Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: 2" drop and alignment?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows

    2" drop and alignment?

    Ive just installed proper drop coilovers. Ive now set the height i want btwn the front and the back, which considerably drops the car.

    As i align the rear wheels, the rtab alignment bracket cannot adjust far enough outward to gain the correct toe. Is this normal for such a lowered e36 or are my rear trailing arms bent?
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows
    Now that I think about it, its possible I have gotten misleading numbers for my style 37 wheels size and offset. I believe I have the m5 versions as the m badge is present in its place. Does anyone have definitive specs for these wheels as bmwstylewheels seems to of changed its mind on the details?
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    5,813
    My Cars
    99 M3
    The wheels should not play into alignment numbers. Camber is camber, Toe is Toe regardless of wheel type or size.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    8,167
    My Cars
    97 M3 & 13 Rav4
    Quote Originally Posted by bluptgm3 View Post
    The wheels should not play into alignment numbers. Camber is camber, Toe is Toe regardless of wheel type or size.
    This.

    Either your arms are bent or you need to extend the holes on the RTAB pockets, although a 2" drop although a bit drastic I don't think shouldn't require that much of a change in toe.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows
    I assumed that the alignment machine took into consideration track width to get appropriate toe? If the alignment machine does not need specific track width difference dimensions, how can it calculate toe?
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    1,143
    My Cars
    e36 323i, M3 3.2
    ...because the toe angle doesn't get affected by track width ?

    two wood boards on the ground laying 1 foot apart at an 45° angle to each other are still at the same angle to each other when they're 1 mile apart
    Last edited by samy01; 03-30-2017 at 08:39 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    C0A80101
    Posts
    39
    My Cars
    Broken
    This^

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows
    I dont think my question is being understood or is being oversimplified. If an alignment machine is affixed to every wheel. And the angle of which machine is to each other is the measurement on which it decides toe, then changing the track width difference btw front and back would ultimatly change the angle btwn the two and leave with a false reading would it not? How can a machine triangulate toe angle if the other measurments arent accurate?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Do the alignment wheel fixtures float in and out?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Ohhhhh.. I see the culprit. I am useing the track widths of the car to find the centerline bearing.. I assumed this was how alihnment machines calculated the toe angles as well.
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    1,143
    My Cars
    e36 323i, M3 3.2
    well then you have to aks the question more specific like you just did in the first place.

    i'd ask the alignment guy who does it for you, he must know how his machine works. or look up the manual for that machine, there are many different machines.

    the alignment machines i worked on have a little window about 3 or 4 inches wide in which it can receive the laserbeam from the other machine so i don't think it would be a problem.

    i don't think it is a problem since you can have bigger track width in the back than the front and the machine usually doesn't care.

    my english isn't that good so i don't know what float means.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows
    Yea, sorry about that. I made a horrible assumption. Thanks.
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Oneida, NY
    Posts
    6,370
    My Cars
    1993 318is/who to knows
    So the machine would have the cabability to read its depth from its hubs to measure wheelbase and track width. Then find toe while most likely computing the changes as the wheel is aligned. .. I think i understand now. Thanks for your info, i think it helped me piece together what it does exactly and i can rule out the machine as possibly having faulty readings.9
    Nobody would recertify these machines after somebody screwed with them without any visibility into what they did.

    HONK! HONK! Clown car coming through!

    -Oakdizzle

Similar Threads

  1. Question reagrding H&R sports and alignment
    By 97 MPWR in forum General BMW and Automotive Discussion sponsored by Intercity Lines
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 03-26-2003, 04:19 PM
  2. check out my sick drop and new plates.
    By BRUNO in forum BMW Rides & Events
    Replies: 42
    Last Post: 03-17-2003, 07:30 PM
  3. Dealership and alignment
    By stoneweed1 in forum 1996 - 2002 Z3 (E36/7, E36/8)
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 10-31-2002, 08:42 PM
  4. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 08-02-2002, 09:20 PM
  5. New Tires and Alignment???
    By Techno4doorM3 in forum 1992 - 1999 M3 (E36)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-25-2001, 12:37 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •