[E90F30er]

My car is few years old and never had this - it doesn't have any symptoms that require it as such but I'm keen on having it done to maximize "the joy of driving"! The Dealer has given me a cost of £180 using the Beissbarth KDS, is this reasonable?

http://www.beissbarth.com/bbcms/OEM/...olls-Royce.htm

http://www.beissbarth.com/bbcms/News...%20aligner.htm
"Worldwide recommendation of BMW AG for Beissbarth 3D wheelaligner and aircon service machine A/Ccellence 2500.
The Beissbarth KDS 3D is the first BMW recommended unit working with permanent ride height check during wheel alignment."

"Beissbarth GmbH, founded in 1899 in Munich, manufactures precision measuring equipment for car manufacturers and workshops worldwide. In addition to the core competencies of wheel alignment and brake testing / test lanes Beissbarth also offers tyre changers, wheel balancers, AC Service equipment and lifts. Since April 2007 Beissbarth is a company of the Bosch Group and subsequently integrated in the product section of the Diagnostics division Automotive Aftermarket."

Now according to Wheels in Motion - recommended on forums - have you heard of them?

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/steeringgeometry.php2
The steering system on every car is very important and requires regular maintenance to keep it at an optimum standard. The steering rack on all motor vehicles is easily knocked out of alignment by all the speed humps and potholes in the road. When the wheel alignment becomes out of tolerance the tyres will wear unevenly on either edge of the side walls.

Noticeable signs of displaced geometry or alignment are:

- Steering wheel is off-set when the vehicle is travelling in a straight line
- The vehicle may drift/pull to the left or right
- The front tyres will wear bald or show signs of uneven wear on either edge

If any of these faults are present on your vehicle we strongly recommend you have your wheel alignment and steering geometry checked and adjusted if necessary. We advise checking wheel alignment and steering geometry no less than at least once a year though possibly more if there has been noticeable impact or trauma identified. Our highly trained technicians can be of assistance to advise you of the best solution for any steering geometry problems."

Question:
Once a year seems a bit over the top to me! Will the BMW Dealer tracking service include "steering geometry" checked too?

This is a good link describing the different types of tracking
http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/tec...ignsystems.php

[Sparky68]

Just get it anywhere with a hunter and save yourself upto £100

[Drrncour]

+1 on the hunter. Paid £60 for 4 wheel alignment at my local using a hunter machine.

[Icekube]

indeed, WIM are great if you have adjustable top mounts, suspension and all that jazz. for a normal car, Hunter 4 wheel alignment is perfect.

[Wrighty_QPR]

Originally Posted by Drrncour

+1 on the hunter. Paid £60 for 4 wheel alignment at my local using a hunter machine.

Hi mate, where about a did you have it done?

Need to find somewhere to get mine done, getting pulled all over the road at the mo and very bad wear on outer edge of frone near side tyre.

[DMH-01]

As mentioned get it done by an indy, I pay about £80.

[E91-Gaz]

Try http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/ to find your nearest Hunter alignment dealer

[Drrncour]

Originally Posted by Wrighty_QPR

Hi mate, where about a did you have it done?

Need to find somewhere to get mine done, getting pulled all over the road at the mo and very bad wear on outer edge of frone near side tyre.

Hi mate got it done at:
http://m.webbermotorgroup.co.uk/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webbermotorcompany.co.uk%2Fw heel-alignment-crawley.php#2762

It's in Crawley Surrey, haven't had the bmw done there but had the audi 4 wheel Quattro done and they did a great job.