Shimmy

I have a shimmy ive been trying to get rid of for a while. New tires balanced aligned, rotors, brakes, hubs, control arms. It seems to happen above 30 mph. The shop that put my new tires on said that all 4 rims are slightly bent. Whats the possibility that all 4 rims bent? I checked tie rods and they seem solid. I get very slight vibration in seat and a little more noticeable vibration in steering wheel but still nothing too bad. I really want to get the ride comfort back from when I first bought the car a year ago. It almost feels like the car is skipping on the road. Any suggestions?

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What kind of.......







"rims"





do you have?


BTW, when you google the ghetto term "rims" this is the first image that pops up (try it):

It's absolutely possible. Mine were upon purchasing the vehicle. That was my lesson in not doing a PPI and trusting that the dealer did the job correctly, even after they bought me a new tire for free because they discovered a bubble upon inspection.

All four of my tires were bent on the inside by a miscalibrated tire machine. They "fixed" it by adding a metric asston of wheel weights opposite of where the clamps dug into the wheels.

Bobobobobobobo, you should plasti-dip that wheel weight. looks out of place

Wheel weight is brand new, havent had time to paint it

Originally Posted by E46Mango

Bobobobobobobo, you should plasti-dip that wheel weight. looks out of place

Mango suggesting plasti dip



OP, check for any bald spots on the tires. That will cause vibration as well.

Originally Posted by trj

Mango suggesting plasti dip



OP, check for any bald spots on the tires. That will cause vibration as well.

he plastidipped the wheels. might as well squirt a few drops on the weights... i'd recommend plastidip any day over paint. at least plastidip peels right off

Originally Posted by E46Mango

he plastidipped the wheels. might as well squirt a few drops on the weights... i'd recommend plastidip any day over paint. at least plastidip peels right off

I am with you on that one.
But why would someone plastidip the wheels, I never understood this.

OP, its the plastidip thats causing the vibration

On a serious note,again check for any bald or inconsistent spots on the tires(inside and the outside). And concentrate on the front wheels the most, as you are feeling the vibration at the steering wheel, it has to be the front tires/wheels. Also the tire pressures too.

possibilities 4 rims being bent =

Probability of bending the first rim on a pothole * Probability of user ignores the minor shaking * Probability of bending the another rim other than the first on a pothole * Probability of user stills ignores the minor shaking * Probability of bending the another rim other than the first two * Probability of user being an idiot * Probability of bending the last good rim * Probability of user being an absolute moron = VERY SMALL DECIMAL
ADDED:
+
shady mechanic with a hammer

Originally Posted by MercForHire

possibilities 4 rims being bent =

Probability of bending the first rim on a pothole * Probability of user ignores the minor shaking * Probability of bending the another rim other than the first on a pothole * Probability of user stills ignores the minor shaking * Probability of bending the another rim other than the first two * Probability of user being an idiot * Probability of bending the last good rim * Probability of user being an absolute moron = VERY SMALL DECIMAL

Or...shady tire shops.

Originally Posted by Zell

Or...shady tire shops.

damn i missed that one

What exactly is a bald spot on a new tire? No tread on one part? The only time the ride smooths out is when im on yhe most perfect of roads. I really thought BMW had better ride comfort than this. Turning feels awkward even before the new tires. almost like rotor is scrapping against brake pads. Whats the possibility of the shop actually finding my problem instead of trial and error replacement? This damn vibration drives me nuts every time I take it for a drive. Could it be seized caliper? Maybe something wrong with axle itself? I was in a low sped front end collision last December. Only damage to hood and radiator, no airbag deployment. Im really starting to think anything can be causing it at this point. Feels the same with car rolling down a hill in neutral

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If the shop said your wheels are bent, I would seek out someone with another set of wheels and tires that are known not to be bent and try them. Perhaps there's a benevolent fanatic in your area.

If only, I dont know anyone with a BMW thats willing to swap tires with me

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Originally Posted by Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

If only, I dont know anyone with a BMW thats willing to swap tires with me

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I know a guy in NJ. BTW, does the exterior color of your car go well with green tires??

Originally Posted by Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo

If only, I dont know anyone with a BMW thats willing to swap tires with me

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Often, a busy indy shop will do this for you to help diagnose your issue. You'll pay for it, of course. Seems better than throwing money and parts to fix it when bent wheels are likely your issue.

IMHO if your wheels are bent and you don't care if they're genuine or not, get some high quality reps. It'll cost the same (or less) as refinishing them and unbending them, plus they'll be new. No one will tell the difference. I couldn't find staggered 135 reps and I already had staggered tires, so I just got mine redone. They did an amazing job; lifetime warranty on paint cracking as well.

Originally Posted by E46Mango

I know a guy in NJ. BTW, does the exterior color of your car go well with green tires??

unfortunately no as for an indy shop swapping the tires, thats an interesting suggestion. getting new tires will be the last of my steps if it comes down to it. i dont want to think about aligning, balancing, mounting cost all over again

Not new tires. An entirely different set of wheels.