93 525i pulls to the right- a true stumper

[FrankB]

Hi,
I have a 93 525i with 93000 miles on it. It's been pulling right since I've had the car (about 50,000 miles.) I've had the front end alligned twice and each time they say it's within specs. I've recently figured out that if I take a hard left turn from a stop, the car then tracks straight for several hundred miles or until I take a hard right. Then it will pull to the right until I take another hard left. They say that nothing is loose in the front end yet it must be. I've replaced the struts with OEM struts. No help. I just drove from CT to Florida and the car tracks perfectly when the wheel is released. If I take a hard right the car will pull right again. I've rotated the front tires to the rear.
I've snugged the steering box screw lightly. The steering does not shake at all even over large bumps. I've been told the following: replace the entire front end, replace the steering box, replace the thrust bushings, replace the rear subframe bushings. Before I do any of these I was hoping that someone might have experience with this problem in their E34.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Frank

[angrypancake]

are you noticing any brake issues? if the car is pulling it could be a stuck caliper or shot rotors, but i wouldnt think it would be going on for 50k miles. hm.

[Luftpost]

Hi,
I have a 93 525i with 93000 miles on it. It's been pulling right since I've had the car (about 50,000 miles.) I've had the front end alligned twice and each time they say it's within specs. I've recently figured out that if I take a hard left turn from a stop, the car then tracks straight for several hundred miles or until I take a hard right. Then it will pull to the right until I take another hard left. They say that nothing is loose in the front end yet it must be. I've replaced the struts with OEM struts. No help. I just drove from CT to Florida and the car tracks perfectly when the wheel is released. If I take a hard right the car will pull right again. I've rotated the front tires to the rear.
I've snugged the steering box screw lightly. The steering does not shake at all even over large bumps. I've been told the following: replace the entire front end, replace the steering box, replace the thrust bushings, replace the rear subframe bushings. Before I do any of these I was hoping that someone might have experience with this problem in their E34.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Frank


I had very similar issues with mine. Had my local shop look at at. I was expecting major work, turns out the center tie rod ball joints were worn out. He invited me into the shop and let me see for myself. Just a fraction of slop effects the tracking. World of difference with the new Loemforder (sp?) tie rod.

As mentioned on the other post, he did check the brakes to be sure there was not a stuck caliper.

L.

[FrankB]

I had very similar issues with mine. Had my local shop look at at. I was expecting major work, turns out the center tie rod ball joints were worn out. He invited me into the shop and let me see for myself. Just a fraction of slop effects the tracking. World of difference with the new Loemforder (sp?) tie rod.

As mentioned on the other post, he did check the brakes to be sure there was not a stuck caliper.

L.

I've changed the brakes and put new rotors. The brake dust on one side is the same as the other. When I jack it up it both wheels spin freely. Tire pressure is the same. The ball joints have been checked for any looseness and non was found. They used bars to pry and large pliers to check for play and found none. It doesn't pull when the brakes are applied, only after a hard right and then it pulls right until I take a hard left. I can go on the left side of the crown on a back road and it will pull over to the right. If I'm going down the highway and let go of the wheel it will follow the average highway righthand curve by itself. After I take a hard left it will track perfectly for ever or until I take a hard right. I said it was a stumper.

I changed the struts so I know everything was torqued properly. Thanks for any other thoughts.

[FrankB]

are you noticing any brake issues? if the car is pulling it could be a stuck caliper or shot rotors, but i wouldnt think it would be going on for 50k miles. hm.

Nope, brakes are new and also the rotors. Calipers are free and smooth and have been lubricated.

Thanks

[SRR2]

You can be fooled by driving on roads having high crowns. There is some sensitivity to road pitch in the E34. Also, they're a bit sensitive to small differences in tire pressures. I've found that overly wide tires, especially if the offset isn't right, can cause tracking problems, especially tramlining.

Your report of tracking effects due to hard turns is pretty strange, I'll grant you that.

[liquidtiger720]

I've experienced this too....

Clueless about it.

[jjw]

Maybe it is something lose in the back? The thrust angle of rear pointed to the left and push the car to the right, by taking hard turns, it somehow correct itself. Well, just a theory. Good luck

[632 Regal]

could be in the rear as JJW mentioned, otherwise I would guess you have play between the steering box and steering wheel and someone over adjusted the steering box and its not returning to center.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

Could be a seized upper strut bearing or a bad spool valve in the steering box. I'd check all of the steering joints for play or stiffness before condemning the steering box though.

