BMW wandering steering!

In news:EdfCd.33812$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk, David Speir decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

BMWs don't go wrong.

"I are wrong about my steering, it's a highly responsive sports saloon that's worth more than everyone elses car put together, will never break, and is very very quick and is worth more than I paid for it 300k miles ago. It's Bavarian perfection, it sounds great, every mile I do in it is a pleasure and only BMW can save the planet."

Right, repeat that a few hundred times, then check out the front track control arm and anti roll bar bushes.

Is the car new to you? Are the tyres in good condition?

Because it doesn't have a rack, but a steering box. If you've been used to a rack, it will feel woolly in the straight ahead position. It will also seem to wander slightly, but you soon get used to this and let it get on with this as it will, in fact, stay well in lane.

You'll need to get the next model 5, the E39, to get R&P steering, and very good it is too. But only 6 cylinder cars - the V-8s still have the woolly box. The latest 5, the E60, has R&P on all versions.

Seems our US cousins have to be educated slowly into decent steering...

Of course if it was once ok, you could have worn bushes - all BMWs suffer from this sooner or later. But you'll usually get wheel wobble at speed as the first indication.

You must have had better experiences than most. No BMW owner I know ever says that.

It's a 15 year old car that by simple average could have done 150,000 miles.

Of course, many 'competitors' will have been scrapped by then. Simply because they are worth so little they're not worth repairing.

The car is new to me. It has 109K miles with FBMWSH. The tyres are all good but I'm not convinced that it's just a feature of the car. It definitely feels like something's worn....

As late as that.Blimey. I know my 1986 Lada had a steering box but I didn't realise Beemers were so far behind the times.

I know that is often said, but IMO it is not necessarily true. I think I'm as critical as anyone about the way a car steers and handles, but I can honestly say that there is virtually no difference between the straight line roadholding my 525i, SD1 or Celica GT4. In fact there's nothing significantly different about it's steering feel than any other car I've owned in the last 20-30 years with R&P steering.

As an engineer I prefer R&P steering, but I can't fault the box on my BM, apart from feeling it would be better if it were more direct.

It will also

Camber changes have as little affect on it, as they do on my other 2 cars. It certainly doesn't wander.

Maybe it is down to the E-Tech suspension on my car, but what is does prove is that wander is not necessarily an inherent characteristic of having a steering box, rather than R&P.

What it could indicate though, is that steering dynamics are more affected by wear if a car has a steering box, rather than a R&P.

If I were the OP I'd be looking for wear in the suspension, steering, or tracking faults in the front and/or rear suspension. Mike.

Just like an E34, then.

I have the same problem with my 535. I have had the traction rod bushes replaced and although they were trashed the new ones made no difference so I took it to a BMW mechanic and he found the centre tie rod was buggered and he is fitting a new one after Xmas sometime. He checked the rear bushes too and said they were ok but as far as the steering goes he at first thought there was nothing wrong with it. pete

Hmm. I found when I first got my E34 that on a motorway I was constantly trying to steer it straight, as it were. Not so with the SDI. But then I adapted to letting it get on with it, and it soon felt normal. And on chatting to an acquaintance who had one, he reckoned the same. I ran it for over 50,000 miles, and it never got worse, although there was a slight improvement with new tyres - so I'd be surprised if it was worn bushes.

Standard suspension and wheels.

The E39, however, feels as stable and positive as any other RWD car I've driven. Again standard suspension and wheels. Knocks spots off the SD1 steering - although it's due for new tyres.

I am very happy with the car but I must admit if I had done my homework properly I probably wouldn't have bought it. My son bought us a 320i which had racing seats in it that my wife couldn't sit in for long (she has cancer) so he told me to trade it in. As the 320i had been very precise I assumed the 535 would be too. As it is I just doodle around in it and I am quite happy with the utter luxury I would never have had normally and if I had choice then it would have been an XJ6 but that was too low for my wife. smicker

As I mentioned soon after I baught it. The previous owner had had the same problem with the car, woolly steering etc. He couldn't, or maybe wouldn't accept it. Consequently it went into the main dealer, several times to have it fixed. New bushes, track arms etc. I have quite few bills for new steering and suspension parts. Nothing seemed to cure it. As a last resort he had the E-Tech suspension fitted. That seemed to cure the problem. It would seem that the slight change in steering goemetry caused by lowering the suspension, angle of track arms, and rear suspension arms, is all that can account for the change in the steering feel. On a m/way it wants to travel in a dead straight line. No wander at all. All I do is hold the s/wheel in one position Any movement, and it responds by moving in that direction. As I said before, even a change of camber has very little affect. Mike.

It's quite possible this woolliness of the steering is a design 'feature' of the standard suspension - after all, the UK isn't the majority market for BMW. And certainly the US - or up until recently - demanded a large 'sneeze' factor built in. Indeed, only fairly recently the 'directness' of one 3 Series was reduced allegedly for the US market. But changed back after complaints.

I can only say I was quite happy with the E34 steering after getting used to it. Although always have preferred R&P to any box system I've driven.

But then I don't require a 5 Series to have the ultimate response - I like the ride/handling/noise/usability compromise of the standard setup. Others have different requirements. Since they've long since offered sports suspension as an option, that should be the choice for one who prefers that feel.

I also use mine just as a car and not for racing etc and it is an enjoyable drive. However on the TIS for my car there is mention of steering direction problems being recognised by BMW on E39's. pete