Re: Steering wheel shimmy!!! Need Help (archive)

If the tires are cracked, get new ones. Then bring the car to a place that will balance the tires while they are on the car. This is done by placing the car on a low lift, then placing the tire on a device that spins it to high speed (looks like a floor jack with a motorized wheel on it). You will be able to see which wheel is causing the shimmy, which parts are moving, etc. I had a similar problem on a Volvo 240--plagued me for years, despite having the tires replaced and balanced, new front end parts, etc. It turned out that one wheel was slightly bent, probably from an accident that happened before I bought the car. I always thought that cast aluminum rims would break before they bend, but this is not always so. At any rate, it was very obvious once the front end was up in the air and the front tire was spun up to 50-60mph.

Mike

: Just bought a '90 325is, however between 55-70mph the steering wheel shimmies. I took the wheels to be balanced and the problem still exists...Could it be just bad tires because they are a little cracked or a front end problem such as ball joints or control arms...Need help

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