Z4 ride quality and tramlining

P

Paradroid

Member
 Lancashire
I have just got a 2008 2.0i SE Z4. I know this is not uncommon but I have got issues with ride quality and bad tramlining. As well as not being very comfortable it means all the interior trim is taking a hammering as the car crashes over bumps. And the tramlining is insane, my drive home was quite long and involved 50mph roadwords on the motorway, the lanes were narrow and the car was pulling from side to side with large trucks at the side of me!

I knew about this off the test drive, and the plan is to get rid of the Bridgestone runflats soon, which I hope will cure it. The car has 17" alloys.

But one thing is worrying me though - could the car have been specced with optional sports suspension? This would be bad news. Is it possible and how can I tell?

Thanks
 
Sorry can't help you with the suspension. Moving from run flats to non will be a huge difference, certainly will sort out the tram lining.
You will see plenty of threads on tyre choice, ultimately I believe it comes down to which premium brand you can get at the best price.
Personally I went for Vredestein and haven't looked back. Falken's also seem quite popular.
 
Thanks, that could be the answer then. I guess it is unlikely a 2.0 SE would have sports suspension.

I have had Vreds in the past, the Ultracs, and was very happy with them.

Is it normal to see some level of movement in the interior of a Z4? I am new to convertibles, but am noticing things seem to rattle and move around slightly due to the harsh ride of my car at the moment.
 
There is a way of finding out from the BMW website with you chassis number. The link is on here in numerous places, I'll see if I can find it, if not I'm sure somebody else will.

It will tell you all the options fitted at the factory.
 
I would also have a full alignment done after you change tyres. When you get a car it's good to have this as a baseline that you can refer back to.

It may not only be the run flats causing a problem.
 
Tramlining is a not uncommon phenomenon with the combination of wide tyres (especially with the more rigid sidewalls of runflats) and a relatively light vehicle.

Fitting non-RFTs (with the obligatory tyreweld etc.. in the boot) will make a big difference. You may have had sport suspension spec'd which will make a bit more of a difference but someone above has kindly pointed out how you can check this.

Couple of other things worth considering...if you are new to convertibles and sports cars generally, it may just be that you need to acclimatise to the new ride. The Zed is one of the least susceptible convertibles to the phenomenon of scuttle shake (effectively where the front and back of the car flex slightly relative to each other, because of the lack of a roof tying the two together) - it is well braced to pretty much minimise this problem, especially on normal roads.

Its also worth getting your rear springs checked...they are prone to breaking on this vehicle, its a very common problem indeed as you'll see whan browsing the forum, and it will make the ride a bit crashier while still driving normally, so if it has happened, even the previous owner may not have known. Not hugely expensive to replace...more costly if you have all four done - some people recommend Eibachs which lower the suspension a bit, but if you are already unhappy about the ride I'd recommend just using OEM springs...its only the rears that break as far as I know and they are a doddle for a garage to fit.

Lastly, I'll be a bit contentious, because the 'go-faster' boys will be up in arms...the less rubber you have on your rims, the harder the ride....indeed at the extremes (19" or 20" rims) broken alloys are not uncommon. The 2.0 was originally spec'd with 16" rims so before you go to the expense of changing to RFTs, only to find that still doesn't quite do the job, think about fitting 16s. The tyres are also a bit cheaper. Sets often come up on ebay and go for a song.

I bought my four-pot new six years ago because I love ragtop motoring, not because I wanted to drive at 150mph with the roof down. I run very happily on 16s with non-RFTs and the ride, even on our bumpy welsh roads, is perfectly acceptable. The car itself is an excellent choice and will hold its own in good company, as well as providing fun ragtop driving at very reasonable running costs.

Welcome to the site. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
Alignment is an interesting point, I've noticed the fronts are wearing slightly more on the outsides.

