[codymbrown01@gmail.com]

Hello, I have a 2016 535 x drive and it's "wandering" issue has been getting worse. No clunking yet but I was curious if it could possibly be worn thrust arm bushings causing this? It wanders at around 50+ mph and also lots of vibration through the steering wheel. It's very hard to keep the car straight. It pulls left or right depending on the bumps in the road. Would thrust arms be the culprit? I only have 50k miles on it and the tires are new and in perfect balance. I've attached a picture of the thrust arm bearing in the front passenger side as it appears to have frayed rubber.

[Hoa]

Based on the pictures, the bushing on your thrust arm is bad. It usually cause shimmy vibration at higher speed. The wondering issue could be many things. I recommend jacking up your car and see if any busing have a crack in it. Replace all of those components at once.

[95blkmax]

As Hoa said, replace the parts. Check all other bushings to make sure nothing else needs replacing. Once done, do an alignment.

Bad suspension bushings can shift the alignment. Can cause camber and toe issues. Camber won't cause wandering but bad enough toe will cause it. Eventually leading to one side of the affected tire feathering, and this can cause vibration with speed.

[codymbrown01@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by 95blkmax

As Hoa said, replace the parts. Check all other bushings to make sure nothing else needs replacing. Once done, do an alignment.

Bad suspension bushings can shift the alignment. Can cause camber and toe issues. Camber won't cause wandering but bad enough toe will cause it. Eventually leading to one side of the affected tire feathering, and this can cause vibration with speed.

I'm replacing the bushings hopefully next weekend when they come in through the mail. I just had it aligned the paper they gave me said all green everything was perfect. Hopefully the bushings will clear it up. Now I'm having a weird cold start. Start up the engine and the RPMs fall almost stalling the engine and then it revs to 1500 and then recovers to just under 1000 rpms and is fine the rest of the day. Super weird never had any issues. I'm at 50k miles maybe I need new plugs.

[Hoa]

Originally Posted by codymbrown01@gmail.com

I'm replacing the bushings hopefully next weekend when they come in through the mail. I just had it aligned the paper they gave me said all green everything was perfect. Hopefully the bushings will clear it up. Now I'm having a weird cold start. Start up the engine and the RPMs fall almost stalling the engine and then it revs to 1500 and then recovers to just under 1000 rpms and is fine the rest of the day. Super weird never had any issues. I'm at 50k miles maybe I need new plugs.

If you did an alignment, they were aligning your wheels with bad bushings so when you replace the bushings, it will shift your alignment so you will have to get it corrected again.

Low miles cars can have a lot of issues especially if you don't drive in the highway a lot. 50K city driving is equivalent to 100-150K highway driving. Your suspension will have a lot more wear and tear because you may go through more bumps than being on a smooth highway. Stop and go can also wear out a lot on than being on a constant highway speed at low rpm.

At 50K, you should prepare to perform the following even if you don't have any issues:
- Spark plugs
- Ignition coils (usually last around 60-70K)
- Walnut blasting (city driving can cause buildup as early as 40K)
- Transmission pan & oil usually recommend around 60K

[codymbrown01@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Hoa

If you did an alignment, they were aligning your wheels with bad bushings so when you replace the bushings, it will shift your alignment so you will have to get it corrected again.

Low miles cars can have a lot of issues especially if you don't drive in the highway a lot. 50K city driving is equivalent to 100-150K highway driving. Your suspension will have a lot more wear and tear because you may go through more bumps than being on a smooth highway. Stop and go can also wear out a lot on than being on a constant highway speed at low rpm.

At 50K, you should prepare to perform the following even if you don't have any issues:
- Spark plugs
- Ignition coils (usually last around 60-70K)
- Walnut blasting (city driving can cause buildup as early as 40K)
- Transmission pan & oil usually recommend around 60K

Thank you for all of that great info!!

[ChiNorm]

re: "I just had it aligned the paper they gave me said all green everything was perfect." Try a different alignment shop. One that isn't a tire franchise.

Good luck.

[BimmerHausPerformance]

Originally Posted by ChiNorm

re: "I just had it aligned the paper they gave me said all green everything was perfect." Try a different alignment shop. One that isn't a tire franchise.

Good luck.

after you replace the bushings maybe take it back and ask them to adjust it since it might be "under warranty"

I think I'm having the same issue, let me know if this resolves it. Thanks!

[codymbrown01@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by BrowBMW

after you replace the bushings maybe take it back and ask them to adjust it since it might be "under warranty"

I think I'm having the same issue, let me know if this resolves it. Thanks!

So, I ended up having the dealer change them out. They gave me a great deal because I'm just out of warranty. The car drives wayyyyyy better. Just have to get it re aligned and should be golden. My tires have been wearing on the outer edge as well hopefully the new bushings will correct it.