BMW 330 ZHP alignment and data + Pics

[danewilson77]

Got my alignment today. Interesting to note that the ZHP shares its alignment spec with normal 330i......

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_164131.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_164518.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_164436.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_164306.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_172252.jpg

Top of page....

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_204625.jpg

2nd half of page....

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_204635.jpg

[pyreguy]

I thought the ZHP came with more negative camber?

[Alphatek45]

I thought the ZHP came with more negative camber?

Me too

[pyreguy]

-.5 degrees of camber (for a total of -1.1 degrees) according to this (http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php/BMW_E46#ZHP_-_Performance_Package).

[danewilson77]

I initially thought they were different......but the hunter road force machine...said what it said.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=752605

Post #5 solidified for me. I really was only concerned with the toe...as I was chewing through my new tires at an alarming rate....

[pyreguy]

Sounds good to me :)

The guys down here at Autobahn South build race cars and specialize in suspension so I will just hand them the keys and let them work their magic anyway when the time comes. They have earned my trust without question.

[danewilson77]

Please ask them what they use as specs so we can further complete the research...

[pyreguy]

Will do

[danewilson77]

Thanks

[zhp43867]

So the roadforce machine told them what the specs were for the car? Is it possible that the machine incorrectly grouped them together? I could swear my car has negative camber... (has only ever been aligned by BMW).

[danewilson77]

Well....the roadforce machine did not pull up seperate specs for the zhp. It pulled up 2004 330i sport..

Thats when I brought it up and quickly did some research online. I doubt the specs would be all that different...but the specs shown are for previously discussed 330i. IDK to be honest with you....

Again...I was also a little surprised they didn't ballast the car....

[danewilson77]

Damn that car is sexy as hell. Anyway to PS out the fat a$$.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101201_171906.jpg

[Alphatek45]

It looks wet! (the car)

[danewilson77]

Thats what 4 days over Thanksgiving and a porter cable will do. Gotta have mazerna polish, Wolfgang sealant, and dodo juiice hard candy wax. Process is not for the faint of heart...but I prolly saved myself 500 bux, and I can do it whenevr I want to now...for free.

EDIT: Oh yeah...it rained that morning (5:00 AM) as I drove 60 miles into work. That pic was taken about 6:00 PM....

Pure nastiness.

[Alphatek45]

Gonna have to do that, after I get my front bumper sprayed.

[danewilson77]

Imlearned how to do it.....in about...well...instantly...hehe. Had a lil guidance from a buddy o mine though.

[kayger12]

Thats what 4 days over Thanksgiving and a porter cable will do. Gotta have mazerna polish, Wolfgang sealant, and dodo juiice hard candy wax. Process is not for the faint of heart...but I prolly saved myself 500 bux, and I can do it whenevr I want to now...for free.

EDIT: Oh yeah...it rained that morning (5:00 AM) as I drove 60 miles into work. That pic was taken about 6:00 PM....

Pure nastiness.

Looks incredible.

[pyreguy]

I wish I was that industrious... :P

[Marcus-SanDiego]

If I lived in dane's neck of the woods, I'd be paying him to detail my car.

[danewilson77]

If you lived in my neck of the woods...I wouldn't be taking your money...

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Ahh, thanks, DW.

[Washburn]

Just because the Hunter said it's the same as a regular 330 that doesn't mean it's correct - it was programmed by a human after all.
if/when I get an alignment, i am gonna verify with a dealer and/or specialized indie shop that the ZHP does have more (-) camber or not.

So what was the reason to get an alignment?
regular maintenance or was it having some symptom/problem?
If it did, what was the problem?
did the alignment solve it?

Thanks.

[danewilson77]

I got the alignment because tire wear dictated it.

The dealer concurred with the zhp spec, as well as the link (post 5), who also verified with the dealer.

It wasn't only because the computer said so....did you read the above?

[VA//M3]

Hmmm, Interesting, the ZHP requires toe out instead of toe in as in the ZCP 330.

I'll be zeroing mine out once I lower and change control arms.

Positive toe would make the car very twitchy to steering input at highway speeds.

[aurelius]

I too need an alignment -- you guys will love the reason why: noticed the lock nuts on both tie rod ends were totally loose. Which was neat. Anyhow, didn't lose a wheel but the front tires were wearing quickly & unevenly (big shocker).

Anyhow, sold the tires & wheels in question but now that I have the 135's back on the car (with nice bald Michelin PS1's), I'm thinking about new tires. I've got a new set sitting in my TireRack.com wish list but before I pull that trigger, it's alignment time.

After reading this thread and the e46fan thread linked in post #5, it seems all we need to do is make sure the tech doing the work chooses coupe vs sedan and uses the Sport specs for 18" wheels (the std ZSP wheel being 17"). See first image below.

Easy enough but here's the curve ball. Looking at the add'l images below, lifted from another alignment thread here on this site, it seems the setting might change if you are running the OE BMW shock tower reinforcement plates (BMW p/n 51717036781).

Or is it that you simply realign to ZSP 18" specs after installing the plates? Discuss...

Note: the data below is all related to coupes.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/alignment1.jpg
http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/sportssuspensionheck.png
http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/330ciroughroadpackage.png

[az3579]

When I had my alignment done, I asked the guy to align according to lowered sport suspension but he told me that it doesn't matter because the machine is set up based on VIN#. I don't know how well it gets aligned, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. Either way, it was the only shop that would touch my car because most shops won't touch a lowered car. :(

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[aurelius]

...it seems the setting might change if you are running the OE BMW shock tower reinforcement plates (BMW p/n 51717036781).

Update: according to Turner Motorsport, a big proponent of the above-quoted reinforcement plates, alignment specs do not change with the plates installed.

[danewilson77]

I put the specs in there...

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/IMAG1310.jpg

[Rovert]

I wonder if just a bit of extra camber in my rear would help with the deep dip rubbing of my tires. Since I only rub on deep dips, would the extra camber wear the tire far more than the occasional rub? I'll probably rub at least once every time I go out if I'm not watching certain dips.

[danewilson77]

^Yes....it would help.

[Rovert]

But would extra negative camber be worse or better for tire wear if I only rub lightly once and a while?

