Please help.

[SureShot434]

I have a 2001 BMW 325i sport, and i was driving and went over a rail road crossing. On the other side of the tracks there was a big dip and my car went down into it and i bottomed out my car pretty hard. The car now has a bad vibration when i start in every gear. The vibration is't as bad and almost goes away when i'm running above 2,500 RPM, but if i let off the gas and down shift and give it gas again at 3,500 RPM it vibrates again. Along with the vibration there is a noise coming from the front of the vehicle. I checked all my fluids and I am not leaking any of them. I jacked the car up and looked and I could not see anything wrong. There is just marks on the metal skid plate from it scraping the road. We thought it was just a bent wheel but i'm not convinced.

[static667]

How do you feel the vibration? Is it through your steering wheel, the seat of your pants, do you feel it through your feet? Is there any new noise to accompany the vibration?

[kayger12]

Trans mounts?

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[SureShot434]

I fell the vibration through pretty much everything...the pedals the steering wheel and the seat...i dont really feel it throught the shift knob though hmmmm

[danewilson77]

I thought you said you bent a rim? No?

I think you need to look at everything suspension....

1. CAB's
2. Tranny mounts - Stolen from KG.
3. Rims - This includes balancing
4. Alignment is very likely to be off now.
5. Control Arm inner and outer ball joints.

[SureShot434]

ok i have never done suspension kind of work. How do I go about checking these?

[danewilson77]

Jack up the front end of your car....so that both wheels are off of the ground.

Grab your tire at 0300 and 0900 and give it a push/pull. There should be negligible movement. If movement/noise is witnessed...very likely your cabs are shot.

You also be able to observe inner and outer ball joint movement as well, while doing this.

Grab the tire at 1200 and 0600 and push/pull. If you damaged the wheel bearing, you will see movement here. There should be zero movement.

Balancing is tough. You can spin your wheel while its suspended and kind of look down the line of it, to see if there is gross bendage.

[SureShot434]

Ok I will do this...but how would it explain the vibration lessening and almost going away completely when i shift in to neutral and coast down the road?

[static667]

Sounds like something rotational in the drive train. It may have jarred the transmission mounts just enough to throw things out of alignment.

[SureShot434]

How would I check to see if it was in alignment?