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[kindafrosty]

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Put your winters back on and see if the problem continues.

[ppointer]

Originally Posted by cRo5

Quick backstory: Bought my car in October, had to take off summers and throw on winter tires three weeks later. First time driving on summer tires, and the car rode incredible.

Just got my winter tires off a week ago (same rims), balanced the tires, and a four wheel alignment. After a day or two driving the car, I could feel that at times the car would pull to the right or left (sometimes at low speeds), a lot more correction is needed on the highway then before, and that the car would have a minor shake when coming off a highway exit ramp.

Unsure of the problem, I brought the car back to the tire shop and they said that the lug nuts weren't over-torqued, the wheels were balanced properly, and that my front rotors look to have a slight warp (both rotors have a few dark lines near the top), and that I can feel the effect of the warp more now because I have summer tires on. This kind of makes sense, but I can't find anything online to verify this. I've had badly warped rotors on my vehicles before, however I can't confirm that this is it because I don't feel heavy vibrations, especially since my problems occur more than just when I brake.

I have brand new brake pads and really don't want to spend hundreds of dollars replacing all four rotors, and maybe the pads. Does anyone have any experience with this, or can confirm that the tire shop was right? Maybe when they swapped my tires out they didn't rotate them properly, so the tread is off? Not sure, but I can provide more info if necessary.

I think you might have multiple problems. Steering that is pulling in different directions might be due to tram-lining, where there are some depressions in the roadway, and your less-than-new tires are reacting to those depressions.

I disagree with the shop saying warped rotors react differently to winter versus summer tires. But you said something else interesting - you don't plan on replacing rotors when you replace pads. Typically with BMWs, you replace rotors and pads simultaneously. I get about 60k miles out of a set on the front of all three of my cars (e60, e46, e90), and the pads and rotors wear down at an equal rate (roughly anyway).

However, the fronts versus rears wear at completely different rates. So, perhaps you only need new front rotors.

Another thing to check is tire pressure. I used to have this habit of running them up to max pressure for the tire. Doesn't matter anymore why. When my mechanic was having problems getting rid of a vibration, he insisted I drive around for a few days with BMW-recommended pressures front and rear. Of course, my mechanic was right, as the vibrations were gone. Now I am religious about setting pressures to recommendation every couple of weeks.

Every time I pick up one of my cars from a tire shop, the pressures are not correct, BTW. Don't assume they properly set them for you.

When I lived in the snow belt, I had a separate set of winter wheels for wife's car (the e60). At every change, fall and spring, I would carefully label the wheels as I pulled them so that I would know where to put them on next time. I would otherwise not have been able to properly rotate them. You will have to do the same when you swap between summer and winter tires, if you want to avoid cupping and other tire wear issues.

hope that helps

[kindafrosty]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Put your winters back on and see if the problem continues.

I only have one set of rims, so it'll cost me money to change the tires back. Plus, it's over 60 degrees so it'll be tough to tell since the winters ride like shit above that temp.

Originally Posted by ppointer

I think you might have multiple problems. Steering that is pulling in different directions might be due to tram-lining, where there are some depressions in the roadway, and your less-than-new tires are reacting to those depressions.

I disagree with the shop saying warped rotors react differently to winter versus summer tires. But you said something else interesting - you don't plan on replacing rotors when you replace pads. Typically with BMWs, you replace rotors and pads simultaneously. I get about 60k miles out of a set on the front of all three of my cars (e60, e46, e90), and the pads and rotors wear down at an equal rate (roughly anyway).

However, the fronts versus rears wear at completely different rates. So, perhaps you only need new front rotors.

Another thing to check is tire pressure. I used to have this habit of running them up to max pressure for the tire. Doesn't matter anymore why. When my mechanic was having problems getting rid of a vibration, he insisted I drive around for a few days with BMW-recommended pressures front and rear. Of course, my mechanic was right, as the vibrations were gone. Now I am religious about setting pressures to recommendation every couple of weeks.

Every time I pick up one of my cars from a tire shop, the pressures are not correct, BTW. Don't assume they properly set them for you.

When I lived in the snow belt, I had a separate set of winter wheels for wife's car (the e60). At every change, fall and spring, I would carefully label the wheels as I pulled them so that I would know where to put them on next time. I would otherwise not have been able to properly rotate them. You will have to do the same when you swap between summer and winter tires, if you want to avoid cupping and other tire wear issues.

hope that helps

I agree with you on tram lining, as I live in New England and I've felt it in some of the old roadways.

Do I feel more of the road with the summers, and that I'm just not used to it the handling of the tires?

And I did check the pressure soon after, and the tire shop completely f**ked them. Sticker on door is 35front/39rear, and the tires were all above 40. After I fixed it, I noticed that a lot of the problems went away, but I still felt a little bit of correction.

As for the pads/rotors, a recent 50k service at my BMW dealer rated my brake pads at 9/10 in front and 10/10 in rear. I'm open to changing the rotors (as the front rotors are rusted), however I don't want to if they're fine and I can just clean them; plus no need to change the brakes... My car is at 47k miles, so I do need new rotors soon.

Thanks a bunch.

[techwhiz]

Sounds like worn bushings.
Your rotors are not warped.
Maybe deposits but not warped.
See this: http://stoptech.com/technical-suppor...nd-other-myths

[kindafrosty]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

Sounds like worn bushings.
Your rotors are not warped.
Maybe deposits but not warped.
See this: http://stoptech.com/technical-suppor...nd-other-myths

If the bushings are worn, why did I just notice this on the summer tires?

Originally Posted by cRo5

If the bushings are worn, why did I just notice this on the summer tires?

Winter tires tend to soak up a lot of slop. The second you install less compliant tires, just like anything else, any weakness becomes more evidently apparent.

[kindafrosty]

UPDATE: Figured out the problem, it was the alignment. I have an xDrive E92, and the tireshop gave me an alignment for an F30 RWD

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

Sounds like worn bushings.
Your rotors are not warped.
Maybe deposits but not warped.
See this: http://stoptech.com/technical-suppor...nd-other-myths

It's a good read that link. Found it myself many years ago.

Originally Posted by cRo5

UPDATE: Figured out the problem, it was the alignment. I have an xDrive E92, and the tireshop gave me an alignment for an F30 RWD

Let's see the before and after.

[r4dr]

You need to find a new shop to do your alignments... damn.

[kindafrosty]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Let's see the before and after.

Here's the before:

View post on imgur.com

I don't have a picture of the after but here's the same alignment they gave me back in 2015 that they did again (and I'm happy with)

View post on imgur.com

Originally Posted by r4dr

You need to find a new shop to do your alignments... damn.

To make matters worse, when I went back to pick up my car they switched the alignment from F30 to E92, but gave me ANOTHER RWD alignment. I wasn't very happy, but once they fixed it to AWD the car handled great.

I can tell they were lazy since they just assumed my 2013 3 series was an F30. Also I removed the xDrive logos on my car, so that could have thrown them off as well.

Unfortunately the only two shops in my area are them and a BMW stealership.

Originally Posted by cRo5

Unfortunately the only two shops in my area are them and a BMW stealership.

Yup, just goes to show how big of a difference toe makes.

Since that's the only setting that really changed from one setup to the other, you could always try doing it yourself on the next go around...it's really not that difficult.