[danewilson77]

But would extra negative camber be worse or better for tire wear if I only rub lightly once and a while?

Worse. It will have its cost. Additionally, a rough thumbrule you can use is.... for every inch you lower your car, you will produce about 1* of negative camber.
Sent from SIGFest-2012, USA on HTC via TTv2

[Rovert]

OK....so what I'll do today is have them maintain the camber I'm at now....since I only get occasional rub and my next tires will be 255 instead of 265. But align everything else to spec. Does that sound logical?

[danewilson77]

Yes.....but...

Be advsed, that with your setup, you'll never see the BMW spec's.

[Rovert]

ok gotcha...i'll report the numbers if anyone know how to read them to see if they did a good job.. :S I'm newb with alignment.

[Rovert]

http://img.tapatalk.com/4a73c722-d41b-a708.jpg

Then he drove it and fine tuned it from experience in feeling it!

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[danewilson77]

Are those the final readings? Why would he leave toe like that on the right front?

[Rovert]

http://img.tapatalk.com/c777ea02-e95e-b3a6.jpg

This was the print out after. He was saying how the car is lowered the camber will be more than normal which you said already. After that print out he test drove and put it back on the ramp for another minor adjustment using just his senses.

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[danewilson77]

http://img.tapatalk.com/c777ea02-e95e-b3a6.jpg

This was the print out after. He was saying how the car is lowered the camber will be more than normal which you said already. After that print out he test drove and put it back on the ramp for another minor adjustment using just his senses.

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Putting mine with your's as a comparison.

Wow.....he didn't have to do a whole lot. Didn't do anything to camber or caster and changed toe like 1/8"

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/IMAG1310.jpg

I would love to know where the specs come from....as ours are different.

[Rovert]

I took some pics while it was being done....I have no idea about what types of machines are used for alignment. But it seemed pretty high-tech to me! LOL

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q2_UvT1753c/T45UHs0s6tI/AAAAAAAADK4/WIlZ5fmmonY/s1024/Alignment-1000082.jpg

He had to torch a ceased adjustment screw....
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3v1eE8Vm76E/T45UHsTacLI/AAAAAAAADK0/UvPoXd-B9o8/s1024/Alignment-1000083.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oiplliaz-i8/T45b06RGX3I/AAAAAAAADMw/9egPUICxkpE/s1024/Alignment-1000086.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sqJDOVQjR2Y/T45UJu3w7JI/AAAAAAAADLM/jis1-JFqwa0/s1024/Alignment-1000087.jpg

And this is what was used:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mAAILaJkT1g/T45UKnYHwtI/AAAAAAAADLc/94-okEA3uKM/s720/Alignment-1000089.jpg

[danewilson77]

Probably had to torch tie rod nut?

Sent from SIGFest-2012, USA on HTC via TTv2

[johnrando]

Got my alignment done yesterday. I uploaded the results in the PDF below called "bmw alignment 6-12". The shop really seemed to know what they were doing, the SA was extremely knowledgeable, and there were minimum 3 BMW 3 series in the lot waiting. He asked me how I drove my car, said he'd align to specs but would also tweak based on my driving habits.

I still scrape a little in the rear with 12mm spacers even with rear fenders rolled, guess I'm going to have to go down to 10mm. Any other thoughts are welcome.

4590

[Newjack]

Got my alignment done yesterday. I uploaded the results in the PDF below called "bmw alignment 6-12". The shop really seemed to know what they were doing, the SA was extremely knowledgeable, and there were minimum 3 BMW 3 series in the lot waiting. He asked me how I drove my car, said he'd align to specs but would also tweak based on my driving habits.

I still scrape a little in the rear with 12mm spacers even with rear fenders rolled, guess I'm going to have to go down to 10mm. Any other thoughts are welcome.

4590

Excellent information. How much did you pay for an alignment? And what made you go with an indy over the dealer to get this done?

[johnrando]

Dealers charge too much for an alignment and I've read so much on the forums about good tire centers doing alignments, I decided to do some research. The place I went to is an independent tire shop with two locations, I've always heard decent things about them, and the online research absolutely validated that they know what they're doing. They are not even a BMW indy. But, they were used to dealing with higher end cars (I'm sure quite a few modified) modified so I figured they'd know more than the average place, and likely more than the dealer who might not deal with a lot of lowered cars. Don't know that for sure. This place charged $119. There was another place that I thought about for $89, but decided to go with a tire specialist over a "do-everything" shop.

[ELCID86]

So what should one look for in an alignment shop? I'm getting ready to do the front struts on my son's non-ZHP 33Ci. Been doing a lot of searching and reading. It seems equipment is important bu so is the skill of the technician. I do have an indy BMW/ Mercedes shop about 20 min. from me but was wondering if Meineke or Merchant's (NTB affiliation) would be ok. Thanks for any suggestions.

[danewilson77]

Hunter Road Force Laser alignment and a good tech.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[johnrando]

What Dane said. As well, check yelp for reviews. Not the most scientific way, but you can usually tell from the reviews what types of cars they handle. Like, "I took my BMW to xzy and there were several other BMWs in the lot... did a great job, yada yada"

[ELCID86]

Found a knowledgeable shop in near me in Fredericksburg, VA. 53695370 Appears I was in pretty bad need. (330Ci, non-ZHP)

[Newjack]

What's the name of the shop?

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[danewilson77]

That camber adjustment is tough. I guess that's as close as they could get it.

[ELCID86]

International Auto Specialists on Princess Anne St. Seem like great guys. They put weight in the car to simulate driving conditions. Not sure if it's needed, but oh well.

[Newjack]

Here are the results from my indy shop. They wanted to align it to non sport setup, to get the most out of my tires. But I told them to keep the sport suspension alignment. You know, because dat camber.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45065965/Car/1129121435.jpg

[pleasecorrupt]

could someone give my results a once over and see if its close to stock spec. seems off to me.. like they used regular sedan 330i specs and not sport

http://f.cl.ly/items/3o2X3V413J040E2P3E0M/Photo%20Jan%2004,%207%2014%2053%20PM.jpg

[commandtoad]

to those that don't know, unless you have slotted the strut towers, the front camber and caster is non-adjustible, only toe. the reason the ZHP has .5deg difference is camber is becouse it is lowered from a standard e-46.

