[Simon89]

Hey everyone,

I've recently noticed some steering wheel wobble when braking from above 40mph.

I had new disks and pads installed (OEM Brembo) around 12 months ago, only covering around 7000 miles. The car has never been driven hard in a way the brakes should overheat and warp.

I've noticed it when using the brake function with cruise control which I thought just used the rear brakes to slow the car down.

Is there a chance it's the lower control arm bushes beginning to fail as I've read these are oil filled?

Thanks
Simon

[Stainy]

It's unlikely to be warped discs, even if you did drive it hard. Did you bed the pads in properly initially and/or have you tried a bedding in process again in case it's pad material transferring unevenly on the disc?

[Simon89]

If I do a couple of 70-0mph stops in the car the issue does seem to go away for a while. It's noticeably bad when you've been on the motorway for a couple of hours then need to use the brakes.

I just looked at my order from last year and it seems I ordered Pagid pads for the front, however I've always known Pagid to be half decent?

[Sprucedmoose]

I have the same issue. Started feeling it in the brake pedal but it is since moved to a slight steering wheel wobble. From what I have read on here it seems to be lower control arms issue. Booked in for 2 weeks time (earliest I could get it in at my local Indy).

[Assassin]

Usually brake pad material transferred onto to disc. Usual cause (assuming you aren't cooking the brakes driving it hard) is sitting at junctions / lights with your foot on the brake when the brakes are hot e.g. at the bottom of a slip road from the motorway....... a typical trait for those of us with autos, and many others. Also if you have a slightly binding caliper it will cause the disc to run hotter than normal when motorway cruising and that will exacerbate the problem.

Using the bedding in process helps get rid of it but then avoid holding on the brakes when they are hot after that.

[Hanchurch]

I had the same problem on my 335d it was warped front discs.

[cramsnik]

I had my local indy fit this for me -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283673113181

Prior to this, I was noticing a wobble when braking, particularly noticeable when the speed reached around 30-40 mph. This seems to have sorted it, touchwood.

[Simon89]

cramsnik That is a good point, if there is play in that bush then it'll show through the wheel.

I'll have a word with my local garage and see if he could sort something out.

[WillLowe]

Just had all new control arms fitted on Friday and it had eliminated my vibration when braking from like 50+

[Simon89]

I'm just waiting for a friend to come back off his holidays so I can borrow his ramps to check the control arms.

Was it an expensive job to replace? WillLowe

[WillLowe]

Naa I got the lemforder control arms and meyle top mounts from auto doc for about 320 then paid 120 fitting as I was being lazy.

[BBri89]

Discs shouldn't (and almost never) warp, especially not the size and thickness they are these days.
Far more likely to be pad transfer, so there's built up material on the disc that means it's not flat and smooth.

That'll give the vibrations, as the pads run over the surface.

Can get them skimmed professionally, or sometimes really heavy repeated braking can shift it.
Always worth trying that before just replacing them, as it's usually curable with one or the other.

[Simon89]

I've had the front wheels off this morning and the upper(?) control arms seem to move quite easily with a pry bar. I took a video but can't seem to upload it from the app.

The other potential source is the steering rack, I'm 99% certain that it could benefit from the updated bush set. There's a knock when the car is off which I'm sure the bush set would sort out

[Simon89]

Above is a link to the 'play' in the control arm, both sides were pretty equal.

Is this a normal level of movement in the hydro bush?

[BMW33]

Originally Posted by Simon89

Above is a link to the 'play' in the control arm, both sides were pretty equal.

Is this a normal level of movement in the hydro bush?

Hi Simon, I'm currently also diagnosing a problem with vibration whilst braking on my E90 I'm not sure I can add much value as I have not got to the bottom of the problem yet either.

I have attached a link of the thrust arm on mine and the play just so you could compare with yours possibly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9i0sqwoxro...071_1.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8b1o4foas...073_1.mp4?dl=0

[Simon89]

Originally Posted by BMW33

Hi Simon, I'm currently also diagnosing a problem with vibration whilst braking on my E90 I'm not sure I can add much value as I have not got to the bottom of the problem yet either.

I have attached a link of the thrust arm on mine and the play just so you could compare with yours possibly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9i0sqwoxro...071_1.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8b1o4foas...073_1.mp4?dl=0

I would say they look similar, although yours may look to have a little more play in them. I was hoping to get it into my local indy garage but he's mega busy.

Worst case the arms are £70(ish) each for Lemforder, they don't look too bad to replace.

[BMW33]

Originally Posted by Simon89

I would say they look similar, although yours may look to have a little more play in them. I was hoping to get it into my local indy garage but he's mega busy.

Worst case the arms are £70(ish) each for Lemforder, they don't look too bad to replace.

Yes they are not to expensive but when I've gone down the route of doing disks & pads multiple combos nothing worked.. even changed the front bearings to rule out warped hubs etc. These are the only arms that have play so I guess will need doing anyways.

The bush on your car not fluid filled? I thought that was the first major tell tail sign of failure? Yours seem to look pretty clean.

Did you check the surrounding arms for any play or slack?

[Simon89]

Originally Posted by BMW33

Yes they are not to expensive but when I've gone down the route of doing disks & pads multiple combos nothing worked.. even changed the front bearings to rule out warped hubs etc. These are the only arms that have play so I guess will need doing anyways.

The bush on your car not fluid filled? I thought that was the first major tell tail sign of failure? Yours seem to look pretty clean.

Did you check the surrounding arms for any play or slack?

I used the pry bar on the other front arms and they all seems pretty solid.

Yeah they are oil filled, but as you said there isn't any oil to suggest they have failed. However my car has 87k so not sure if they can still wear and provide some slop without leaking any fluid?

[BMW33]

Originally Posted by Simon89

I used the pry bar on the other front arms and they all seems pretty solid.

Yeah they are oil filled, but as you said there isn't any oil to suggest they have failed. However my car has 87k so not sure if they can still wear and provide some slop without leaking any fluid?

I did the same and the others had plenty of tension, I think the general consensus is that if they failing or fail you can see fluid but mine have a decent amount of play even by hand on the passenger side and I cant see any fluid leaks.

[Simon89]

Update 1/9

I've ordered the BMW repair kit for the steering rack, this is the cheaper repair of the 2 and due to not being certain if the play in those hydrobushes is classed as 'normal', it'll be a good way to check as it needs replacing regardless.

I'll update the thread once it has arrived and I've replaced the bush.

[Simon89]

Update 5/9

I've got the steering bush installed. It took me around 1.5 hours to do, pretty easy but the major issue it just lack of room to work in.

There is still a bit of wobble when braking, so I think it'll be the thrust arms next which I'll get replaced. Although I'll get my local garage to replace them as it'll be a pain to torque up with the car at ride height.

I've a couple of photos of the steering bush, there is clearly a bit of wear in the centre of the dimpled area.

[cramsnik]

When I had the kit fitted I initially thought there was still some movement, a couple of days and few miles later it pretty much disappeared altogether. Might be worth running it around a bit and see how it feels.