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Thread: I should know this -- but i dont... wheel angles ?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
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    orlando,fl
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    2000 2.3l z3

    I should know this -- but i dont... wheel angles ?

    When I look at my z3 from the rear--- I see the rear wheels aernt "square" with the concrete.
    Tonight I laid a carpenters square on the concrete and slid it up to the tire side wall. At the top I see about 1 inch gap when the square
    touches the sidewall at 6 O-Clock. Both sides same.

    Moved the square to the front wheels--- get about a 3/8 on front wheels......

    Is this "normal" or am I way out of adjustment ??????

    (I have new tires so I dont want to to be out of adjustment for very long)

    Tim

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Sounds about normal for non-M.

    The rears on non-M are somewhere 2-3 degrees of negative camber.
    -Abel

    - E36 328is ~210-220whp: Lots of Mods.
    - 2000 Z3: Many Mods.
    - 2003 VW Jetta TDI Manual 47-50mpg
    - 1999 S52 Estoril M Coupe
    - 2014 328d Wagon, self-tuned, 270hp/430ft-lbs
    - 2019 M2 Competition, self-tuned, 504whp
    - 2016 Mini Cooper S

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    Philadelphia
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    1997 m3
    When was the last time you had a wheel alignment performed?
    To help prolong the life of your new tires, id recommend getting an alignment performed by a BMW focused shop. Ive seen regular alignment shop butcher alignments pretty bad.
    You cant really judge your alignment with the naked eye, you can get it in the ballpark, but the fine tuning needs to be done on a rack.

  4. #4
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    An alignment shop can only adjust the front toe on our cars (if it is stock). What is being discussed here is the rear camber. Lowering the car can increase the camber. I'm not sure what the stock setting is. What a BMW alignment shop can do is tell you how much (if any) the toe, camber and caster is and what it should be, but the toe is the only thing they can adjust. After market add-ons can address front camber and caster and rear toe.
    Last edited by khammack; 11-16-2017 at 11:04 PM.
    2002 M Roadster, Steel Gray Metailic, Gray Nappa Leather, Black Soft Top, Steel Gray Metailic Hard Top, TC Kline Double Adj Shocks with H&R Springs, Stromung Exhaust, SSR Type C Wheels. Looking for a new home.

    2022 Z4 M40i, Misano Blue Metallic, Prem Pkg, Driver Assistance Pkg

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  5. #5
    Join Date
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    99 M3
    I heard once
    “If a car goes off the road tail first, it is a design flaw. If the same car goes off the road nose first it is driver error.”

    More camber in the rear than in the front increases the likely hood of understeer.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by khammack View Post
    An alignment shop can only adjust the front toe on our cars (if it is stock). What is being discussed here is the rear camber. Lowering the car can increase the camber. I'm not sure what the stock setting is. What a BMW alignment shop can do is tell you how much (if any) the toe, camber and caster is and what it should be, but the toe is the only thing they can adjust. After market add-ons can address front camber and caster and rear toe.
    Ah you are indeed correct. slipped my mind totally. Working on cars for a living makes you crazy sometimes . Id still recommend op get an alignment with the new tires. That is of course if he hasn't had one done already.
    Last edited by Ateyourv8; 11-16-2017 at 11:21 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    MN
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    1997 z3 roadster
    Quote Originally Posted by khammack View Post
    Lowering the car can increase the camber.
    More importantly it will create toe out which will cause the inside of the tires to wear excessively. While it can't be aligned without modifications, an alignment shop can give you the readings so you know if you are in spec or not.
    It's a Hybrid--Burns Gas and Rubber

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    San Francisco, CA
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    2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe
    Quote Originally Posted by fairchild View Post
    When I look at my z3 from the rear--- I see the rear wheels aernt "square" with the concrete.
    Tonight I laid a carpenters square on the concrete and slid it up to the tire side wall. At the top I see about 1 inch gap when the square
    touches the sidewall at 6 O-Clock. Both sides same.

    Moved the square to the front wheels--- get about a 3/8 on front wheels......

    Is this "normal" or am I way out of adjustment ??????

    (I have new tires so I dont want to to be out of adjustment for very long)

    Tim

    Just to give you a bit more info....this video gives some good images about what camber, toe, and caster are. Camber starts at 1:29, and toe starts at 2:20:

    2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe--Sterling Gray/Sunroof Delete/5MT

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
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    Houston, TX
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    36 Cylinders
    2000 Z3 2.3 Alignment.


    Z3 alignment.jpg
    -Abel

    - E36 328is ~210-220whp: Lots of Mods.
    - 2000 Z3: Many Mods.
    - 2003 VW Jetta TDI Manual 47-50mpg
    - 1999 S52 Estoril M Coupe
    - 2014 328d Wagon, self-tuned, 270hp/430ft-lbs
    - 2019 M2 Competition, self-tuned, 504whp
    - 2016 Mini Cooper S

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