[danewilson77]

Actually....you don't need to "Slot" the towers. What I usually see done, is they punch the pins out on the FSM's.

In either case...amber adjustability is minimal on the front.

[Dave1027]

Hey Dane,

I'm taking the car in for an alignment tomorrow. I'd like to know what kind of adjustments they can do.

I see by looking at your alignment sheet the shop was able to change all aspects front and back. I'm very familiar with vehicle alignment procedures but don't know the limitations of the e46. In aligning the caster and camber on the fronts, is there any else but shock tower top adjustment? No LCA adjustment? These pins I read about, do they stick up out the top of the shock tower?

How about rears? What adjustment points do they have?

Also, what's FSM? Front shock mount?

[danewilson77]

Rears = They can appreciably change camber/toe

Front = Only toe. Very slight amount of camber adjustment.

[Dave1027]

How are the pins at the FSMs removed? Is unbolting the FSM required? I guess you have to any way to make the adjustment.

[danewilson77]

How are the pins at the FSMs removed? Is unbolting the FSM required? I guess you have to any way to make the adjustment.

They usually just punch pins out if need be. Only necessary to zero camber out.

Only loosening of fsm bolts is required.

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[Dave1027]

Well, the alignment at Les Schwab turned out not very productive. They refused to adjust the camber and caster. Only wanted to do the toes. The guy told me if I wanted a complete alignment I should take it to the BMW dealer because they have special tools to do the shock tower. They put the car on the rack and everything was close except for the right front which has the camber and caster of by almost a full degree. The guy said there was no evidence of accident but thinks somebody may have hit a pothole. He said all the bushings and ball joints are in great shape though. Carfax does say the bushings were done recently.

A car enthusiast friend of mine is recommending an indie shop. He's checking to see if they can do the work.

[danewilson77]

Well, the alignment at Les Schwab turned out not very productive. They refused to adjust the camber and caster. Only wanted to do the toes. The guy told me if I wanted a complete alignment I should take it to the BMW dealer because they have special tools to do the shock tower. They put the car on the rack and everything was close except for the right front which has the camber and caster of by almost a full degree. The guy said there was no evidence of accident but thinks somebody may have hit a pothole. He said all the bushings and ball joints are in great shape though. Carfax does say the bushings were done recently.

A car enthusiast friend of mine is recommending an indie shop. He's checking to see if they can do the work.

Hehe.... Those guys ARE special TOOLS.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[Dave1027]

Found out last night that one of the reasons for my alignment problem is due to the right strut tower being mushroom. I ordered reinforcement plates and new strut mounts.

[danewilson77]

OK....good that you know and are going to re-enforce it. You've got to pound it flat as well.

[echo46]

Will the re-enforcement plates solve the issue and if it is pounded flat will that compromise its integrity?

[SoCalZman]

How often should one get an alignment? I have an email here for 15% off an alignment from the local BMW shop. I believe the car was aligned less than a year ago right before I bought it. The steering wheel is still pretty straight and feels tight.

[danewilson77]

Will the re-enforcement plates solve the issue and if it is pounded flat will that compromise its integrity?

Yes....the plates will make the top hats rock solid.

Obviously it would depend on how badly they are "out of shape" regarding structural integrity.


How often should one get an alignment? I have an email here for 15% off an alignment from the local BMW shop. I believe the car was aligned less than a year ago right before I bought it. The steering wheel is still pretty straight and feels tight.

I get an alignment when I get tires and/or when I replace suspension components (FCAB's or C/A's). Should obviously be done when drive-ability warrants an alignment as well.

[Newjack]

How often should one get an alignment? I have an email here for 15% off an alignment from the local BMW shop. I believe the car was aligned less than a year ago right before I bought it. The steering wheel is still pretty straight and feels tight.

Really depends on a lot of things. It is actually pretty difficult to mess up the alignment on a car. Over time it will be slightly off after hitting son many of our roads imperfections. Whether those are potholes or just bumps they can mess up the alignment over time.

Ideally, you want to get an alignment whenever you put on a fresh set of tires. This is to ensure you are getting the maximum level of treadlife out of each tire because they are wearing normally and evenly. If you start to notice vibrations in your steering wheel at certain speeds, you might want to get an alignment as corrective maintenence, mainly on newer tires.

tl;dr - get an alignment when you get a new set of tires, if you feel vibrations in your steering wheel or if your car is pulling one direction or the other.

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[Newjack]

How often should one get an alignment? I have an email here for 15% off an alignment from the local BMW shop. I believe the car was aligned less than a year ago right before I bought it. The steering wheel is still pretty straight and feels tight.

Also wanted to add, BMW charges a LOT for an alignment. Any reputable shop with a hunter road force lase machine can do the same quality alignment to bmw specs for half the cost.

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[aurelius]

Had an alignment today. Beyond the obvious year, make, & model info, I had them note sport suspension and 18" wheels. Despite best efforts aimed at avoiding mistakes, realized once I got home it was indeed aligned for sport + 18's. But unfortunately to M3 specs (per info on the spec sheet from the alignment computer).

I have only a vague idea what the alignment numbers mean but the E46 specs are linked below. Should I have it redone?

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/AlignmentSpecs1perBentley_zpsa2b06cfb.jpg

[Washburn]

Ditto:
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?4990-did-they-mess-up-my-alignment-Used-M3-Specs-for-ZHP-%28PICS%29

And yes, I had them redo it - for free, of course.

[aurelius]

Depending on whose numbers you use, the M3 alignment numbers are within the acceptable range for a non-M E46 with sport suspension and 18" wheels.

But I'll probably have it redone anyway. Firestone lifetime alignment. For which there's a coupon code they can apply, bringing the cost to $159. Realign any time at any Firestone.

[Dave1027]

I agree. I thought those M3 numbers looked pretty good. Definitely better for tire wear.

[BimmerRules!]