I can find this http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi but it doesn't say much, is there another one out there :)

I've seen in Z4 reviews that it doesn't really suffer from scuttle shake but I am definitely noticing something, I think it's a slight amount of movement or flex in the windscreen being the main thing. Like I said I'm new to convertibles, but not sporty cars.

The other family car is a 1 series on 16" runflats and that's a firm ride but doesn't tramline like the Z4!
 
Alternatively, if you find another forum member who lives local & believes their car is well sorted against your issues, see if they'll take you out to compare or let them drive your car to give their feedback.

If u jump from my A3 Quattro which squats itself on about any uneven surface then do the same in the Zed, u may have concerns, so try the above & see how u get on
 
Cheers for the link, I got in there and there was no mention of sports suspension for my car which I am pleased about.

Before test driving my car I drove another at a dealers, it had run flats on the back but normal tyres on the front (not clever I know). It was a bit better the tramlining was still there a bit but the ride was less crashy. So I can see how changing to normal tyres front and back will make a big difference.
 
Paradroid said:
Alignment is an interesting point, I've noticed the fronts are wearing slightly more on the outsides.

I can find this http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi but it doesn't say much, is there another one out there :)

I've seen in Z4 reviews that it doesn't really suffer from scuttle shake but I am definitely noticing something, I think it's a slight amount of movement or flex in the windscreen being the main thing. Like I said I'm new to convertibles, but not sporty cars.

The other family car is a 1 series on 16" runflats and that's a firm ride but doesn't tramline like the Z4!
Click to expand...

Well a proper alignment is a cheap first step.

Slightly worried about the windscreen shake though, its not a symptom I've heard before unless someone knows different?....the only place people tend to report a slight rattle is the point where the dash touches the transmission tunnel - they are not secured to each other but do touch....you can check that by jamming a bit of cardboard in there and do a better fix if anything goes away as a result.

The same technique where the dash meets the screen - at various points - might expose a bit of slack around that area, almost certainly the dash a tad loose. Just have a fiddle, as the actress said to the bishop.... :o
 
It's only done 23k, previous owner only did about 15k in 3 years.

The windscreen doesn't shake as such, I just think my eyes pick up a slight movement if I hit a bump and am looking at the road ahead. I'm a bit of a perfectionist though, and my eyes have always been very sharp.

There are a few rattles from the interior - around the dash and the passenger seat moves slightly on rough roads. All this is in relation to a normal hard-top car though. I think it's got to be the very harsh ride causing these issues. On smooth roads it's a great drive.

For alignment can I take a Z4 anywhere or is it better going to a specialist?
 
andysat said:
My zed has the odd rattle-but to me its to be expected sitting between the front and rear wheels.
Click to expand...

Andy, can you name a car where you wouldn't be sat between the front and rear wheels as the driver? Ha

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
T2FFN said:
andysat said:
My zed has the odd rattle-but to me its to be expected sitting between the front and rear wheels.
Click to expand...

Andy, can you name a car where you wouldn't be sat between the front and rear wheels as the driver? Ha

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
:oops: :lol:
 
Hi,
I had tramlining and poor ride quality with my Bridgestone RFTs, I changed to Michelin RFTs and had the tracking, alignment etc all set up at ATS and the ride was transformed. I do have sports suspension and 18" wheels on my 2.5i.

Good luck
 
Cheers all.

Made a bit of progress today, went over to get the tyre pressures checked and the metal valve caps were stuck on! Which made me think they hadn't been checked in a while. Rears were around 30psi but the fronts were 20. They are now 29 front and 32 rear which I think is what BMW recommend and it's definitely made a difference. Ride still crashy and the rear end shimmies over bumps but the front end tramlining is nowhere near as bad. I've also replaced the metal valve caps with plastic ones that won't stick on as easily, and cleaned up the interior a bit.

I went to my local tyre place (a National) and they said they couldn't do 4-wheel alignment on my Z4, I should take it to BMW. Said something about it needing to be weighted down, and only BMW and a handful of other places can do it.
 
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