has anyone had any issues with vibration from running wheel spacers?

biko

Did they/you remove the spacers?
If so, did it help?

Who put the spacers on? Did they clean everything real well? The tiniest dirt can cause the spacers to not sit tight.

Murfs

biko wrote: »

Did they/you remove the spacers?
If so, did it help?

Who put the spacers on? Did they clean everything real well? The tiniest dirt can cause the spacers to not sit tight.

The spacers are still on the car, reason for running the spacers is to push the wheels out to the arch, i hated the old look of lost wheels inside the arch. I cleaned the hub and spacer as well as the guys in BMW garage so they should be pretty clean by now, last time i checked they are a good tight fit sitting on the central bore e.g no movement.

I think i am going to try run without the spacers on the rear and see how that go's as vibration is only in the seat not the steering wheel or pedal.