Had an alignment today. Beyond the obvious year, make, & model info, I had them note sport suspension and 18" wheels. Despite best efforts aimed at avoiding mistakes, realized once I got home it was indeed aligned for sport + 18's. But unfortunately to M3 specs (per info on the spec sheet from the alignment computer).

I have only a vague idea what the alignment numbers mean but the E46 specs are linked below. Should I have it redone?

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/AlignmentSpecs1perBentley_zpsa2b06cfb.jpg

Hope you got the alignment redone and the car drives well.

Thanks for the link to those specs!

Are these for the sedan or the coupe?

[aurelius]

I assume the the scanned alignment specs from the E46 Bentley Service Manual apply to both coupe and sedan but I do not know with certainty. I lifted that image from another alignment thread. Someone with an E46 Bentley manual can chime in.

NOTE: the Bentley numbers have a TYPO. The front camber spec in the sport suspension column should be negative (-43' + or - 20'). Use this instead:


http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/sportssuspensionheck.png (http://s1125.photobucket.com/user/aurelius3/media/Random%20BMW%20Pics/sportssuspensionheck.png.html)


ZHP sedan mistakenly aligned to M3 specs (factory suspension other than replaced control arm bushings):

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l584/aurelius3/Random%20BMW%20Pics/ZHPalignedasM3_zps3751a693.jpeg (http://s1125.photobucket.com/user/aurelius3/media/Random%20BMW%20Pics/ZHPalignedasM3_zps3751a693.jpeg.html)

[Dave1027]

I've learned to take those alignment specs with a grain of salt. Why would the standard E46 need more rear camber than a M3? Basically the only thing 2 degrees of rear camber does is wear out your tires quicker.

[ryankokesh]

Does this look right to you guys? It's pulling to the left and I'm wondering if it's due to the difference in right/left camber he left.

18343

[Crickett]

Does this look right to you guys? It's pulling to the left and I'm wondering if it's due to the difference in right/left camber he left.

18343

Wow, that’s a pretty significant difference in left and right camber; they were closer before the alignment. And—unless you specifically requested it—it looks like he mistakenly selected standard, non-sport alignment specifications (“Sedan Standard Suspension 17" wheels”).

[Vas]

Here is mine http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/02/348c300fd6fc38312a91f7adb02e006d.jpg

[ryankokesh]

Try number two... these people are killing me. :facepalm


WTF:
http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/e200/d39j99yo4ud4c4i6g.jpg

[Vas]

Third time is the charm?

[ryankokesh]

Third time is the charm?

I'll probably get a vert next time...

[ryankokesh]

So apparently he can't get any more positive camber out of it. Would it make sense to just have him put both sides to -1 3/32 so it stops pulling?

[Vas]

So apparently he can't get any more positive camber out of it. Would it make sense to just have him put both sides to -1 3/32 so it stops pulling?

Front camber is not adjustable from the factory.
Rear camber factory specs are -2 degrees. Set both sides so they are identical. If he can't get -2 degrees, have him set if as close as possible.
Have him adjust the front toe and the rear toe so they are in spec and are close to each other.

Also this is done using sport suspension settings with 18" wheels.

[ryankokesh]

Front camber is not adjustable from the factory.
Rear camber factory specs are -2 degrees. Set both sides so they are identical. If he can't get -2 degrees, have him set if as close as possible.
Have him adjust the front toe and the rear toe so they are in spec and are close to each other.

Also this is done using sport suspension settings with 18" wheels.

Ah, so if he get's the front toe in spec, the front camber should be closer? Sorry, I clearly understand very little about this stuff...

[Vas]

Ah, so if he get's the front toe in spec, the front camber should be closer? Sorry, I clearly understand very little about this stuff...

Not exactly true. The only way to adjust the camber on the front is if you have adjustable camber plates that are on top of the strut assembly. They will let you adjust the camber by sliding the strut assembly to give or take away camber.

The factory specs calls for up-to -1 degree of camber from the factory IIRC.

BTW if the car is pulling to the left or right, it could also be tire related. Negative camber will not make the car pull to one side more then the other btw.

[ryankokesh]

Not exactly true. The only way to adjust the camber on the front is if you have adjustable camber plates that are on top of the strut assembly. They will let you adjust the camber by sliding the strut assembly to give or take away camber.

The factory specs calls for up-to -1 degree of camber from the factory IIRC.

BTW if the car is pulling to the left or right, it could also be tire related. Negative camber will not make the car pull to one side more then the other btw.

Hmm... I wonder how he's getting the front camber to change, then? I guess they're very small changes, though. This is confusing the hell out of me, lol. Kind of just wish these people knew what they were doing...

I thought it might be tire related, but it started pulling after they aligned it the first time... it was perfect before that.

[ryankokesh]

Finally! Night and day difference in how the car feels.

http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/7bfe/n4mldlo3sl934846g.jpg

[slater]

nice, that looks perfect!

how did they get it right?

that increased caster is going to help on-center feel significantly.

peter

[Vas]

That looks good.

[SoCalZman]

Caster is the same spec on the E46, no matter the control arms. Correct?

[ryankokesh]

nice, that looks perfect!

how did they get it right?

that increased caster is going to help on-center feel significantly.

peter

It feels ten times better...I was really amazed. Impressive that you know that, lol.

I think they drilled out the pin on the shock tower. Not positive, but it's right so I'm happy!


Sent from my iPhone

[ryankokesh]

Caster is the same spec on the E46, no matter the control arms. Correct?

Im not sure, actually. :dunno


Sent from my iPhone

[BADCLOWN]

Going for new tires and alignment tomorrow. I just want to verify that these specs are applicable to an entirely stock suspension ZHP (nothing aftermarket)

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=354020&d=1269912505

[Vas]

Just print out one of the specs sheet from this thread and give it to the guy.

[BADCLOWN]

Everyone's spec sheets differ slightly plus some guys are lowered, I'm asking if the above PDF is the recommended base to get as close to as possible.

[NoVAphotog]

Everyone's spec sheets differ slightly plus some guys are lowered, I'm asking if the above PDF is the recommended base to get as close to as possible.

That says coupe so idk about that specific pdf...

