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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Discuss problems you have had or are having with your Z4
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Sgr74
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:44 pm

I just changed my tyres to Avon zz5's. Before I changed them the car felt so sure and planted. Now it feels very loose above 60. Then the pressure warning light came on. Checked the pressures all were at 31 psi except the back drivers side. It was at 36 psi. Haven't had it back on the motorway again yet since I fixed it. My old tyres were slightly more worn on the inside edge on the fronts. Could it be a simple alignment problem?
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Scooba_Steve » Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:54 pm

Try pressures first, 31 seems a little low to me. Following that it's worth doing at least tracking. If none of the bushings have been done they're worth considering, drop links, ARBs etc.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Nictrix » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:00 pm

I had ZZ5s on my old Mini and didn't like them. They would spin pulling away and slide around a lot more than the ZZ3s that they replaced.
A few people on here though have said that they like them.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:08 pm

Nictrix wrote:I had ZZ5s on my old Mini and didn't like them. They would spin pulling away and slide around a lot more than the ZZ3s that they replaced.
A few people on here though have said that they like them.
That's why I went with them.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:11 pm

Scooba_Steve wrote:Try pressures first, 31 seems a little low to me. Following that it's worth doing at least tracking. If none of the bushings have been done they're worth considering, drop links, ARBs etc.
The book says 30 for the front and 33 for the rear. I do think the tracking is the problem. The old tyres were worn in. The new ones aren't. So not getting proper contact on the road.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:13 pm

Also, do I have to initialise the system to get rid of the light?
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by mr wilks » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:18 pm

Id try & get at least 3-400 miles done to scrub in the newness of the tyres but before then i would have them re-balanced at a different place to confirm if they have been done correctly (additionally check the coloured dot on sidewall is aligned with the tyre valve )
These cars are prone to feeling twitchy with the least bit of variation to tyre , tyre pressure , wheel balance & wear of suspension components but as your car was driving perfectly before id try the tyres , pressures or the balance before the next step
Id be looking at 33 psi fronts / 36psi rears :thumbsup:
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Ed Doe » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:27 pm

when was it last aligned? If it were me that's the first thing I'd be doing following a tyre change!
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:29 pm

Ed Doe wrote:when was it last aligned? If it were me that's the first thing I'd be doing following a tyre change!
Don't know. Only had it for 3 weeks. It will be done at the earliest opertunity.
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Post by buzyg » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:29 pm

If you had 31 in one side and 36 in the other, then I would expect the lamp to come on after a while. It measures the wheel rotation speed, side to side. If one is rotating faster that the other then it assumes different pressure caused by a deflation and on comes the lamp. :wink:
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:31 pm

mr wilks wrote:Id try & get at least 3-400 miles done to scrub in the newness of the tyres but before then i would have them re-balanced at a different place to confirm if they have been done correctly (additionally check the coloured dot on sidewall is aligned with the tyre valve )
These cars are prone to feeling twitchy with the least bit of variation to tyre , tyre pressure , wheel balance & wear of suspension components but as your car was driving perfectly before id try the tyres , pressures or the balance before the next step
Id be looking at 33 psi fronts / 36psi rears :thumbsup:
That's the numbers for the 3L. Mines is the 2.5. Never knew about the dot and the valve.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:33 pm

buzyg wrote:If you had 31 in one side and 36 in the other, then I would expect the lamp to come on after a while. It measures the wheel rotation speed, side to side. If one is rotating faster that the other then it assumes different pressure caused by a deflation and on comes the lamp. :wink:
I hate when people do their job wrong. Tyre pressures is something simple to get right. :headbang:
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by mr wilks » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:35 pm

Sgr74 wrote:
mr wilks wrote:Id try & get at least 3-400 miles done to scrub in the newness of the tyres but before then i would have them re-balanced at a different place to confirm if they have been done correctly (additionally check the coloured dot on sidewall is aligned with the tyre valve )
These cars are prone to feeling twitchy with the least bit of variation to tyre , tyre pressure , wheel balance & wear of suspension components but as your car was driving perfectly before id try the tyres , pressures or the balance before the next step
Id be looking at 33 psi fronts / 36psi rears :thumbsup:
That's the numbers for the 3L. Mines is the 2.5. Never knew about the dot and the valve.
Every day is a school day.
Tyre pressures need to be played with a little to get to where the "feel" is right for you
Try at 32 F 34 R then 34 F 36 R , generally they should feel right around those numbers on staggered 18s
As you say the pressures should be a simple part of the job to get right so hardly instills confidence that the balance is correct :cry:
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by buzyg » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:36 pm

Sgr74 wrote:
buzyg wrote:If you had 31 in one side and 36 in the other, then I would expect the lamp to come on after a while. It measures the wheel rotation speed, side to side. If one is rotating faster that the other then it assumes different pressure caused by a deflation and on comes the lamp. :wink:
I hate when people do their job wrong. Tyre pressures is something simple to get right. :headbang:
Indeed. So hopefully nothing to worry about once the pressure's match and reset it should stay off.
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Front end feels very squirmy at speed.

Post by Sgr74 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:37 pm

mr wilks wrote:
Sgr74 wrote:
mr wilks wrote:Id try & get at least 3-400 miles done to scrub in the newness of the tyres but before then i would have them re-balanced at a different place to confirm if they have been done correctly (additionally check the coloured dot on sidewall is aligned with the tyre valve )
These cars are prone to feeling twitchy with the least bit of variation to tyre , tyre pressure , wheel balance & wear of suspension components but as your car was driving perfectly before id try the tyres , pressures or the balance before the next step
Id be looking at 33 psi fronts / 36psi rears :thumbsup:
That's the numbers for the 3L. Mines is the 2.5. Never knew about the dot and the valve.
Every day is a school day.
Tyre pressures need to be played with a little to get to where the "feel" is right for you
Try at 32 F 34 R then 34 F 36 R , generally they should feel right around those numbers on staggered 18s
As you say the pressures should be a simple part of the job to get right so hardly instills confidence that the balance is correct :cry:
Good point.
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