[axztx]

I have a vibration in the rear. 06 330i Non-sport package. Had the tires (stock 17" 159s with Conti RFTs) balanced/rotated recently and it didn't get rid of the vibration. Vibration is in the rear, no vibration in steering wheel just can feel it in the seats. My kids say the car vibrates when they sit in the back. It's more noticeable driving on new asphalt roads. Speed doesn't seem to make a difference. I can feel it at slow and fast speeds. Is this just the BMW "feeling the road" sensation or could I have a suspension or rear axle problem. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[hayabusa55]

Vibration in rear? Enjoy it.

[2kaccordocoupe]

could be axles, rear diff, bearings - could even be as simple as a flat spot on the tire.

[mike3000fl]

since you are on stock 17's, square setup i assume, i would put the front on the back, and the back on the front.

if the vibration moves up front then it is a problem with your wheels/tires and you need to get them rebalanced, i would suggest finding a place with a "hunter road force balance" machine. it will find out if the rim or tire is not true and it will have the tech position the tire on the rim so that the eccentricities cancel each other out.

if after switching the tires front to back the vibration is still in the back, then you have a warped rear rotor or some kind of weird suspension issue, not sure what else it could be.

first step is to switch the wheels front to back to isolate the problem. get back to us.

also check those rear wheels and see if the weights are still stuck on the inside, they can be on the outer and inner edge so look for two sets, if you see them can you tell us how much weight there is. should be stamped on each weight.

[axztx]

Originally Posted by mike3000fl

since you are on stock 17's, square setup i assume, i would put the front on the back, and the back on the front.

if the vibration moves up front then it is a problem with your wheels/tires and you need to get them rebalanced, i would suggest finding a place with a "hunter road force balance" machine. it will find out if the rim or tire is not true and it will have the tech position the tire on the rim so that the eccentricities cancel each other out.

if after switching the tires front to back the vibration is still in the back, then you have a warped rear rotor or some kind of weird suspension issue, not sure what else it could be.

first step is to switch the wheels front to back to isolate the problem. get back to us.

also check those rear wheels and see if the weights are still stuck on the inside, they can be on the outer and inner edge so look for two sets, if you see them can you tell us how much weight there is. should be stamped on each weight.

Yes. Square set up. I had the tires balanced/rotated the vibration was there before and is still there after. Garage said the rear wheels (which are now on the front) were out of balance a little but rebalanced them. The fronts were ok (which are both now on the rear.) Vibration is still there. Rear rotors are brand new, I changed them myself prior to getting tires balanced/rotated. Wheel weights are all still on I think. I don't always feel a vibration. It's prevalent while driving on recently paved roads - not as noticeable when driving on older asphalt. Thought maybe the newer roads were causing the vibration. I've looked at the tires and they all look fine. Maybe need to take it somewhere else to have tires rebalanced? PepBoys is where I took it the first time. Maybe they didn't do it right. Roadforce might be the best option. I was just curious if this was normal (first BMW) "feeling the road" sensation or just life with RFTs - rather than an issue with the car. I drove a loaner 328i a few months back and that was a lot smoother ride compared to my 330i.

[mike3000fl]

RFTs ride like shit and certain brands cup easy, after hearing all that it could be cupped tires. if the tire has uneven wear like that a balance won't fix it.

if you had them rotated and the problem was still there then both tires are cupped or it's something with your rear drivetrain or suspension.

is this a vibration like something out of balance or just road noise?

[axztx]

Originally Posted by mike3000fl

RFTs ride like shit and certain brands cup easy, after hearing all that it could be cupped tires. if the tire has uneven wear like that a balance won't fix it.

if you had them rotated and the problem was still there then both tires are cupped or it's something with your rear drivetrain or suspension.

is this a vibration like something out of balance or just road noise?

I don't see any abnormal wear or cupping. It feels like something out of balance but the mechanic at PepBoys said they were ok. Not sure what would classify as road noise but comparing the loaner 328 to my 330 the ride was night and day. I think the 328 had Continental RFTs too, 16 inch. I'm not sure the 1 inch difference in tire circumference would account for the vibration in my car. Also, I can't always feel the vibration. For whatever reason it seems to be worse on newer paved roads. Not sure how old or how many miles on my tires but tread depth is good and wear is even.

Bought the car used (non-CPO) from a non-BMW dealer. (I know, big risk but price was right.) The carfax had nothing on it other than scheduled routine maintenance and two entries about tire replacement (I thought it was flats getting replaced.)

01/20/2007 - One tire mounted and balanced
04/18/2008 - One tire mounted and balanced

So, dealer is out because no warranty or CPO (57k miles). Should I just take it to my local garage (they have a roadforce balancer) and pay the money to let them figure out if it actually is a problem or should I just live with it? Anyone else with a 330i have a similar problem?

[gdnyc]

I have the same problem but in the front. It's a slight vibration in the steering wheel. I had the tires rebalanced by the dealer but it was still there . It was more prevalent when driving in the 65+ range.
The only thing I could think that may be causing it are the RFTs. I switched out the wheels with a set of 18" VMRs and the problem went away. I guess the dealer said they rebalanced the stock wheels.. Obviously not

[mike3000fl]

Originally Posted by axztx

I don't see any abnormal wear or cupping. It feels like something out of balance but the mechanic at PepBoys said they were ok. Not sure what would classify as road noise but comparing the loaner 328 to my 330 the ride was night and day. I think the 328 had Continental RFTs too, 16 inch. I'm not sure the 1 inch difference in tire circumference would account for the vibration in my car. Also, I can't always feel the vibration. For whatever reason it seems to be worse on newer paved roads. Not sure how old or how many miles on my tires but tread depth is good and wear is even.

Bought the car used (non-CPO) from a non-BMW dealer. (I know, big risk but price was right.) The carfax had nothing on it other than scheduled routine maintenance and two entries about tire replacement (I thought it was flats getting replaced.)

01/20/2007 - One tire mounted and balanced
04/18/2008 - One tire mounted and balanced

So, dealer is out because no warranty or CPO (57k miles). Should I just take it to my local garage (they have a roadforce balancer) and pay the money to let them figure out if it actually is a problem or should I just live with it? Anyone else with a 330i have a similar problem?

you say they have already put the fronts on the rear and vice versa, so if that's the case i don't think it is a balance issue unless all 4 are fucked. so with that i don't think another balance would help. if you can isolate it to one wheel or both rears or fronts then i would go ahead and do it.