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[wazzza]

So I get this weird sensation on my foot (accelerator and brake alike) as if some metal is grinding against metal -- sort of a friction -- almost like bent rotors, but much less intense. It is not wheel bearing cause it does not give the noise or does not get worse at high speeds. I feel it mostly at low speeds like 5-20 mi/hr.

I temporarily had put some cheap Kumho Ecsta AST all seasons on. I have taken this issue to 3 different BMW dealers and all of them say that because it's not the recommended tires, they have gone choppy and uneven, esp. the front ones hence creating that sensation (grinding-like).

Anyone experienced this? I am just trying to figure out whether it's really this "choppy" thing or its the typical BMW dealership trying to get you to buy the costly stuff first, and then go from there?

[wazzza]

No one?

[phillip@bmpdesign]

Choppy tire wear is usually the result of worn suspension parts creating an uneven force on the tires when turning. This could be from worn or broken bushings, tie rods, or worn shocks and struts typically. The other big cause of uneven tire wear is a misalignment, choppy wear typically from a bad toe in or out.

Uneven tire wear shouldn't cause any kind of grinding noises, but may cause vibrations and usually a humming or roaring noise. I would probably stop going to BMW dealerships and go to a reputable independent that will check your suspension and can do an alignment with the proper weights and specs for your car.

[08*E90*328i]

Ran into this same issue with the OEM runflats. I swapped them out for some non-runflats and all is well. I also had an alignment done just to make sure it wouldn't cause these to become choppy as well. My local BMW shop (not dealer) said they run into this a lot with the Bridgestone Runflats.

A "choppy" tire could also be a result of high road force numbers. If that's the case, not only will you get a slight vibration depending on how bad the tire is, but it will also have a "hop" to it; almost as if the tire has a high spot.

[wazzza]

Ok knowing that this is sort of a common issue makes me feel better. I have a set of ContiSportContacts waiting to be put on for the summer. Hopefully the annoyance will be gone then!

Thanks!

[freshwater]

For last 6-9 months My ride is getting Choppy or grinding or humming whatever you called. I have Continental ExtremeContact DWS and I think I had ~30K on them. Took it to the BMW Dealer and he told me Tires are worn out uneven but thread is not bad. They did replace the Front Ball Bearings since they found that its going Bad but the noise never went away.

I think my Continental DWS are not good after 25K and wear out uneven, and become very noisy, but they are good in Wet traction and Snow. I really need a Tire which is quite so no more DWS.

But it may be other issue as many mention which cause the Front tire to go bad, like joints or Arms or Toe..

[asus389]

Its hard to say without actually seeing the tires, but its possible that they are correct about your tires causing the noise. They may be referring to "heel toe wear". If it is, you can feel it by running your hand across the outside tread blocks. It will feel rough going one way and smooth going the other because the trailing edge of the tread block will be worn down more than the leading edge.

I have found that even if aligned "correctly" (some toe in as to specs) the e90 will do this to the outside edge of the front tires eventually. Its worse on some tire designs than others. It also makes more noise on some tire designs than others.

If you don't have a suspension problem and your car is aligned correctly, you can try to counteract this by rotating the tires. If you have a staggered setup rotate side to side, if you have a square setup do the normal cross rotation. The goal is to get the tires to switch rotating direction.

[wazzza]

Thanks asus389. Yes, I think the BMW service rep mentioned almost the exact things that you just said! I may end up rotating the tires to see if that helps.

Personally, I don't mind the noise -- music high all the time! But it bugs me to death when I feel that choppiness on my foot through the accelerator or the brakes at low speeds

[wazzza]

Originally Posted by phillip@bmpdesign

Uneven tire wear shouldn't cause any kind of grinding noises, but may cause vibrations and usually a humming or roaring noise.

It isn't a grind per say, but I feel it on my foot through the accelerator or brake pedal. You know the sensation you get when you brake and your brakes are completely worn out? Almost like that but much less intense. (But of course, my brakes and rotors we all replaced only a few months ago)

I am upgrading to Bilstein/Eibach this summer, so if it is suspension, that should solve the issue. When I do that upgrade, I will ask them to take a look at any bushings and such that may need replacing as well.