What susp. components to replace for steering wheel shake >80 mph?

[Route 16]

I’ve probably gone through 4-5 wheels, none of them hunter road balanced or the sort. But what’s the most likely culprit for wheel shake over >80 mph? It takes me a good arm workout to stop the shaking and when I do that the car vibrates. Even with spacers, they are the proper hub sizing.
Whether it’s OEM EDC susp 46k miles and airlift performance 8k miles, I still experience the same symptoms.

[wyatth]

I’ve got a minor shake at 80-83 as well, annoys the hell out of me. I haven’t dug in replacing parts (car new to me, 48k on it) but I will soon.
Tires/balancing, alignment, and FTABs are what I’m starting with.

[Route 16]

Originally Posted by wyatth

I’ve got a minor shake at 80-83 as well, annoys the hell out of me. I haven’t dug in replacing parts (car new to me, 48k on it) but I will soon.
Tires/balancing, alignment, and FTABs are what I’m starting with.

70-75 is a sweet spot but when I want to go Ricky Bobby fast, the steering wheel is having a seizure
FTABs?

Originally Posted by M3Post

Remove the spacers, then re test.

Looks ugly without the stance look but I will

[wyatth]

Front tension arm bushings.
They’re cheap and easy to swap out, so I’m starting there. If my list above doesn’t do it, next route is wheel bearings and rotors.
I’ve never had a vibration at such a narrow speed range in other cars and can’t figure it out.

[Shiza]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Front tension arm bushings.
They’re cheap and easy to swap out, so I’m starting there. If my list above doesn’t do it, next route is wheel bearings and rotors.
I’ve never had a vibration at such a narrow speed range in other cars and can’t figure it out.

^ This.

I had the same issue. Thought it was a wheel bearing. Ended up being the front tension arm bushing was toast on my drivers side.

Jack up the font of your car and check to see if there is any play in those bushings.

[WingZeroX5]

I got 172k and have been shake free.

Check for tire defect (out if round)
Check for bent rims
Wheel RF balance
Change tie rods
Change tension arms
Change lower arms
Change wheel bearings

[cjm41]

Dealing with the 75-80 shakes on my 77k e92M3. Subscribing to this thread as I'll be working through some stuff. Balancing didn't cut it, no bent wheel, fresh alignment. Will begin picking off crap from cheapest to most expensive, will report back with my findings over the next month.

[BayE30]

i have same issue as well, but its for sure spacers. i didnt have any issue until i started running spacers on the front. whether its the spacers themselves, or they helped to wear out something else, it only started rite when i put them on. collecting parts rite now to replace everything on the front.

[6ixSpd]

A trick to help with front spacer vibration issues:
-lower the car just enough that the tire is in contact with the ground (don't go any further)
-torque the bolts down to spec
-lower the car fully and remove jack

Basically, you want to torque them down fully before the weight of the car causes the wheel to move against the spacer. Even better when done with the car in the air (hoist or 2nd person holding the brakes).

[Route 16]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

A trick to help with front spacer vibration issues:
-lower the car just enough that the tire is in contact with the ground (don't go any further)
-torque the boots down to spec
-lower the car fully and remove jack

Basically, you want to torque them down fully before the weight of the car causes the wheel to move against the spacer. Even better when done with the car in the air (hoist or 2nd person holding the brakes).

school me where to torque...(thanks dad for not letting me join SHOP and became a medical nerd)

[WingZeroX5]

Originally Posted by Route 16

school me where to torque...(thanks dad for not letting me join SHOP and became a medical nerd)

With the wheel still lifted and freely spins, chock it and torque the lug bolts down to spec

[tlrid3r]

Almost all the time, it is tires. Was the car lowered and what alignment setting.

[Route 16]

Originally Posted by tlrid3r

Almost all the time, it is tires. Was the car lowered and what alignment setting.

tires are brand new, height is around zcp standard, alignment guessing -1.2

[tlrid3r]

Originally Posted by Route 16

tires are brand new, height is around zcp standard, alignment guessing -1.2

Next is wheels are they balance right and not bent?

[z3papa]

When chasing a steering vibration, I take low hanging fruit and work my way up:

1. Are Wheels/Tires balanced with a good Road Force balancing machine. The lower tier machines are simply not as good.

2. Is a wheel bent

3. Are the rotors warped (assuming vibration is when braking or they are so bad the warped rotors are hitting the pads without brake application).

More involved shit

4. FSB endlinks bad

5. ball joints going in control arms

6. tie rods

7. Every other bushing on the front not addressed by the foregoing.

Most often as not, it is badly worn tire, wheel out of balance or bent, but it could be one of the rest.

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

A trick to help with front spacer vibration issues:
-lower the car just enough that the tire is in contact with the ground (don't go any further)
-torque the bolts down to spec
-lower the car fully and remove jack

Basically, you want to torque them down fully before the weight of the car causes the wheel to move against the spacer. Even better when done with the car in the air (hoist or 2nd person holding the brakes).

i have done this method as well (i manage a shop and was a tech before this for years), still vibration with spacers. Even tried a different brand spacer, same result. Spacer off, vibration gone. i have come to the conclusion that spacers are a no-go on these cars, being as how i have had this same issue on 2x e90 m3s, with different wheels/tires and different spacers.

[derbo]

Originally Posted by SFCM3

i have done this method as well (i manage a shop and was a tech before this for years), still vibration with spacers. Even tried a different brand spacer, same result. Spacer off, vibration gone. i have come to the conclusion that spacers are a no-go on these cars, being as how i have had this same issue on 2x e90 m3s, with different wheels/tires and different spacers.

I have spacers with no vibration?

I know the road force on the wheels is under 15lbs each. The biggest thing was I was in the same situation where I tried multiple Rims with the spacers and got vibrations. After I got the BBS properly balanced with under 15lbs of RoadForce, the virbation was finally gone.

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by derbo

I have spacers with no vibration?

I know the road force on the wheels is under 15lbs each. The biggest thing was I was in the same situation where I tried multiple Rims with the spacers and got vibrations. After I got the BBS properly balanced with under 15lbs of RoadForce, the virbation was finally gone.

you forgot to mention you had your wheels balanced with the spacers on the wheels...

i am done with spacers, this is why i am running 19x10 et25 squared now.

[derbo]

Originally Posted by SFCM3

you forgot to mention you had your wheels balanced with the spacers on the wheels...

i am done with spacers, this is why i am running 19x10 et25 squared now.

Actually they werent. I wanted to but my tire guy said he didn't need them. And he was right.

[Route 16]

my fix...it's gotta be my wheels not balanced correctly, I just switched to M359 wheels I bought from a friend, they don't shake at all, so it's gotta be balancing.

[DR-JEKL]

I had loose nuts on control arms after monoball bushings, would shake sometimes not always...

Jacked car up wiggled the tyre and had slop in it, drove like a new one once they were torqued up properly! (I had a heap of work done all at once the shop must have nipped them up but forgot to torque them)