E85/E86 Steering Problems (Solved)
- Thread starter Joycey
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firebobby said:I would start with adjusting the ring, plenty of info aboveSonnyA85 said:
thanks for your help. yeah i read through the whole thread it's why i was confused. people suggest doing one or the other and some both. others recommend different depending on facelift or not.
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PeteWard said:
The 2007 is a facelift car with the updated steering column so 'ring adjustment' should not be the issue. Do some searching on here for steering problems and you will find loads of info, but from experience I would look at removing RFT tyres if you have them, making sure whatever tyres you have are not overly worn or mis-matched, thoroughly check ALL suspension bushes front and rear (because of the suspension set-up these cars are prone to rear-steer effects if things are not right), particularly front end rear-lower trailing arm 'lollypop' bushes, ARB's, drop-links and track rod ends. Make sure the rear springs haven't broken the ends off (they ALL go), lubricate the two steering column UJ's and finally the one that will properly sort it but only after the above, get a quality 4 wheel alignment.
If you are not mechanical, the cheapest way to get all the above components inspected properly is to submit it to a local authority MOT testing station and tell them you think there might be a suspension /steering problem. They are thorough but don't do repairs so have no interest in drumming up business.
W Mids council MOT stations http://www.ukmot.com/Council-MOT-Test-Centers/West-Midlands
https://www.money.co.uk/guides/council-mot-centres-the-route-to-a-hassle-free-mot.htm
Ewazix said:
Whilst most people say facelift models aren't affected its not quite true.. after several years of ownership mine also started suffering from sticky steering last year and was quickly sorted by adjusting the ring and looking through the forum at the time it was far from the first
mr.tourette said:Ewazix said:
Whilst most people say facelift models aren't affected its not quite true.. after several years of ownership mine also started suffering from sticky steering last year and was quickly sorted by adjusting the ring and looking through the forum at the time it was far from the first
Yes I've read that, but adjusting the ring just introduces slack in the column gear IF it is binding (the problem on some pre-facelifts), this is also an effective way of masking underlying problems in the suspension/tyres which cause the unpleasant feedback. If you have either facelift or pre-facelift it's vital to make sure the underlying suspension/tyre set-up is right first. I had it badly (as in ditch-finding!) when I got my pre-facelift back in 2010 and attending to all the basics I mention eventually sorted it without touching the column. It was a ball-ache to work through the list but I've had no problem since.
It will only introduce slack if you turn it in the direction that introduces slack. If you turn it the other way, it will tighten up the feel. Judging by this fella's post, describing vague/slack steering, he wouldn't be adjusting it to make it even more slack. He would adjust to tighten it up.Ewazix said:
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Excuse me, I resemble that remark!!Ewazix said:
Somerset is a long way from Leicester but by all means contact me if you find yourself down in this corner Pete.
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PeteWard said:
It is now a BMW approved repair as it's in the TIS see further back on page 4 of this thread or here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100725&start=45
It's a simple procedure but access is awkward if you have a go yourself.
[ref]PeteWard[/ref] you shouldn't really get in a mess with it. If you find you can access (and undo) the two bolts in question, you can have a fiddle. If you mark the adjustor ring and the housing it butts up to before you make any changes, you will be able to revert the steering back to its current setting. As I've had practice on a few now I can make the adjustment in about 15 minutes, but I know some have struggled. If you don't manage it, you're no worse off than you are now 
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[ref]PeteWard[/ref] indeed. If worst comes to worst and you can't undo the two clamp bolts, all you have to do is refit the footwell trim panel (3 crosshead screws) you removed to gain access. I haven't used a torque wrench for this job, no.
PetePeteWard said:wonkydonkey said:Excuse me, I resemble that remark!!Ewazix said:
Yes, it's a long drive. Thank you for the offer, James.
A few people you could ask the question to ,
James at Bmwman at heanor near the IKEA between notts an derby, a few on the forum are happy with his work.
Or Andy fanshawe, who is in chesterfield and runs a small shop had a restoration thread on here an is very thorough.
