[Fb2017]

Hey guys! Hope all is well. I've been trying to figure this issue out for awhile on my 2011 328i. Car has 100000km and is in excellent condition.

I get a pulse in my steering wheel at random speeds and sometimes it pulses even worse during braking.

The tires have been balanced and rechecked and they are perfect (70% tread left)

The wear is even front to back

Brakes and rotors were just completed 4000km ago with OE tekstar and zimmerman parts

I have a 2009 car as well and it drives soo smooth. I wish this would drive the same way.

I just had it checked out for suspension wear and nobody could find anything out of the ordinary.

All advice appreciated

[NiNeTyOne]

Originally Posted by abhar046

Hey guys! Hope all is well. I've been trying to figure this issue out for awhile on my 2011 328i. Car has 100000km and is in excellent condition.

I get a pulse in my steering wheel at random speeds and sometimes it pulses even worse during braking.

The tires have been balanced and rechecked and they are perfect (70% tread left)

The wear is even front to back

Brakes and rotors were just completed 4000km ago with OE tekstar and zimmerman parts

I have a 2009 car as well and it drives soo smooth. I wish this would drive the same way.

I just had it checked out for suspension wear and nobody could find anything out of the ordinary.

All advice appreciated

Thrust arm bushings are the most likely candidate. Google them, the OE bushings are fluid filled and fail all the time, they turn to jello.

[robthewrench]

Originally Posted by NiNeTyOne

Thrust arm bushings are the most likely candidate. Google them, the OE bushings are fluid filled and fail all the time, they turn to jello.

This is the mostly likely problem assuming the shaking happens with or without the brakes being applied.

[Fb2017]

Makes sense.. strange thing is I have two E90s and my other one just had these bushings replaced.

Prior to the repair it never really shook the steering wheel at all.

Oh well.. thank you guys!

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by abhar046

Makes sense.. strange thing is I have two E90s and my other one just had these bushings replaced.

Prior to the repair it never really shook the steering wheel at all.

Oh well.. thank you guys!

It manifests in various ways depending upon how they wore out. Mine make a clunk/knocking noise on occasion over bumps, but the steering is still good.

[IISevv]

If you can DIY, it makes a lot more sense just to replace the whole arm rather than dealing with trying to press in the bushing. A set of M3 arms with solid bushings are around $175 from Turner Motorsports and they're a direct replacement. A set of bushings is about $80 so it's easier just to replace the arm and get better steering feel at the same time.

However, you can also get steering wheel shake when installing new wheels that have a center bore diameter that's larger than the brake hub diameter. You need hub-centric rings to fill in the space and that will fix the steering.

[Fb2017]

Any idea if the M3 arms will fit an xi car? Not sure if there are any major differences in terms of fitment.

I would love to put the more robust m3 bushings but I may end up having to go back to OE sadly.

If anyone here has done the thrust arm bushings my only question is how did you go about putting the suspension back under tension prior to tightening. Doesn't seem to be much room with the car down.

If I drop the car on a set of ramps, do you think that would be acceptable? Or would there be too much/little compression in that case?


As for the wheels I'm running powder coated OEM so no rings required

[IISevv]

Originally Posted by abhar046

Any idea if the M3 arms will fit an xi car? Not sure if there are any major differences in terms of fitment.

I would love to put the more robust m3 bushings but I may end up having to go back to OE sadly.

If anyone here has done the thrust arm bushings my only question is how did you go about putting the suspension back under tension prior to tightening. Doesn't seem to be much room with the car down.

If I drop the car on a set of ramps, do you think that would be acceptable? Or would there be too much/little compression in that case?


As for the wheels I'm running powder coated OEM so no rings required

I don't think the M3 arms fit xi models because of the front diff and cv joints. You can buy replacement arms online for an Xi model though. Should be about $200 for both. I know turner motor sports sells Xi arms with the upgraded solid bushings but they're a bit more expensive. The easiest way to change them is to just get a good floor jack and a set of jack stands and jack up the front of the car. That'll take all the weight off the front.

[Fb2017]

This is going to be pretty stupid but thrust arms are they the same as upper control arms or as bmw calls it traction strut? I had the bushings changed at a garage for the other car but plan to take this on myself.

Any part numbers would help. I tried to google but can't find anything to clarify what parts I need

Thank you in advance!

Front thrust arms for 2011 328xi

[IISevv]

Originally Posted by abhar046

This is going to be pretty stupid but thrust arms are they the same as upper control arms or as bmw calls it traction strut? I had the bushings changed at a garage for the other car but plan to take this on myself.

Any part numbers would help. I tried to google but can't find anything to clarify what parts I need

Thank you in advance!

Front thrust arms for 2011 328xi

Yep, they're the same thing. Here's the part number for the Left and Right respectively. They are Lemforder brand and about $75 each with bushing included.
96146-08025970
96146-08025971

[NiNeTyOne]

Dont replace the arm, replace the bushing with poly. The fluid filled OE ones are a disaster.

