[TheRox]

So my car's alignment is fine, but under hard acceleration my 335xi's steering wheel turn to the right. It should track straight...have done multiple alignments and that is fine. I don't know why this is happening. I suspected a bent inner tie-rod as the outer is fine.

I took it to the dealership and told them to replace the passenger side tie-rod. They go and replaced HALF a tie rod...they replaced the outer tie rod (Ball joint), charged me for it, labour and an alignment. I told them to put the part in my truck...expecting to find a whole tie rod, all I find is the outer part which I know isn't bent.

What would you guys do? I need the inner tie-rod changed, and they told me they'd change my tie-rod and only did a half job,


more info

THe rear is fine...what happened a while back during winter my car understeered (?) into a curb, hit the passenger side front wheel...at low speed, alignment says nothing is bent. After hitting it my steering wheel was cocked to the LEFT, so I had to get an alignment done.

But after doing the alignment...my car's steering wheel would turn to the right under hard acceleration...which has never occurred before. I reasoned that the only reason why my alignment is allright but my wheel is turning is if one side (RIGHT passenger) had a shorter connection to the steering column than is normal...which is likely if the tie-rod is bent. So i figured I'd start by replacing the whole tie-rod assembly.


Now they replaced the outer tie-rod, which is fine...and I knew it was fine...and the steering wheel sitll pulls to the right under hard acceleration from a stop and re-aligns to the right after say taking a turn....its neutral position is slightly off to the right.

3 alignments have been done, and these symptoms persist.

[mike-y]

I wonder if you are getting rear bushing deflection, which is causing your rear end to shift under acceleration.

Otherwise, it's common to only replace the outer tie-rod, since the ball joint tends to wear out faster than the rack does. Unless you specifically asked for both inner and outer to be replaced, I can see this as a simple mis-communication.

And are you sure the inner tie rod is bent?

[RaceBlood]

Sounds like bushings in rear suspension, if it only happens under acceleration, as thats the tie rod/camber changing a few degrees, making the car track to one side, so your have to steer the opposite direction.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by mike-y

I wonder if you are getting rear bushing deflection, which is causing your rear end to shift under acceleration.

Otherwise, it's common to only replace the outer tie-rod, since the ball joint tends to wear out faster than the rack does. Unless you specifically asked for both inner and outer to be replaced, I can see this as a simple mis-communication.

And are you sure the inner tie rod is bent?

No i'm not sure, but deduced it.

THe rear is fine...what happened a while back during winter my car understeered (?) into a curb, hit the passenger side front wheel...at low speed, alignment says nothing is bent.

But after doing the alignment...my car's steering wheel would turn to the right under hard acceleration...which has never occurred before. I reasoned that the only reason why my alignment is allright but my wheel is turning is if one side (RIGHT passenger) had a shorter connection to the steering column than is normal...which is likely if the tie-rod is bent. So i figured I'd start by replacing the whole tie-rod assembly.


Now they replaced the outer tie-rod, which is fine...and I knew it was fine...and the steering wheel sitll pulls to the right under hard acceleration from a stop and re-aligns to the right after say taking a turn....its neutral position is slightly off to the right.

3 alignments have been done, and these symptoms persist.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by RaceBlood

Sounds like bushings in rear suspension, if it only happens under acceleration, as thats the tie rod/camber changing a few degrees, making the car track to one side, so your have to steer the opposite direction.

Rear suspension bushings? I'm trying to reason this out...At one point last winter I bent 3/4 of my rims in Toronto and drove....500 km on bent rims...the worst was on the rear-passenger side. Could it have worn out my bushings?

My alingment is perfect though, the car tracks straighton the highway...its just under hard acceleration and neutral posiiton of the steering wheel is deviated slightly to the right.

When tracking straight the wheel is level, its not off to the right at all. It just wants to reset there, and I don't know why.

What controls where a steering wheel resets to? Its neutral position?

[335BBS]

You started by TELLING them what to fix instead of letting them do their job. Could it be something in the tranny where too much torque is being applied to one corner?

[David1]

If you hit a curb and the alignment was off you have bent parts period. The lower arm and other bits should have been repaced. Yoy can get an alignment to spec out or be in spec but the geometry will be off. Tie rods are not your problem. Can you post your before and after alignment specs?

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by David1

If you hit a curb and the alignment was off you have bent parts period. The lower arm and other bits should have been repaced. Yoy can get an alignment to spec out or be in spec but the geometry will be off. Tie rods are not your problem. Can you post your before and after alignment specs?

