issues after front suspension refresh...

[nortncom]

I recently refreshed the front suspension on my 96 328is with the following parts:

meyle HD control arms and sway bar end links
lemforter tie rod assemblies and centered M3 bushings

My car is also running Koni yellows and H&R sport springs.

After I installed everything I had the car aligned at BMW. Measurements are as follows:

Front camber: LF -1.57, RT-1.09

caster: LF 3.26, RT 3.28

toe: LF 0.08, RT 0.08 (total front toe 0.15)

steer ahead: 0.00

Rear camber: LF -1.55, RT -1.59

toe: LF 0.10, RT 0.12 (total toe 0.22)

Thrust angle -0.01

So after I installed everything and had the car aligned, it now pulls slightly to the right and the steering wheel is offset a few degrees to the left when going in a straight line. I initially thought the slight pulling could have something to do with the crown of the road and what not, but with my steering wheel being canted to the left as well, it leads me to believe maybe theres something else going on - tire pressure is correct as well. I am also a little concerned about having a half a degree variance in front camber considering theres no adjustment - the car has not been wrecked either. Does anything about these alignment numbers stand out to anyone as off?

[XnWarden]

My first thought is that the shop did not center the rack before aligning it.

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My second thought is that a half degree of camber difference in the front might be a lot.

[jclausen]

Swap front tires the see what happens

[nortncom]

My first thought is that the shop did not center the rack before aligning it.

- - - Updated - - -

My second thought is that a half degree of camber difference in the front might be a lot.

Kind of what I was thinking... Anyone have any ideas what could cause a half degree of variance between front wheels? Structural damage is what I would normally think of in a scenario like this, but I'm almost 100% positive the car has never been in an accident.

[asphalt4463]

The front camber difference isn't a problem. I would start by leveling and locking the steering wheel and resetting the front toe. Set each side independently, not just by measuring total toe. If you can do all that work yourself, you can definitely align it yourself and probably better than a shop. I think a few weeks back I replied on another thread with steps I use for a diy front and rear alignment. I have pics from the most recent time I did this and can post here if you're interested.

[nortncom]

The front camber difference isn't a problem. I would start by leveling and locking the steering wheel and resetting the front toe. Set each side independently, not just by measuring total toe. If you can do all that work yourself, you can definitely align it yourself and probably better than a shop. I think a few weeks back I replied on another thread with steps I use for a diy front and rear alignment. I have pics from the most recent time I did this and can post here if you're interested.

That would be great to see some pics. I have been looking into resetting the tow, as it would seem like my wheels are slightly pointed to the right because my steering wheel sits to the left

From what I've gathered, I need to shorten the passenger side and extend the driver's side equal amounts to straighten them up. Is that correct?

[asphalt4463]

Here are the first five pics (5 limit per post). I'll explain in the next post.
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[asphalt4463]

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1. Put two tiles under each wheel with grease between them. Optional but I made some crappy 2x4 risers to make it easier to reach in for adjustments.
2. Level and lock the steering wheel. Use whatever you have available.
3. Find the centerline of the car with a plumb and put down a string between the front and rear points. Be accurate here. Don't use the hood, trunklid, or bumper covers to find center; they're not accurate. Use two points underneath on the chassis you know are exact center.
4. Jackstands at all four corners with a straight bar between them. Make sure each bar is the exact same length. Square up the jackstands by eye and rough measurements.
5. Find the exact center of the bar, mark it with a sharpee and get it perfectly centered over the centerline string on the floor.
6. Put strings front to rear on the bars with the strings over the ends of the bars.
7. Check string height to the center of the hub.
8. Take measurements against the rim (not the tire) using the inside or outside of the string. The string itself is too wide to use for accurate measurements.

The car in the pics is an xdrive with 17" wheels; 0 deg 4 min +/-4 min total toe front, 0 deg 10 min +/-4 min total toe rear. I calculated that to be 1/32" toe in per front wheel and 1/16" toe in per rear wheel (1/16" total toe front, 1/8" total toe rear). On the front, ~1/8 turn on the tie rod moves about 1/32". The rear adjustment is a little cruder than the front so re-check before torquing. IIRC, rear torque is 70ft lbs, front 40ft lbs. Check the bentley first. If you do make adjustments, work side to side and check measurements frequently. An adjustment on one side can sometimes affect the other. Work it through, take your time and you can get it absolutely perfect. Mine is spot on, requires very little corrective input, and tracks straight even on roads with a high crown. The snap back to center after a turn is also improved when you get the toe perfect.

I think I got most of this right but am open to perfecting the technique.

I check camber with a cut piece of angle iron and a carpenters protractor. I'll try to get some pics of that. Even though I calibrated the protractor with a plumb, accuracy with this method is still going to only be o.k. but basically shows if you're in or out of spec. I might get a digital angle gauge sometime in the future. Adjusting camber is a lot more work than toe and as long as it's in spec, I'm leaving it alone for now.