[FrankB]

Maybe it is something lose in the back? The thrust angle of rear pointed to the left and push the car to the right, by taking hard turns, it somehow correct itself. Well, just a theory. Good luck


It's one of the things I'm going to try. Pushing the rear of the car while parked. One of the several suggestions of the cause was the subframe bushing in the rear. It's a big job to take it apart so I'm trying to get as many thoughts as I can and possibly find someone that has had this strange one and fixed it.

The other thing I'm going to do when I get back from my trip is mark every joint when it's tracking good and then see what moves after taking a hard right. I understand that there are hydralic bushings that my be the cause. It's also possible that the strut is moving. As I've said, they can't detect any play in any of the ball joints or bushings using bars and huge pliers.

This is a great forum. I've posted on others and haven't received any ideas.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts.
Frank

[632 Regal]

we also reply with **** that dont help or make sence most the time, with a problem like yours all the regulars want to know what it is/was so we know and can help. I'm still betting on play between the steering box and the interior steering wheel ( tughten the but behind the wheel) if you after that can correct it than its obvious that someone over adjusted the steering box.

[FrankB]

we also reply with **** that dont help or make sence most the time, with a problem like yours all the regulars want to know what it is/was so we know and can help. I'm still betting on play between the steering box and the interior steering wheel ( tughten the but behind the wheel) if you after that can correct it than its obvious that someone over adjusted the steering box.

Was that tighten the nut behind the steering wheel or the butt behind the wheel? There isn't any play in the steering wheel. It isn't an issue that the car goes right when the wheel is straight. The problem is noticed the most when you let go of the wheel the car goes right. If I keep tension on the steering wheel in the straight position the car goes straight.

I don't understand how an adjustment on the worm in the steering box could result in the problem I'm having. I can see how it could always make the car go right or left but not only after right turns. I'm not talking about excessive hard rights I'm talking about taking off out of a driveway and heading right at just above normal speed. I came all the way from CT to Florida and the car tracked perfectly because I took all right hand exits and turns slowly. As soon as I forget and take a harder than slow right turn the car then pull right. The harder the right hand turn the more it pulls right afterwards. It will then pull right forever or until I shift it back by taking a firm left turn. What ever is moving stays put even over bumps and long driving. I'm leaning towards a large bushing in either the front or back but I appreciate everyones input.
Thanks again,
Frank

[Kalevera]

That must be a really annoying problem. I'm surprised you've kept the car this long, most people would've gotten frustrated and dumped it.

There are a few things to do.

Take it to a different shop and have them check the alignment. Preferably a reputable BMW specific place. Check the www.iaibmvsp.org list for ideas. I can't tell you how many places still do string alignments. Even then, before we had a rack and outsourced the work, we'd get whacky results back on occasion due to operator or machine error.

All previously posted suggestions are reasonable. I doubt it's a rtab issue -- they tend to collapse, and make noise on acceleration/braking, not deform. Still, it's easy to inspect them with the car in the air, no disassembly required. Light surface cracking is typical, but not necessarily a condemnation of them.

I've seen this happen a few times. If the car has been in an accident (perhaps that's why you ended up with it to begin with?), the explanation may be more varied. It usually comes down to a deformed component that somebody overlooked. Last one I can think of was a '95 540 that had been in a few accidents, all rear impacts. Turned out to be a deformed DS thrust arm bushing, only apparent after close scrutiny. That was discovered after I replaced a trailing arm, because they can deform and all data indicated that to be the cause. Argh.

It might not have been a good idea to mess with the steering box "adjustment" screw. Its purpose is often misunderstood. It varies contact pressure in the box, changing the amount of work it takes to turn the steering wheel. Any play in the system will still remain with a tightened screw, it'll just be harder for the driver to turn the wheel.


best, whit

[SharkmanBMW]

FrankB... did you ever solve this???
I invited him over from bimmerfest where no one answers e34 questions at all!
I knew this would get some interest from the gurus!

I would look at the rear... I had a similar weirdness and it was fixed by doing the dogbones in the back and getting this item from racing King in Canada...
http://www.racingking.net/Canada/scr...?idProduct=693
it's the blue thing in the picture... INSTAED of spending a ton on rear subframe bushings, do that... best 25 bucks EVER