Yes!

Its like this exactly. Alignment has specced the car in...but the geometry feels off...on the side that got hit.


So next should be the lower control arm...logically it would have taken more the brunt of the impact.

[Gregxi]

I dont agree with the rear bushings theory, mainly because you have an xi
It sounds like a control arm issue , search high and low for a shop that does nothing but alignments and suspension repair.
See if your SA will tell you who they use when they cannot figure it out, he might not admit it but most dealers do have specialists they will contract work to when they need it.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by Gregxi

I dont agree with the rear bushings theory, mainly because you have an xi
It sounds like a control arm issue , search high and low for a shop that does nothing but alignments and suspension repair.
See if your SA will tell you who they use when they cannot figure it out, he might not admit it but most dealers do have specialists they will contract work to when they need it.

I think you are correct.

Replaced the outer tie rod and that hasn't changed things. The SA said that my wheels are probably imbalanced (BS, they're newly minted, and this problem existed with my other wheels)/they don't know whats wrong

The way my car hit the pavement/curb...I think the lower control arm would have been the one to take a hit, but three alignments haven't shown it to be bent? Does anyone know why an alignment cannot pick up a bend?

I drove the car again today, and the alignment is perfect but the wheel still wants to return (steering return) to slightly right of neutral. Its weird.


Should I order it from Tischer and have someone else replace it?

[Gregxi]

I would find a true alignment/suspension shop
Drive the car with them so they can see/feel the issue
So many shops subscribe to the " Set the toe and let it go" theory
As opposed to doing a proper alignment

[David1]

I bet your castor is in spec but very different from the left and right side. This setting is not adjustable and changes with a bent arm (#8 and #15 in the photo of an XI front). Castor can do some weird stuff when not just right.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by David1

I bet your castor is in spec but very different from the left and right side. This setting is not adjustable and changes with a bent arm (#8 and #15 in the photo of an XI front). Castor can do some weird stuff when not just right.

Yesss. I remember my latest spec, the castor is not the same at front!

Which piece should I change?

[David1]

Post the specs if you can. They won't be identical, but should be close.

[TheRox]

I think the camber difference is greater than 0.5. I remember the side in question is just at the upper limit of normal


Should i replace my lower control arm? Could i have damaged my strut tower? It was a very low impact. Or rods were not bent. Rims just got scuffed

[TheRox]

Sorry I meant castor not camber

[David1]

If I could see the original spec before they made adjustments I could answer it better for you. But, if it was towed in or out and way out of spec, you have bent parts. Your strut tower will be fine.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by David1

If I could see the original spec before they made adjustments I could answer it better for you. But, if it was towed in or out and way out of spec, you have bent parts. Your strut tower will be fine.

Once I get some time I'll take it to an alignment guy for the third time.


I took it to an experience BMW indy today, and he couldn't figure it out:

1. Neither of the lower control arms are bent...I even did measurements, control arms are fine

2. The lower control arm mounts are not bent either, I checked them

3. I couldn't tell anything about my strut...but I assume thats fine.



The only thing I could see visually:

1. My tie rod (on the affected passenger side)....the outer tie rod is new, I had it replaced. But the inner part of the tie rod covered by the rubber housing looks like its angled out towards the front relative to the other (good) side.

Could this mean anything? Is that rubber portion a part of the inner tie rod?


Here is another symtom:

My car's wheel not only track to the right when accelerating hard....but over small bumps (ie. cobblestone road) or small road imperfection at low speeds....my car's wheel wants to turn right whenever going over small bumps. This does not really happen at high speeds.



The part that is angled a little is #4 the inner control arm...but on this pic it looks like its a ball joint, so it can angle; the shaft of my inner arm is fine though:

[TheRox]

Its almost like my car thinks that steering centre is off to the right


Is there any way to set that 1:30 pm position (which my car thinks is centre)...as the centre?


i know it can be done intuitively, I just don't know how

[David1]

You will not be able to visually see a bent control arm most of the time. If the tie rod angles do not match side to side, something is bent somewhere. Take a look underneeth another car. If you have an Xi make sure you look at another Xi.

[fdriller9]

Kinda obvious but have you checked your tire pressures? I've had torque steer issues because my tires weren't inflated properly.

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by *********

Kinda obvious but have you checked your tire pressures? I've had torque steer issues because my tires weren't inflated properly.

yea tire pressures are ok, plus these symptoms have been with two good set of wheels, not just one.