[nhhiep]

My car pulled to the right and the steering wheel moved as I drive. I suspected i have alignment problem. I came back and have them did the alignment and now the car STILL pull to the right, it drifts in a straight line. but the steering wheel doesn't move as I drive anymore.

I asked them what did they do, they just told me that they will send me a report. I got it in the mail, but I have no idea what it means.

according to the report, does my car within the spec now? anyone know where can I get a hold of the alignment spec? I really want to compare their results with the spec and come back to tell them they didn't do the job and redo it.

I have a 06 325i, built in early March 06

[Squawks]

Toe and camber are simply adjustments you can make regarding the directions and/or angles your wheels face.

A properly adjusted car should not pull - other sportscar enthusiasts modify toe/camber so as to optimize handling performance in particular conditions. Proper camber/toe settings are also important for maintaining proper tire wear.

Google it. Google is the smartest entity in the planet.

[E30M3Driver]

So bottom line is, you don't know what they did. I always get a report of the "BEFORE" and the "AFTER". That way you know exactly what was changed.

According to this, your front alignment is in spec. You rear alignment was not measured. One issue is that they report total toe, and you have no idea of what your left and right individual toe is.

The pulling to the right that you are still experiencing . . . are you sure it is not the normal road crown you are feeling? Most roads are not exactly flat and a pull to the right is common because of the shape of the road, and some roads are much worse than others.

[b311lee]

question: whats the best ideal time to get alignment done...i live in dc where the potholes can be killer. there is no pull with hands off the wheel however. say that it is somewhat off, how bad would it be to let it go untill my first official service, im at 3k miles.

any of you guys suggest getting it done before the advised time?

[HRC]

If roads are bad, I would get an alignment every 6 months, or at the least, once a year. The drawbacks to delaying an alignment (if you need it) is the car pulling to one side and uneven tirewear.

Danny

Originally Posted by b311lee

question: whats the best ideal time to get alignment done...i live in dc where the potholes can be killer. there is no pull with hands off the wheel however. say that it is somewhat off, how bad would it be to let it go untill my first official service, im at 3k miles.

any of you guys suggest getting it done before the advised time?

[nhhiep]

My car pulled to the right and the steering wheel moved as I drive. I suspected i have alignment problem. I came back and have them did the alignment and now the car STILL pull to the right, it drifts in a straight line. but the steering wheel doesn't move as I drive anymore.

I asked them what did they do, they just told me that they will send me a report. I got it in the mail, but I have no idea what it means.

according to the report, does my car within the spec now? anyone know where can I get a hold of the alignment spec? I really want to compare their results with the spec and come back to tell them they didn't do the job and redo it.

I have a 06 325i, built in early March 06

thanks,

[BeeEmDubU]

are you on stock suspension?

[nhhiep]

yep, my 325i is all stock with 16" rims.

[txusa03]

Take it to your bmw dealer for alignment...I was told that for my bmw, only bmw dealer can do proper alignment cuz they use "sand bag" in their alignment process...don't know what they do with the sand bags. It could be that they are running circles around me with this sand bags thing.

[ward]

Originally Posted by txusa03

Take it to your bmw dealer for alignment...I was told that for my bmw, only bmw dealer can do proper alignment cuz they use "sand bag" in their alignment process...don't know what they do with the sand bags. It could be that they are running circles around me with this sand bags thing.

they put wieght in the seat to simulate a driver being in the car

the settings change with the amount of load the car's carrying

[djordje]

i have the same problem, after i hit big bump with right wheel, my car started to pull to the right and the steering wheel moved as I drive. In bmw service center they did the alignment but nothig help... so they change my both front right and left wishbones under the warranty
part number
right 31 12 6 770 850 and
left 31 12 6 770 849 and now same shit...
so now they will change my whole hydro steering gear
part number 32 10 6 765 609
so ill post the results.

[nhhiep]

anyone has a alignment spec? anyone?

[j28s]

nhhiep:
Do you know if they sandbagged your car when they did the alignment? Were you in the car when they did the alignment? If this is an after alignment spec sheet, the toe is off and the camber is off. They should have matched your camber/toe to each side unless they were trying to compensate for a problem. Were you trying to get a performance alignment (i.e. track day, autocross)?

[tomppa]

Originally Posted by nhhiep

anyone has a alignment spec? anyone?

I have, here you are http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28410

Both ends measured, tolerances visible too (I think so), don't know if they used sandbags. Car is much better after that. They didn't give me the values before alignment.

[nhhiep]

thanks tomppa, but I have no idea what is it saying since I don't speak French

[nhhiep]

Originally Posted by j28s

nhhiep:
Do you know if they sandbagged your car when they did the alignment? Were you in the car when they did the alignment? If this is an after alignment spec sheet, the toe is off and the camber is off. They should have matched your camber/toe to each side unless they were trying to compensate for a problem. Were you trying to get a performance alignment (i.e. track day, autocross)?

I have no idea how they did the alignment because they wanted me to drop my car in the morning and pick up in the afternoon, plus I have to go to work, I can't be there to watch them.

I am still have the problem, that is why I requested the print out and that is what they gave me. and I am looking for more advices from you guys and hopefully can locate a spec sheet .

[hercar]

nhhiep, In General (alignment 101)from what I see from your alignment report , your car should not pull due to aligment, I'm really surprised there are no rear readings as 4 wheel alignment has been the norm for a better part of 20 years in even the smallest of alignment shops. Barring a problem in the rear...the steering wheel shake (NOT WHILE BRAKING) is a wheel/tire out of round condition. The pull to the right is also a tire issue, rotate tires L-R and see if the pull, goes away, or pulls to the other side. Let me know how you make out

[ae8t6ix]

Your camber shouldn't affect the car pulling it should be the toe. You would usually adjust the inner tie rod to fix this sort of problem. You can try fixing this yourself. Just get some toe plates and line them up on both sides then take a measuring tape to find out where its wider. That's pretty much it. You can find toe plates at discovery racing or other racing supply shops.

[voltron1011]

I think every E90 owner has the problem with the pull to the right due to road crowning... This has to do with suspension design and wheels/tires.. E90's just happen to do it a bit worse.

[Fraggy]

Probably due to the damn runflats!

[BMW F22]

I just got an alignment done at Auto Innovations (took about 30 mins). THey printed out a report of the before and after specs. My car doesnt pull anymore. Also it might be the roads that cause the car to pull.

[chisp3]

I got an alignment last friday after I drop my car and change wheels and the guy who is my friend show me the specs on the machine: needs three guys inside the car at least 160lb. ea. two in the front one in the rear center, 40 pounds in the trunk and a full tank.