Wheel alignment

[madfronter]

I put sold offset M3 bushings on my car when I replaced my right front control arm and needed an alignment after everything was installed. I called a few places and they refused to do the alignment because they didn't have the propper weights to do the alignment so I took it to NTB. My steering wheel was nice and centered and everything seemed ok until I started driving on the highway, my car seems shimmy to left and right slightly at speeds above 50MPH. It's the same while braking just more noticeable. I took the car back there today to tell them what the symptoms are and the guy who did the alignment took it for a drive and said it is being caused by bump steering due to the tie rods not being even on the lowered car. It weird because I didn't notice anything like this before I had the alignment adjusted. Im a little frustrated and confused as to what the problem is since it started after I had them adjust the alignment. The guy seemed to be very knowledgeable and I don't know much about alignment issues so Im not sure if he is correct. Any ideas?

[318tiSpeed]

I just finished aligning the front wheels! Did it at a local shop (these guys are great!) that had a John Bean Visualiner 3D1. It uses digital cameras and cutting edge tech to read the wheels' alignment so that the mechanic can do his work. It cost me $80 CAD to align the front wheels, and now my steering wheel doesn't jitter at 70 kph anymore!

Apparently there are only 3 of these machines in Toronto as they cost 40 grand.

[m3outtanowhere]

Personally i trust Manual Allignment tools over laser allign. An experienced mechanic with the right toos = happy customer. My ti came with a camber caster kit. this is so great!!!!!! i never have to pay for allignment again. today track...tomorrow street. sooooooo easy!!!!! pop the hood 12mm wrench and a flathead screwdriver and in 2 min. im hittin the canyons. Who wants to rumble com'on putem up putem up!

[plimpias]

Can anyone post your alignment specs for the rear camber? Please let us know if you have your ride lowered and what your using.

[jetblackbimmer]

How much should one pay for an alignment? I have been quoted 180-2oo. Seems too much. Maybe i'm just a bit of a penny pincher. The main thing I get is that shops tell me that they will not work on my car because it is a BMW, they refuse. PepBoys told me that they can't change an a/c belt. Cussed them out and went to home depot for a socket set. The simple things I cannot get a regular mechanic to do.

[cali-ti]

i believe the guys who previously worked on my car and installed the ireland engineering camber and toe kits on the subframe set my rear camber to -1.0 and -1.1 (some differences in side to side on my ti) ... forget which side was which. they set the front correspondingly (-1.0 and -1.1)

[cali-ti]

Originally Posted by jetblackbimmer

The main thing I get is that shops tell me that they will not work on my car because it is a BMW, they refuse. PepBoys told me that they can't change an a/c belt. Cussed them out and went to home depot for a socket set. The simple things I cannot get a regular mechanic to do.

i would say count it as a blessing, you probably wouldn't want them to work on it anyway

[316i compact]

mine had 2.3 on both wheels at the rear axle .... i have Schnitzer springs. But i think this is too much!

[AlaskaBlue]

Originally Posted by 316i compact

mine had 2.3 on both wheels at the rear axle .... i have Schnitzer springs. But i think this is too much!

It depends on what you want to do with the car really. If it is a car that will never see any kind of track use that is probably too much.

[L84THSKY]

I have yet to get my car aligned, kinda lost steam on that endeavor. Even if I got the alignment, I would be redoing the alignment when I put in the rear camber kit.

Gotta get the rear diff in and do the camber kit. Then I will get it aligned.

Originally Posted by cali-ti

i would say count it as a blessing, you probably wouldn't want them to work on it anyway

[316i compact]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBlue

It depends on what you want to do with the car really. If it is a car that will never see any kind of track use that is probably too much.

Things here at Greece are very very bad. We dont have tracks to take our cars. There are only two(good enough) tracks all over Greece,and they are too far away from where i live... so no track use. Only some street racing use but again 2.3 is too much for me. The wear is too much on the rear tyres and i dont think that i am getting the best of my car with this 2.3. And i want to correct this before i go to 17 0r 18inch where the tyres will be far more expensive to replace very often. I am running on 15s now, stock tyre size

[96cali]

FWIW Brett at Koalamotorsport uses weights and charged around $120 but they always fix little stuff at the same time so I don't mind paying more for the expert treatment and TLC they throw in.