[335BOY]

Wheel bearing howl as they go bad. You hear that before you feel it

[Steelers6891]

Not hearing any howl but i'll still mention it to my service rep next time i bring the car in..

Also something I found interesting is the service technician said that they only have the ability to balance/road force for speeds up to 70mph.. I notice the slight vibration at highway speeds starting at about 60mph and up. Maybe I should bring the car to a local tire shop and have them check the tires to see if they are balanced correctly ??

[tsims619]

You probably got a bubble in the tire (inside). Happened to me and couldn't quite figure it out until I got my tires flipped (staggered setup).

[Golden Arrow]

Originally Posted by Steelers6891

Also I filled a claim to New York which is for vehicle damage.. A friend of mine told me he was reimbursed for a blow out from a pothole in NY so I figured it's worth a try..I'll be grateful for whatever I can get from them. I'll keep everyone posted on this issue as well

Good luck!

[BavarianFanatic]

Tires may have internal damage (belts damaged) that's not visible. They'll usually balance just fine because the mass is in the right location, but the tires can "bounce" on the road surface similar to a flat spot.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

So worn bushings etc can't cause wheels to go out of alignment?

Yes and no. Worn bushings can affect the dynamic alignment while driving down the road - i.e. rolling friction compresses/deforms the bushings allowing the wheel to stray from the prescribed track. However, alignments are performed in a static setting. So while it's possible to make adjustments for bushing deflection, it's not necessarily effective since they will deflect much more once under way. If bushings are deteriorated enough to affect alignment they are long overdue for replacement.

Back in the day - say pre-1990, conventional steering systems on the majority of cars and trucks had numerous elements and joints comprising the steering linkage. The stacking error of the slop of all of those joints will negatively affect handling long before the components reached their end of life. In other words, they were inherently sloppy. Relatively frequent alignment adjustments were required to compensate for the progressive wear. Today's systems are a totally different animal altogether. With the introduction of McPherson struts, most cars and trucks only have provisions to adjust toe. Everything else is fixed.

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Yes and no. Worn bushings can affect the dynamic alignment while driving down the road - i.e. rolling friction compresses/deforms the bushings allowing the wheel to stray from the prescribed track. However, alignments are performed in a static setting. So while it's possible to make adjustments for bushing deflection, it's not necessarily effective since they will deflect much more once under way. If bushings are deteriorated enough to affect alignment they are long overdue for replacement.

Back in the day - say pre-1990, conventional steering systems on the majority of cars and trucks had numerous elements and joints comprising the steering linkage. The stacking error of the slop of all of those joints will negatively affect handling long before the components reached their end of life. In other words, they were inherently sloppy. Relatively frequent alignment adjustments were required to compensate for the progressive wear. Today's systems are a totally different animal altogether. With the introduction of McPherson struts, most cars and trucks only have provisions to adjust toe. Everything else is fixed.

So yes. That can cause uneven tire wear.

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

So yes. That can cause uneven tire wear.

If bushings are worn enough to cause the tires to scrub and cause uneven wear you have much bigger problems. Bushings that haven't totally disintegrated won't deflect THAT much. Regardless, an alignment wouldn't fix it.

[Steelers6891]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

Tires may have internal damage (belts damaged) that's not visible. They'll usually balance just fine because the mass is in the right location, but the tires can "bounce" on the road surface similar to a flat spot.

BMW told me the tires were fine and not damaged..maybe ill bring them to a tire shop and get a second opinion

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by Steelers6891

BMW told me the tires were fine and not damaged..maybe ill bring them to a tire shop and get a second opinion

I would. Or you could request that they move the affected wheels/tires to the opposite side of the car to see if the vibration changes in any way. If it does, then it's the tires.

It can be very difficult to identify internal damage.

[Steelers6891]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

I would. Or you could request that they move the affected wheels/tires to the opposite side of the car to see if the vibration changes in any way. If it does, then it's the tires.

It can be very difficult to identify internal damage.

I'm def. going to look into this. Thank you for the suggestion. I know for a fact my car shouldn't be driving like this

[335BOY]

Be careful where you move them to if they are directional tires. Aren't supposed to go to the other side of the car.