Steering wheel vibration under braking in BMW – what is the reason and how to fix it?

BMW driver question

There is a shaking of the steering wheel when braking at high speeds of about 120 km/h. What could be the cause?

The problem affected a 2009 BMW 320d E90 but also occurs in other models.

Answer from BM Cars service

The most common cause of the occurrence of steering wheel vibration when braking is dislocation of the brake discs. This phenomenon occurs due to:

• poor selection of discs for the vehicle,
• overheating of the discs as a result of excessive wear – exceeding the permissible minimum disc thickness and installing new brake pads)
• improper installation of discs on the hub or
• very intensive use (sporty type of driving, braking from long hills, etc.).

The phenomenon of vibration also occurs when the front suspension components, bearings or steering system are worn.

To accurately determine the cause of vibration in your vehicle, it is necessary to check the condition of the suspension and steering system, as well as to measure the runout of the brake discs.

We invite you to take advantage of our service.

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• Fading engine in BMW with automatic transmission

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photo: BMW 320d nakhon100 – CC BY