They'll do it by VIN so as long as they use 99-05, E46 Sedan w/ Sport and 18" wheel option you'll be fine. I've gone to the dealer for both the alignments I've gotten. If I lower or change anything from stock I'd go to an indy...but otherwise the price is reasonable and I'm sure it'll be spec'd right.

[Newjack]

Going for new tires and alignment tomorrow. I just want to verify that these specs are applicable to an entirely stock suspension ZHP (nothing aftermarket)

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=354020&d=1269912505
-2 degrees of camber in the rear is a lot. The fronts are fine but should probably be closer to -.5

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[BADCLOWN]

Dropped the car off at tire discounters and instructed them to spec it to 02-05 sedan/sport suspension/18s. We shall see how they do it.

[Vas]

Everyone's spec sheets differ slightly plus some guys are lowered, I'm asking if the above PDF is the recommended base to get as close to as possible.

That is true. But you could have used my sheet that I have posted.


-2 degrees of camber in the rear is a lot. The fronts are fine but should probably be closer to -.5

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The rear does call for -2 degrees of camber. On my wife's car, I had them set it at -1.5.
Front has more but that is because the pins have been pushed out.

[Simmsled]

-2 degrees of camber in the rear is a lot. The fronts are fine but should probably be closer to -.5

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Beat me to it on the rear. The fronts are closer to -.5 if pins are not punched out. With pins... -.7 to -1 is feasible.

[BADCLOWN]

Here's the results of mine:


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a121/blkvr6pwr/56CE077B-2DED-4921-B7F0-F4D7698C6778_zpslape1yzn.jpg (http://s10.photobucket.com/user/blkvr6pwr/media/56CE077B-2DED-4921-B7F0-F4D7698C6778_zpslape1yzn.jpg.html)

[Vas]

Not bad.

[holyc0w]

I had some work done on my car, so I wanted to center the steering wheel and get an alignment. I decided to try the local mechanic to see if they could do it. They said that they could possibly bust the control arms if they tried to adjust the rear, so I told them to leave it as is. I'm guessing this is a common problem with old control arms?

So after I drove around for a while, the car has a tendency to steer right. Any input on the below print out?

I'm thinking the right rear toe is the main problem. Would the difference in camber from left to right also factor in?


25937

[hcbeck2689]

I had some work done on my car, so I wanted to center the steering wheel and get an alignment. I decided to try the local mechanic to see if they could do it. They said that they could possibly bust the control arms if they tried to adjust the rear, so I told them to leave it as is. I'm guessing this is a common problem with old control arms?

So after I drove around for a while, the car has a tendency to steer right. Any input on the below print out?

I'm thinking the right rear toe is the main problem. Would the difference in camber from left to right also factor in?


25937

Your rear toe could definitely be causing your tendency to steer right. That is about the max toe in I would personally want as a total, but seems to be excessive for one side. It will cause more wear and definitely uneven wear between rear tires. It's like your car is steer slightly right with the rear wheels. I would think a shop would be able to align right or let you know they can't do it.
Try asking them if they will straighten out the rear toe to an overall toe of +2.0~(making sure it is equal to on each side).

The camber difference in the rear should not cause much problems. It is not ideal, but will not effect pull to one side or the other. I've never heard of busting the control arms while adjusting camber, as long as within the factory camber ranges there shouldn't be a problem. Consider adjustable control arms for the future and camber plates for front if those adjustments are important enough to you.

[Vas]

I would have them fix the toe. And when they will adjust that, the rear camber will change as well

Maybe they could not break loose the eccentric bolts in the rear since they were seized ?

[holyc0w]

I'll probably go to a different shop, have them check the alignment and if the front still looks okay, just do the rear.

[ELCID86]

Mine from last week.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/3d5f2127423a2b444f996aa044babdd0.jpg

[hcbeck2689]

Mine also from last week.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/29fc0914e0ef102163ad60eadc582e11.jpg

They adjusted it wrong and would not redo it for free, but it is pretty fun. I think a little + toe in the back would help it stay planted better, but It's fine for around town. I break lose pretty easily and had fun this week in the rain.
-Holden

[Ernest]

2 months after installing Koni yellows I checked under the car and discovered dry rotted right rear tire so replaced all 4 Pirelli's (from PO) with New PSS's. Wow what a difference! Mounted, balanced and Hunter 4 wheel alignment done at a reputable BMW/Porsche racing oriented shop. Can't help but wonder though if this level of camber (-1.0 front, -1.9 rear) will result in drastically reduced tread life on staggered wheels/street life only....appreciate any thoughts from those that have been there and done that! :cheers

26212

[Vas]

Camber will not drastically make the tires wear out faster. Bad toe will do that however.

The current measurements on your zhp are right in the factory specs. No wonder you noticed a nice difference in the way the car drives because your alignment before was off especially in the rear.

[danewilson77]

Yes. Wear and life span will definitely be different. You'll be lucky to get 20k miles out of PSS's at the camber. Zero'd out as much as possible may yield 25k miles, but it really depends a lot on driving style as well.

S7 Edge, out

[Ernest]

Thanks Guys both great points. Will complete the suspension refresh over the winter and then take it in again. Glad I found a good professional alignment shop.

[holyc0w]

I checked under the car and discovered dry rotted right rear tire so replaced all 4 Pirelli's (from PO)

Sounds familiar...how old were they?

I had set from the PO that they mounted in the beginning of 2012. I noticed some dry-rot on the rears when changing tires for Winter last year. Recently I found a bubble on the front left and changed them to Continental DW's.

[Ernest]

The dry rotted tires had a June 2009 mfg date. They only had 3k on them, but succumbed to old age in tire life. I didn't think of checking the tire date when I bought the car so a lesson learned.

[holyc0w]

Mine had 2011 dates

[jsfbmw]

This is the story: Earlier this year I had good luck and won a free alignment with one of our Chapter's sponsors, Shade Tree Garage. I have an '06 ZHP Coupe with 162k miles and was planning to refresh the suspension, so getting an alignment was on the list. For options, I read up on this site, talked to other club members and based on my goals, I went with Koni Yellow (set to 1/3 stiff) with Eibach springs and had the shop do the alignment. Below is the printout from the Hunter machine and it seems quite good.

