BMW 528i Shocks
Indications of Bad BMW 528i Shocks
All BMW cars in general are known for the comfortable ride and near-perfect handling they offer. The BMW 528i shocks play a very important role in this success the make was able to earn. Shocks dictate the ride and handling characteristics of your vehicle. It eliminates swaying whenever you go through a bumpy road. This makes the shocks prone to wear and malfunction over time. Added with heat from under the vehicle, shocks can go bad and make the driving experience an uncomfortable and frustrating one. To make things easier for you, following are some ways on how you can know for sure if your shocks are going bad.
Abnormal tire wear
Most already know that during bumpy rides, the shocks keep the wheels implanted to the road. This gives safer ride to everyone as well as longer life for the tires. Bad shocks will cause the wheels to skip and wheel-hop. This will cause the rubber chunks from the tire tread to fall off, giving an obvious and uneven tire appearance. Simply give your tires a visual inspection to know if this problem is present in your car.
Car pulling to one side
Another function of the BMW 528i shocks is to keep the vehicle body stable and steady during turning. Obviously, worn shocks will give side sways to your vehicle during sharp cornering. Give your vehicle a drive test and make a sudden turn. This will give you an idea if you have a malfunctioning shock and which wheel it can be found.
Crashing noises when going over bumps
If clunking and crashing sounds are heard on the wheels everytime your BMW 528i goes over a bump, there must be something rubbing against one or more of your shocks. Check your shocks as there might be a loose nut or bad bushing which needs to be tightened or replaced respectively. However, in severe cases, these noises are actually caused by a bad shock.
There are two possible reasons why you are experiencing difficulty in steering. The most common reason is that one of your tires is not inflated with the same pressure as the others. However, if you are certain that the problem does not lie with the tires, bad shocks may be at fault. Shocks assist in steering by making sure the wheels always make contact with the road. And if it does not do its job, hard steering may occur.