E46 Skittish in wind

[jsn]

I'm assuming the front end of my recently-purchased 71k mile '06 325Ci has been untouched since it left the factory.

I notice the car is skittish in windy highway conditions. Can experienced E46'ers point me out to the likely cause, i.e, could it be that 2-bolt bushing/bracket assembly (# 6 in illustration) that the control arm fits into and/or the control arm joints? I'm going to check the toe soon.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/v/q/128.png

[John V]

At the very least, it needs shocks. Like, about 20,000 miles ago.

On the E36, that lollipop bushing (#6) was pretty long-lived. Even on my highly (ab)used car it was in fine shape when I sold it at 80k. Heck, same with the ball joints - inner and outer.

Maybe Nick will chime in, but my thought is to have the shocks done, verify the swaybar endlinks are still slop-free, replace the rear trailing arm bushings with new BMW pieces and have the car aligned.

[jsn]

Thanks, John. I do need to jack up each front corner and grab a hold of the tire to check for looseness. If the front end checks out (sway bar links, too)
I will start looking at doing the shocks.

It seems I can get the Dinan Stage I kit (Koni's and their springs) for under $1k via Tischer discount and Dinan rebate.

[bren]

On the E36, that lollipop bushing (#6) was pretty long-lived.
They'll take a beating if the PO was big on hitting curbs or potholes.

[Nick M3]

E46 control arm bushings are very short lived. They can be checked fairly easily, though - grab and yank. More than a couple millimeters of movement is bad. If the RTABs are original, they flat out need to be replaced.

Beyond that, I would tend to say that you should check the alignment. If you are inclined to do the suspension, you should just do it - it'll save you from getting multiple alignments, but I'm not sure that I would start there.

[rumatt]

More than a couple millimeters of movement is bad.

:speechle:

[rumatt]

More than a couple millimeters of movement is bad.

You should see mine now. Serious play in there. :ack: :ack:


When I brake suddenly I get a nice jolt / clunk. I suspect the CAB's explain it.

I guess I should do something about it. hrmph

[JST]

You should see mine now. Serious play in there. :ack: :ack:


When I brake suddenly I get a nice jolt / clunk. I suspect the CAB's explain it.

I guess I should do something about it. hrmph


googling "987 Generation II"


Sounds like the appropriate next step.

[ZBB]

Sounds like the appropriate next step.

:+1

[3LOU5]

:speechle:

If your steering wheel is rapidly wiggling side-to-side (small movements, of course) while traveling down the road at around 35-50 mph, look into replacing the control arms and CABs.

I did (easy DIY), and the movements went away.

www.oembimmerparts.com (iirc) has the complete set for about $350.

[Sharp11]

My first E46, a 323i without a sport package, was a bit skittish at speed on the highway, regardless of wind - I never really felt the front wheels "connect".

My second BMW, the Z4, was incredibly sure-footed and stable on the highway.

My current car, the ZHP vert, is pretty close to the Z4 at high speed.

Still, I think in general, highway stability seems to be a plus for front-drivers - all our Accords were incredible cruisers - it was the only time they were truly "fun" to drive.

[Plaz]

Sounds like the appropriate next step.

:lol::lol: