jp4000
12-13-2007, 05:49 PM
I bought a 1990 BMW 525i a couple of months ago and I have slowly begun to realize why I got such a good deal on it. Right away I noticed something was wrong when driving over, say a pebble, or pebble sized bump in the road, it was like confronting a trailer park speed bump at 80 mph. I have been systematically rebuilding the front end and about one thousand dollars later I have not solved this loud and embarrassing problem( I mean, what's the point of driving a badass looking car if it sounds like a jalopy? We want the ladies to turn and look, but not at the accompaniment of pointing and laughing). I have put in new struts, and control arms and sway bar links with shot bushings. Still I get unreasonably loud clunking going over the tiniest of bumps.
Recently I have heard scraping coming from my front end(sounds like it comes from the left side) when turning right. Turning left I hear nothing. So I changed the brakes and rotors and still I get scraping only now I can hear it whenever I'm braking or turning left. It's quiet when going straight, gets a lot louder when turning right, but goes away when I turn left or brake. We've had snow recently and when applying the brakes hard near the end of the stop the brakes don't catch but I can feel them bouncing of the rotor vibrating through the car. Plus there is an occasional popping sound, I can't say exactly when it happens; it seems almost random.
I did notice that the wheel hub was loose when I was changing rotors. Not left to right loose but up and down loose. I have an inkling that this is the source of cacophony over bumps. Could it also be related to the scraping I hear? I'm on the verge of taking it into a shop to get bearings replaced but I'm not entirely convinced that they are shot. I've had bearings go bad on me before and I don't get the feeling that I'm going to be driving down the road one day soon, look over into the next lane and see my wheel making a break for the next exit to Canada. Any help or insight I could glean from you would be appreciated.
Recently I have heard scraping coming from my front end(sounds like it comes from the left side) when turning right. Turning left I hear nothing. So I changed the brakes and rotors and still I get scraping only now I can hear it whenever I'm braking or turning left. It's quiet when going straight, gets a lot louder when turning right, but goes away when I turn left or brake. We've had snow recently and when applying the brakes hard near the end of the stop the brakes don't catch but I can feel them bouncing of the rotor vibrating through the car. Plus there is an occasional popping sound, I can't say exactly when it happens; it seems almost random.
I did notice that the wheel hub was loose when I was changing rotors. Not left to right loose but up and down loose. I have an inkling that this is the source of cacophony over bumps. Could it also be related to the scraping I hear? I'm on the verge of taking it into a shop to get bearings replaced but I'm not entirely convinced that they are shot. I've had bearings go bad on me before and I don't get the feeling that I'm going to be driving down the road one day soon, look over into the next lane and see my wheel making a break for the next exit to Canada. Any help or insight I could glean from you would be appreciated.
