I have a 1974 2002tii that I bought 6 months ago. I have noticed that on windy days there are times when my contact with the road "breaks loose", and I have to recover before I slide into something. I have some experience with 2002's before and I don't remember this being a problem. Also, someone I work with used to own one of the first 2002tii's (bought in Germany) and he said his never did this. There are Yokohama P185 / 70R13 - 85S tires on it now. Any ideas?
How strong a wind are we talking about? If we're talking 50 or 60 MPH, I think that would be normal, if we're talking 15 to 20 MPH...not so normal. I would check the obvious things first, age of the tires, tread condition on the tires, tire pressures and then alignment.
Right. Tread looks fine. Tires were originally over-inflated, so yes, the problem used to be worse. Tires have been at the owner's manual specs for a few months and I thought I had cured the problem, but it happened again just the other day. I have not had the car in for an alignment, but it tracks straight and I have no other symptoms that would suggest it is off (wierd tire wear, etc.). Haven't kept track of the wind speeds. In any event, it is highly localized (canyons, passing big rigs, etc.). Generally, Portland Oregon is not too windy, unless you go up the Columbia Gorge.
You might check w/ Yokohama how to check the age of the tires (presumably some code or something will be molded on a sidewall someplace) My primary alignment/tire-installation shop last year advised me that it's recommended not to use tires 10 years old or older. If the tires _look_ fine, but are ancient (relatively speaking), they may have hardened/cured/heat-cycled to the point where realistically, they're not gripping the road. If it's that bad in the dry though, I would think that nearly any turn in the rain, even a slow speed 90-degree typical city-street right hander, you would be having the back end step out/car wanting to spin. If the tires were ever stored outdoors for any length of time, direct UV exposure is particularly bad for aging tires. Obviously if they're installed on a car, they get more coverage than sitting in the sun fully exposed all day. Aerodynamically, older BMW's are bricks compared to later era bimmers, so that could be part of the issue. But I wouldn't think it should be so bad as to regularly cause a near loss of control. It's not untypical for strong wind to push a moving car towards an adjacent lane and require a steering correction to hold course. In my experience w/ other cars & BMW's (never driven a 2002 on a windy road myself), occasionally you get blown around a bit and can tell when it's blustery, but don't actually get blown out of control. I'm no 2002 expert, but perhaps as suggested doublecheck your suspension and steering components. Steering box appropriately adjusted, etc.
What is the speed that you typically travel when this occurs? This happens to me as well in a slightly heavier 325e when going over a bridge at 80mph. Even when not on a bridge, the wind still blows the car around quite a bit when travelling at higher speeds. I suggest you slow down to below 70 when on the freeway. If it does it on regular country roads at a much lower speed, then speed isn't one of your issues.
Yes, I should have mentioned that speed is definately a factor. This does not happen below 55, and above 55 it depends on the wind. I almost wonder if I'm getting "negative ground effects", so that it is easier for the wind to toss me around when I'm traveling at higher speeds.
The location also matters. Using my bridge example, on a windy day, I get tossed around on the bridge. Windy would be defined (for me) as 'enough to move your hair if you were to stand still'. Even when it's not strong enough to 'move your hair', I still get tossed around on that bridge as long as I'm going above, say, 60. Even if I do 62 mph, I still wouldn't be able to keep the car in a straight line and would have to fight to keep it looking like I'm only slightly drunk instead of hammered. lol
Tire Age I think you get the credit on this one. I found two possible formats on the web. One said to look for four digits, representing week# and year, as in WWYY. I found a code on the tire "K3595", which would be August, 1995. Another site said the date is on the end of the CCT code. While the format doesn't match exactly, mine says "8U5", again potentially meaning August, 1995. So my tires are almost 13 years old. Yikes. On the other hand, this is kind of cool. Can't wait to see how the car performs with the new tires. Suggestions, anyone?
You may want to upgrade to 15in tires or look into how that size may work for I have a 76 2002 and I have BFGoodriche 15 Traction Raidal T/As and the do really great.
Windy The stock '02 is not aerodynamic and I can recall reaching 90-95 mph (yes on a slight downgrade) and having the odd feeling of intemittantly losing road contact with the front wheels, so I backed off. These cars also came originally equipped with the Michelin XaS asymetric tire which never caught on with other makes. It seems to be still available (http://www.performanceplustire.com/..._source=googlebase&utm_medium=feed#prodAnchor) One look at the outside sipe and you'll get the idea that BMW maybe had this high-sided resistance thing in mind when they specified the tire OEM. The original compound was hard and the tire could usually go 25-30,000 miles but watch out in light rain or drizzle. It was strictly a fair or foul weather tire. What kind of shocks are you running? Use the Bilstiens and stay with stock springs.
You had me hooked until you got to the part about "fair or foul weather". Here in Portland, Oregon it is almost always wet to some degree. We certainly have lots of days where it has "rained just a little". My current shocks are probably just plain worn out, so it doesn't really matter what kind they are. During the paint process (coming soon), I'll be installing new Bilstien Sports. Do you think that might actually solve the problem?
The suspension bushings look fine. I may replace them anyway since various parts of the car are spread over three counties. Body/suspension at the paint shop, engine/clutch/trans and brake booster at mechanics, all interior parts, exterior trim, windows, etc. still at my house. So I'll get the steering box checked when they reinstall the engine, and I'll get the overall steering/suspension checked when the new shocks go in. Thanks.
Tire Recommendation for 2002tii II have Toyo Spectrum P185/70 13s on my 1973 2002tii and they work great. I have had the car up to 80 on route 81 passing tractor trailers with no wind action. I think your problem is old rubber that is no longer flexible. I also had a set of BF Goodrich TA Touring tires on a 780 Volvo and they really made a difference in handling. Good luck on your new tires! Buck Cording
