Tramlining!!!

D

dans6490

Active member
I know this has been done to death but any help would be appreciated.

Six months in to ownership and winter will give me the opportunity to sort out a few niggles and upgrade/update a few bits.

At speed the car tramlines really badly, so much so that the traction control? Light came on when changing lanes at approx 70mph. In the 12 months before me it had the following done:

D2E60C0E-B5F7-4D8C-A1DF-89356B2746CD.jpeg

This was all done as the front tyres (non run flat) were/are still worn badly on the inside. I will be changing tyres over winter but do you think new tyres will cure this or is there anything else that it could be?
 
new tyres will help. and you might want to check the alignment again.

though that said, 18" wheels do seem to tramline a lot - especially on lane 1 of motorways where lorries have made a groove.
 
what wheels ? my csl reps with falken fk453's tramlined like hell. My 18's with eagle f1s and other set with advan 105s feels spot on
 
Tyres and alignment will be my guess.

Was the alignment done after all those other suspension parts were changed? Also any good alignment place will be able to fiddle around with the settings to help combat tramlining.
 
chrisgreen said:
Tyres and alignment will be my guess.

Was the alignment done after all those other suspension parts were changed? Also any good alignment place will be able to fiddle around with the settings to help combat tramlining.
Click to expand...
+1
Good quality non runflat tyres
Decent alignment to Z4M specs should help.
I would also check all the new bits are as they should be. If something like a ball joint had a bit of play in it thats been missed then one of the new bushes could have been killed prematurely.
 
Thanks guys, the wheels are 19s (below). Tyres are Bridgestones but not run flats. 235/35 and 265/30 IIRC.

IMG_2462.JPG

I like the look of 19s but have toyed with the idea of going to 18s with thicker tyres for a better ride. Also looked at black 17'' Apex arcs but a bit pricey!!
 
I did also wonder about if the correct springs were fitted as looking at the above picture, it looks like a 4X4. Springs/coilovers on the ''to-do'' list.
 
I had Z4m tyre size on my last z4 and it rode slightly better than my current one on standard 18 tyres so would think that the 19s are having an effect plus being colder there's less flex in the tyres
 
I think all suspension suggestions have been covered above and it seems you replaced everything you could! Mine tramlined like a good-un when i first got it, to the point it felt dangerous on roads that weren't perfectly smooth and the inside lane on motorways was a white knuckle experience, ditching the run flats was all i needed to do.

Have you thought about the EPAS system... there's a thread somewhere on here about an adjuster ring on the steering column, potentially worth investigating next?
 
brillomaster said:
though that said, 18" wheels do seem to tramline a lot - especially on lane 1 of motorways where lorries have made a groove.
Click to expand...

^^^This.
A1 Northbound near Stamford is so bad I nearly lost control on one occasion...
 
Chris1981 said:
I think all suspension suggestions have been covered above and it seems you replaced everything you could! Mine tramlined like a good-un when i first got it, to the point it felt dangerous on roads that weren't perfectly smooth and the inside lane on motorways was a white knuckle experience, ditching the run flats was all i needed to do.

Have you thought about the EPAS system... there's a thread somewhere on here about an adjuster ring on the steering column, potentially worth investigating next?
Click to expand...

I had seen about the steering column but thought i'd change tyres first and go from there. Im hoping tyres and alignment will sort but i guess EPAS is the only other thing to try?
 
Yeah, I think you've tried everything suspension related... unless like Mack has suggested any of the new parts aren't that great!

If the EPAS is assisting too much it'll naturally pull itself towards deviations in the road surface... I think this is similar logic in ditching run-flats! The heavy tyres naturally gravitate to the uneven surface and the EPAS 'assists' with that movement so pulls you into the ditches!?
 
dans6490 said:
Thanks guys, the wheels are 19s (below). Tyres are Bridgestones but not run flats. 235/35 and 265/30 IIRC.

IMG_2462.JPG

I like the look of 19s but have toyed with the idea of going to 18s with thicker tyres for a better ride. Also looked at black 17'' Apex arcs but a bit pricey!!
Click to expand...

The arch gap looks huge, is the car jacked up at all.
In addition to what I and others have said, the wheels are potentially amplifing any issues your having if theyre significantly heavier than the original ones. The extra width in your tyres probably isn't help either. However all that said, do you have a print out etc from your alignment. The reason I ask is I've been genuinely surprised at some of the bad jobs folks have had on here and if yours was similar I suspect that would be the route cause of your issues. Everything else (heavier wheels, wider tyres etc) would just be magnifying it
 
The arch gap does look huge! No not jacked up but my drive is on a slight slope.

All of the work was carried out before I bought the car and the previous owner didn’t have the print out unfortunately.

I definitely think your right about the wheels being heavier which makes me think 18s might be better. 19s look better but I don’t want to buy tires and an alignment to find the problem still there.

Might be worth seeing if I can borrow some 18s from someone before spending money and finding it’s no better.

Would love a set of these:
 
dans6490 said:
This was all done as the front tyres (non run flat) were/are still worn badly on the inside.
Click to expand...

if the tyres are still worn badly on the inside you need to get an alignment and a new set of rubber
 
philbo909 said:
dans6490 said:
This was all done as the front tyres (non run flat) were/are still worn badly on the inside.
Click to expand...

if the tyres are still worn badly on the inside you need to get an alignment and a new set of rubber
Click to expand...

He had the work done as it was scrubbing the insides of the front tyres but didn’t change the tyres afterwards.
 
philbo909 said:
dans6490 said:
This was all done as the front tyres (non run flat) were/are still worn badly on the inside.
Click to expand...

if the tyres are still worn badly on the inside you need to get an alignment and a new set of rubber
Click to expand...

+1
Even if the alignment itself is now spot on. Uneven wear on the tyres could be causing you issues
 
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