Turn-in response is much quicker but seems non-linear and road bumps are a touch sharper; all of this is OK with me. I also have new rear PSS and the FCBs were replaces a year ago. The questions here are: why the non-linear response and also, in high-speed sweepers the car needs a steady hand like it is on the edge, when it should feel planted. Ideas?

26436

[kbcons]

Alignment time!

Done 7/7/2016 at Bullet Performance in Costa Mesa. If you need a PDF of this, just click the image.

http://www.bassesbyleo.com/bmw_stuff/e46_7_7_16_alignment.jpg (http://www.bassesbyleo.com/bmw_stuff/e46_7_7_16_alignment.pdf)

Ken...

[holyc0w]

Since the dash is crooked, does that also mean the steering wheel shouldn't be in line with the dash when centered?

[ZHPizza]

Y'all. After wearing out the Firestone lifetime alignment package, I've finally found a setup that I really like.

First, I took it in and had them align it to BMW specs. That shit was terrible. BMW calls for a ton of toe-in, front and rear, which is safe (woo!) because it makes the car plow straight down the road and not want to turn (not so woo). I hated it.

I studied up on why the BMW alignment specs are shit and what affects what, then, I went back and had them zero out the toe, front and rear. No tire wear, no plowing. The car was super responsive and eager to go wherever I pointed it, but not so confidence inspiring at speed. It was great at low speed, not so much on the highway and long stretches of track.

So, I studied up on alignment specs that the old "I been driving BMW's on the street and track for 20+ years" (http://www.bimmerhaus.com/tech/align.html) guys like and went back to Firestone for this:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190328/aae1612f7df4e5bf1fa1261ddda5d4d9.jpg

AND I LOVE IT

The zero toe in front means the car goes where you want it to go. There's no resistance to turn in and also no tramlining. The rear toe in gives it the high speed stability that makes you accidentally speed in a BMW -- it gets more and more stable as the speed creeps up.

Caveats:
- While the rear toe-in will cause some inside tire wear (still less than OE specs), it's worth it for the high speed stability and putting power down out of a corner. I'm running a square setup so I can rotate front to rear as the outside of the fronts get worn on the track and the inside of the rears get worn on the street.
- I slotted out the front strut towers and knocked out the alignment pin on the mounts to get my front camber to -1.5. Ideally, you would want the rear to be about 1 degree less cambered than the front, but I don't think my wide ass wheels/tires would fit in the back at -0.5 camber. My ideal setup would actually be -2.5F, -1.5R, but I'll need camber plates for that.

[johnrando]

Good info, thanks for posting.

[BMWCurves]

Nice! Did you actually wear your welcome out at Firestone or is that just a joke that I can't comprehend over the intertubes? How much was that again, $170?

I'm probably due for an alignment, I haven't had one in several years and while the tramlining isn't terrible, it might be worth trying out your specs.

[ZHPizza]

Nice! Did you actually wear your welcome out at Firestone or is that just a joke that I can't comprehend over the intertubes? How much was that again, $170?

I'm probably due for an alignment, I haven't had one in several years and while the tramlining isn't terrible, it might be worth trying out your specs.Nah they haven't given me any trouble yet. I've been getting alignments every few months as I play with different bushing options and they've been really cool about me coming in with my own specs and stuff. It probably depends a lot on the particular shop and how busy they usually are.

It's normally $199, but the stores are always running a sale of some sort. Don't remember what I paid for the red car, but I just bought the package for the wife's wagon for $159.

It's definitely not the same quality alignment that you'll get at the dealership. The steering wheel is never straight afterwards, but the car tracks fine.

[DeathTrap]

Seriously?? How?
2. I think my RTAB bushings aren't pressed in to proper depth. TIS says 2.5mm, I measured 6-7 mm from the original bushings. Which one is right?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/922c381104ad054a52fd1f4eaac0d3ba.jpg

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[ZHPizza]

Seriously?? How?
2. I think my RTAB bushings aren't pressed in to proper depth. TIS says 2.5mm, I measured 6-7 mm from the original bushings. Which one is right?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190412/922c381104ad054a52fd1f4eaac0d3ba.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using TapatalkNothing about this looks right at all. Where was this done?

[DeathTrap]

Nothing about this looks right at all. Where was this done?Firestone

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[ZHPizza]

Firestone

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using TapatalkI don't believe that you would be able to drive in a straight line if that was your alignment. Has your car ever tumbled down a mountain?

[DeathTrap]

I don't believe that you would be able to drive in a straight line if that was your alignment. Has your car ever tumbled down a mountain?Didn't see any mountains in the carfax. I think it has seen a UFC fight or two with other cars. It drives straight actually, but I know it's not "right" and it will bother me.

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[Vas]

2004 330i with z4m fcab and rtab. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200721/301e3958571e9c01c6475a9ae5d7ff56.jpg

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[t.er]

2004 330i with z4m fcab and rtab.

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I was wondering why my caster was so low compared to yours, makes sense with Z4M FCABs. I didn't have the opportunity this time around but those are what I'll put on my car next.

Relevant parts: Meyle HD FCABs, Powerflex RTABs, Bilstein B4 dampers, stock springs, Ground Control street camber plates. Alignment for street/autox/track. 0 toe in front because I'm running so much camber, a hint of toe in on the rear.


https://i.imgur.com/CpWiEFK.jpg

[Galapolis]

How are you liking your rear toe? I'm running 0.1° (0.2° total) but I'm thinking about going to 0.05° (0.1°) total.

[t.er]

How are you liking your rear toe? I'm running 0.1° (0.2° total) but I'm thinking about going to 0.05° (0.1°) total.

Didn't really notice much difference, tbh. Just did a bunch of highway driving but no track or autox yet - if I feel a difference I'll be sure to report back!

[ZHPizza]

Didn't really notice much difference, tbh. Just did a bunch of highway driving but no track or autox yet - if I feel a difference I'll be sure to report back!If it's still stable on the highway, then you've got enough toe-in. Going too close to zero would be a little squirrelly.

[dpark]

Does anyone know if Hunter is a good alignment system?

My local indy mechanic just sent out an email that he got a "state of the art" Hunter alignment rack.