[IISevv]

Originally Posted by NiNeTyOne

Dont replace the arm, replace the bushing with poly. The fluid filled OE ones are a disaster.

Unless he has access to a hydraulic press he won't be able to get the bushings in or out and shops charge a fortune to do it, at least where I live. The local shops charge $200 extra just to press them in. My bushings are just now wearing out at 127k miles. The OEM ones will be fine for his purposes

[NiNeTyOne]

Originally Posted by IISevv

Unless he has access to a hydraulic press he won't be able to get the bushings in or out and shops charge a fortune to do it, at least where I live. The local shops charge $200 extra just to press them in. My bushings are just now wearing out at 127k miles. The OEM ones will be fine for his purposes

My local indy presses bushings for $40 a pair.

Better, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a $60 press and it works just fine.

The OE ones fail at totally random intervals. I have seen new arms with only a few thousand miles rupture from a good pothole hit. If he's paying to have them pressed in/out the price of the bushings and labor would be less than the cost of the new arms. Don't replace what isn't broken. The failure mode for this assembly is the bushing.

There is almost universal acceptance that the high durometer poly option is the way forward here. It's an improvement over the OE is EVERY way imaginable.

Not to mention there is no difference in NVH and the car handles light years better without that arm moving all over hell in the corners.

[IISevv]

Originally Posted by NiNeTyOne

My local indy presses bushings for $40 a pair.

Better, I went to Harbor Freight and bought a $60 press and it works just fine.

The OE ones fail at totally random intervals. I have seen new arms with only a few thousand miles rupture from a good pothole hit. If he's paying to have them pressed in/out the price of the bushings and labor would be less than the cost of the new arms. Don't replace what isn't broken. The failure mode for this assembly is the bushing.

Not to mention there is no difference in NVH and the car handles light years better without that arm moving all over hell in the corners.

If he can get it done that cheap than that's the way to go but he doesn't seem to have the mechanical experience to press them himself, and shops where I live charge ridiculous labor prices. That's why I told him to replace the whole arm. I can only give him an answer based on my personal experience and what prices are like where I live

[NiNeTyOne]

In fact, most shops have a press they can use on the car when the car is on the lift. They are not hydraulic, but a good shop will put the car up in the evening day before, spray down the bushing with liquid wrench, and then press them out in the am first thing.

On a lift this whole job can be done in less than 1 hour. Even pulling the whole arm and using the hydraulic press, you can do this entire job in 45 minutes on a lift if you've done it before. All you need is a ball joint puller and it's under 5 minutes round trip, save for the time on the press.

I would NEVER advise replacing the whole arm on these cars, as the weak point is the bushing. Why replace a blown up part with another part that's prone to blowing up? That's just insanity.

REMEMBER TO RE-TORQUE THE THRUST ARM AT RIDE HEIGHT!!!

[Fb2017]

Hahaha thanks guys. I would love to do the pressing option but there aren't as many shops available that don't charge an arm or a leg. For the rest of the cars life its going to be mostly highway driven so hopefully OE control arm replacement will be sufficient.

+ this way I can do the work myself rather than paying someone else to do it for me

If anyone has suggestions of what they used to raise the suspension with the wheel off please feel free to share

Thank you everyone

[tdavis42]

Originally Posted by abhar046

Hey guys! Hope all is well. I've been trying to figure this issue out for awhile on my 2011 328i. Car has 100000km and is in excellent condition.

I get a pulse in my steering wheel at random speeds and sometimes it pulses even worse during braking.

The tires have been balanced and rechecked and they are perfect (70% tread left)

The wear is even front to back

Brakes and rotors were just completed 4000km ago with OE tekstar and zimmerman parts

I have a 2009 car as well and it drives soo smooth. I wish this would drive the same way.

I just had it checked out for suspension wear and nobody could find anything out of the ordinary.

All advice appreciated

You need to get the BMW steering column de-pulser attachment sold by the M///Performance division. They only sell them in Europe but you can find them on ebay.

[NiNeTyOne]

Originally Posted by tdavis42

You need to get the BMW steering column de-pulser attachment sold by the M///Performance division. They only sell them in Europe but you can find them on ebay.

[Fb2017]

Just to make sure I've ticked all the boxes before throwing more money at the car I noticed that there is no oil or fluid around the bushings as most people notice when the bushing is toast.

Can a bushing perish without leaking?

Any idea if it washes away pretty easily? Also there is little to no play in the wheel when wobbling it (1 wheel jacked at a time)

Common sense would say that it feels normal but I really don't know anymore.

Would the tiny questionable residue in this picture be the oil?

[Fb2017]

Picture

[Fb2017]

Is there residue on the metal arm?

[BravoJohny33]

Originally Posted by abhar046

Picture

Those look fine to me.. If they were blown you would see oil all over the place.