I am sure there is some combination of operator skill and a good alignment system that is needed for a good result. Just interested if the system is actually a good one for BMWs (if anyone happens to know).

Thanks.

[fredo]

I remember Hunter machines are among the best. But I never asked my Indy if that's the one they have. Do you have a printout of alignment specs ?

[johnrando]

I have heard that too, that they are top of the line.

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[28firefighter]

Was suggested that I post here. I had my RTABs replaced a few weeks ago and knew it needed an alignment after.

Initially, took it to Firestone which was a big mistake. They had it on the rack and proceeded to tell me that I had either serious bends in critical suspension parts or that my frame was bent. I knew that wasn’t the case.

Ended up finding out about a local place, Tru-Line Seattle, that specializes in all things wheels, tires, and suspension including a Hunter Alignment machine. These guys are pros. It wasn’t a cheap alignment, but they did an amazing job aligning and weight balancing the vehicle for me.

Should also note I have Koni Yellows installed, which may be what threw Firestone for a loop. Judging by what I heard them telling other alignment customers, I’d say that wasn’t the sole issue.

New results below.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200815/28f4bf648e1de0eba7a55363518afb06.jpg


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[BMWCurves]

If you don't mind my asking, how much was it? I feel like alignments vary wildly in cost so I always like to hear what people pay.

[28firefighter]

It was $175 for the alignment and $50 for the calibration of the steering angle sensor. They also made a small adjustment to the right front suspension to bring it around that added a bit more. I’d have paid more, honestly....

[t.er]

It was $175 for the alignment and $50 for the calibration of the steering angle sensor. They also made a small adjustment to the right front suspension to bring it around that added a bit more. I’d have paid more, honestly....

Wow, that's quite a bit, but then again Seattle/SF Bay Area/other techie areas seem to just have higher rates.

But hey, it's better than the alignment I got - my car still has its slight pull to the left, and I took it to a place that caters to the local grassroots motorsports community. I should've known better, that place didn't have an actual alignment rack, they lifted the car on the 2 post then set it down on 4 leveling pads with grease plates. The specs themselves were good, it's either their equipment, my car being the sensitive little b1tch it seemed to be when I DIY'd my alignment 3 times, or both.

https://i.imgur.com/FdOhoUXl.jpg

[Galapolis]

It was $175 for the alignment and $50 for the calibration of the steering angle sensor. They also made a small adjustment to the right front suspension to bring it around that added a bit more. I’d have paid more, honestly....

The steering angle sensor calibrates itself so they ripped you off there.

175 is definitely on the steep end, but I guess there can be a lot of regional differences. I got my alignment done at a VW dealership with a Hunter machine for $60. It was an "after hours" special though.

I used to have a tire shop that always got my alignment spot on for $70. My European imports specialist (who charges $220 for a custom alignment, yikes) uses that place as a backup when their machine is down. Not sure what that tire place uses but I was very sad when, after installing my MTech body kit, they told me the car didn't fit on the machine anymore.

The one at the VW dealership is a tight squeeze too and I always have to send it to make it over the edge. Can't wait for those Pro-Kit springs.

[28firefighter]

It didn’t reset itself last time. I had the DSC and BRAKE lights illuminated until my Indy reset it.

And if I got ripped off I got ripped off. They got it aligned when the other local folks couldn’t. It’s great that you were able to get an after hours special somewhere for a fraction - always nice to have those resources. I just don’t - and I work 70 hours a week typically, don’t have time to really shop it hard.

FWIW, the local Firestone charged $124.99 for a one time alignment with a coupon, couldn’t do it, and left my steering angle sensor improperly calibrated. So the premium seems worth it. Living in Seattle isn’t cheap...

[Galapolis]

Strange. I know the E39 doesn't calibrate itself but I was under the impression all our cars would, at least from my experience.

I once paid a sketchy tire shop to do an alignment. They charged $110 and after even after returning 3 (!) times, they couldn't get the steering wheel to be straight. Very incompetent. Fixed it myself in a matter of 5 minutes in the parking lot. It's definitely hard to find good alignment places.

[Rovert]

You can easily recalibrate and reset your steering angle sensor via INPA and Tool32.

Center your steering reading steering angle sensor ECU in INPA so it’s super close to zero. Then you can either use INPA if the function is there to recalibrate sensor or google search the use of Tool32 within INPA to recalibrate if the function is not available in INPA. I did it on my friend’s E39M.

[dpark]

Thanks for the info on Hunter systems. Need to have my front struts replaced after 155K miles and figured I would get all four wheels aligned after it is done.

[drummr8]

So I've read through this and a bunch of other threads on alignments, and I'm still not quite sure what I should instruct the tech to do for my ZHP Vert...

For a street-driven car with stock ZHP suspension that we want decent tire wear out of, but also decent performance, where on the scale do we want toe and camber? (I know tire wear and performance are at odds, but I'm looking for a balance between them)

Do we want total toe to be somewhere between .1 and .2 degrees?

And then if the toe is low like that, camber doesn't quite matter as far as eating the tires? Or is it still better (regarding tire wear) to have less negative camber, closer to 0?

Apologies if this has already been clarified. I feel like there are so many conflicting posts :( Thanks in advance

[Galapolis]

Depends on how you drive. You can run massive camber and still get outer wear if you drive really aggressively. You can also run stock camber and get crazy wear. You have to match it to your driving style.

I run 0 toe front and 0.1° in the back (0.2° total) and -2.1° camber in the front and -1.2° camber in the back and my tires wear evenly. I also drive very aggressively.

An alternative would be to go with a lot of caster, which radically improves cornering performance without adding camber when the steering wheel points straight. The camber is only there when you are turning. You will need Z4M FCABs or E36 M3 strut mounts/caster plates or some combination of those for that though.

[RUS_ZHP]

This is a great thread that I was not aware of. Now I know.

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[drummr8]

Depends on how you drive. You can run massive camber and still get outer wear if you drive really aggressively. You can also run stock camber and get crazy wear. You have to match it to your driving style.

I run 0 toe front and 0.1° in the back (0.2° total) and -2.1° camber in the front and -1.2° camber in the back and my tires wear evenly. I also drive very aggressively.

An alternative would be to go with a lot of caster, which radically improves cornering performance without adding camber when the steering wheel points straight. The camber is only there when you are turning. You will need Z4M FCABs or E36 M3 strut mounts/caster plates or some combination of those for that though.

Thanks for the info. I think in general this car will not be driven that aggressively... I have my 335i for that. This will be more of a cruiser but I'd like it to still feel decent on twisty roads, which we have a lot of where I live. Would it make sense for me to have similar toe settings but less negative camber compared to you?

[Galapolis]

Thanks for the info. I think in general this car will not be driven that aggressively... I have my 335i for that. This will be more of a cruiser but I'd like it to still feel decent on twisty roads, which we have a lot of where I live. Would it make sense for me to have similar toe settings but less negative camber compared to you?

I derived my toe settings from what is supposedly optimal for the chassis: http://www.bimmerhaus.com/tech/align.html

I would recommend you give it a read to get a better overview. Personally I would focus on caster, which is the only way to improve performance noticeably with 0 impact on tire wear.

[ZHPizza]

Thanks for the info. I think in general this car will not be driven that aggressively... I have my 335i for that. This will be more of a cruiser but I'd like it to still feel decent on twisty roads, which we have a lot of where I live. Would it make sense for me to have similar toe settings but less negative camber compared to you?Short answer: yes

Toe is what will wear your tires, but makes these cars feel stable at speed

I'd go like -1.0 to -1.5 all around on camber and minimize toe, just a little bit in for stability (the car gets squirrelly if the toe pushes out)

[Will]

I know our cars are supposed to be weighted when doing an alignment. I forgot the specifics but it was roughly 150lbs in each of front seats, 150lbs in middle of rear bench, and 50lbs in the middle of the trunk.

I have yet to see a tire+alignment shop add these weights. Last time I went to a Big O tires, I went to a Lowes beforehand and bought ten 50lb bags of gravel, and returned them afterwards like a maniac.

Do the alignment racks, Hunter or any other brand, take these weights into account on an unladen car or are the weights supposed to be added?

Just wondering if I can skip the Lowes or Home Depot for the next alignment.

[ZHPizza]

I'd skip it man. BMW still uses sand bags to get the weight right but I don't worry about it. It's just to mimic loading from people in the cabin and junk in the trunk.

If I think of it before I get an alignment, I'll tuck two 50lb dumbbells behind the drivers seat but that's about it. Definitely not necessary especially with the degree of accuracy you're getting from Shrek at Big O Tire or whatever.

[Will]

I'd skip it man. BMW still uses sand bags to get the weight right but I don't worry about it. It's just to mimic loading from people in the cabin and junk in the trunk.

If I think of it before I get an alignment, I'll tuck two 50lb dumbbells behind the drivers seat but that's about it. Definitely not necessary especially with the degree of accuracy you're getting from Shrek at Big O Tire or whatever.

Hahahahaha yeah, I figured even Shrek can set toe.

[Galapolis]

For anybody wondering, E36 M3 strut mounts + Z4M FCABs nets you about 8.7° to 8.8° of caster.

39142

[YoitsTmac]

That's really similar to my alignment, For those on coilovers but don't want tons of camber, turn your camber plates 45 degrees so that when you adjust them, they slide "towards the interior and inwards". With adjustable control arm bushings and this modification, I have 6.9 degrees of caster and -1.9 degrees of camber.

[michaeljkimball]

New 2006 ZHP owner here. I drove the car home from the SF Bay Area to San Diego yesterday and the car is awesome. It feels a little "darty" on the freeway, which with other cars of mine has been due to alignment issues. I've read this entire thread, and I never found the factory alignment specs for the car.

Does anyone have the factory alignment specs for a 2006 ZHP with staggered 18" tires?

Thanks, Mike

[fredo]

I got an alignment last week. The shop reported "tie rods frozen, unable to break loose." I agreed to replace the tie rods on both sides, inner and outer.

After the alignment was done, I noticed some values were out of spec. They said that's the best they could do and some other parts would need to be replaced to have everything green. But they didn't specify which parts. Here's the before and after screenshot. The car drives fine BTW.

What are your thoughts on this?

40229

[slater]

fredo - i assume both rear camber adjustment bolts are moving freely? if so... i would look at your RR lower camber arm to see if it's bent or not. those are pretty flimsy, and designed to be 'expendable' in the event of an impact.

also, how old are your RTABs?

for the front, the FCAB impacts caster but the top mount would affect camber and caster angle. how old are your front strut mounts?

peter

[GeorgeH]

I got an alignment last week. The shop reported "tie rods frozen, unable to break loose." I agreed to replace the tie rods on both sides, inner and outer.

Not uncommon at all.


After the alignment was done, I noticed some values were out of spec. They said that's the best they could do and some other parts would need to be replaced to have everything green. But they didn't specify which parts. Here's the before and after screenshot. The car drives fine BTW.


Did they add weight to the car to get it to the correct ride height? BMW specs are expecting the car to be at a specific height, it will definitely affect rear camber if its too high but based on the LR camber coming in to spec maybe it is correct?
Is the RR LCA bent, it doesn't look like it changed much from before to after, was it already maxed out?
Is the LF strut bent? If you measure between the tire sidewall and the strut housing and compare to the RF you can see if one is different than the other. They should be the same, even sticking a finger or thumb in there should tell you

[fredo]

Gents, I appreciate your comments. I have additional details:

Peter,
1) I don't know how old those parts (RTABs, front strut mounts) are.
2) I will check into the RR lower control arm.

George,
1) The shop doesn't add weights for the alignment. But I made sure the gas tank was full.
2) Yes, the LF strut seems to be bent. We can double check next time I visit your shop.

Thank you!

[slater]

oh right, fredo, you're both in austin - nice! well, this will get sorted out then. :)

[GeorgeH]

Fredo,
If they aren't adding weights they aren't properly aligning the car to BMW specs. Rear camber on our cars can be finicky so that is a potential reason, but with it being that far out likely not the sole reason.

Happy to check it out for you, the caster is likely related to the issue causing the camber.