[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

I got an alignment after:
Front toe 0.02/0.02 total 0.04
Front camber -0.6/-0.7

Rear toe 0.08/0.09 total 0.18
Camber -1.5/-1.49

M3 front control arm would yield more negative camber. With removed pins total of negative 1.5. Are you sure that you have M3 arms? The rest of the numbers are OK and within factory recommendation.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by feuer

M3 front control arm would yield more negative camber. With removed pins total of negative 1.5. Are you sure that you have M3 arms? The rest of the numbers are OK and within factory recommendation.

I ended up with even less front camber with M control arms. My pins were still in.

[vladmury]

My pins are still in, I bought the TRW M3 control arms that had the M logo removed.
I asked the workshop how is possible to the get the same camber as stock since I read the longer M arm gives -0.75 extra camber but they told me everything was mounted and torqued and they have no explanation why. Maybe someone here can help explaining how is this possible.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by gjm120

I ended up with even less front camber with M control arms. My pins were still in.

Originally Posted by vladmury

My pins are still in, I bought the TRW M3 control arms that had the M logo removed.
I asked the workshop how is possible to the get the same camber as stock since I read the longer M arm gives -0.75 extra camber but they told me everything was mounted and torqued and they have no explanation why. Maybe someone here can help explaining how is this possible.

Both shops need to recalibrate their alignment racks I guess or send techs out to school because less or equal negative camber with M3 arms isn't possible.

[vladmury]

Yeah I will probably go to the dealer in a month and take a new alignment after suspension settles.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

Yeah I will probably go to the dealer in a month and take a new alignment after suspension settles.

I would try to find a shop that would check it out for free.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by gjm120

I ended up with even less front camber with M control arms. My pins were still in.

In case it isn't clear, I meant that as less camber than vladmury, not less than before the M3 arms went on. Unfortunately don't have before alignment specs.

[vladmury]

I see people running 0.06 toe in per each side in the front. I asked toe zero and got 0.02 per side.

Is there an issue or should I ask for more toe?

[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

I see people running 0.06 toe in per each side in the front. I asked toe zero and got 0.02 per side.

Is there an issue or should I ask for more toe?

Very negligible difference.

[BB_cuda]

This is comical but thought worth sharing. After I got my M3 conversion done, I felt I had a hybrid suspension as front is still 335 knuckles and rear is mostly M3. I asked Ground control for recommended alignment specs as I figured taking it to dealer that they would either do full E9X M3 or full 335d specs.

The front camber was to be -1.5°. The alignment machine at local dealer doesn't show decimal degrees ( -1.5° not on screen). It instead show in ° and minutes. The tech mistakenly interpreted -1.5° as -1° 50'. I had to explain that 60' is one full ° and that he should be aiming for -1° 30'. He looked at me bewildered and did something with an app on his phone. He finally came back and agreed with me saying " yeah I checked and 45' is equal to 0.75°"

Other thing was I was told by GC to have 3/16" total rear toe in. The tech also misinterpreted this as 3/16 of a ° total toe in. Further, he converted 3/16" of a degree as 11.25' or 5.6' per side. This was wrong as caused toe in per side to be too small. I called GC after the fact as I smelled something wrong on the original 3/16" supposition.

Donovan @GC was excellent in his assistance and used a program to convert for me to ° total toe. He came up with 0.214° per side or 12.84' per side. I called tech and he redid it for me for free after hours. Best he could get on the toe was 0°12' on left an 0°13' on the right. I have rear adjustable toe links from bimmerworld.

Not posting for a debate on what best settings are but rather careful how specs are used by alignment machine (and tech using it). Please don't trash the tech as he learned something and addressed my need.

Here is that link to convert linear dimension toe to degrees.
https://robrobinette.com/ConvertToeInchesToDegrees.htm

[feuer]

I'm not 100% certain but toe is calculated according to wheel size. On 255/35-18 e9x rear 3/16 toe is equal to 0.18 or 0.16

[BB_cuda]

Originally Posted by feuer

I'm not 100% certain but toe is calculated according to wheel size. On 255/35-18 e9x rear 3/16 toe is equal to 0.18 or 0.16

I used that tire size that comes to 25.02 diameter. Input decimal version of 3/16=0.1875 and tire diameter above, I get 0.214 deg per side.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by BB_cuda

I used that tire size that comes to 25.02 diameter. Input decimal version of 3/16=0.1875 and tire diameter above, I get 0.214 deg per side.

So I was pretty close? Yeah! Front is 0.06 or 1/16 from memory.

[BB_cuda]

I misunderstood. I thought you were plugging in numbers into my provided link and getting different results for my inputs. I presume the 0.16 to 0.18 is per side which works out to 10.2' (used the middle 0.17 deg) per side. Close but a hair low to the 12.5' we computed. Potato or patahto 👍

[feuer]

No, I was talking from memory. Numbers are common. A lot of different make and models have same. It use to be my part time job to take cars for alignment and was talking from memory as different machines use different values. Been to shop that use mirrors, lights, strings and etc.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by tofu-

i wish there was a DIY for this

There is, search this forum

[vladmury]

Did anywone had this issue after upgrading to M3 control arms / M3 subframe bushings?

When almost coming to a stop either in D or R there is a rumbling noise coming from the engune/ drivetrain. Once I go above 10 mph it dissapears, its only when the car is rolling at very low speed. Its always only when engine is warm, I believe it has something to do with engine operating at higher idle rpm when cold.

Is this normal? Before mounting the M3 bits I did not had it.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

Did anywone had this issue after upgrading to M3 control arms / M3 subframe bushings?

When almost coming to a stop either in D or R there is a rumbling noise coming from the engune/ drivetrain. Once I go above 10 mph it dissapears, its only when the car is rolling at very low speed. Its always only when engine is warm, I believe it has something to do with engine operating at higher idle rpm when cold.

Is this normal? Before mounting the M3 bits I did not had it.

Vibration are difficult to diagnose. One engine mount might cause NVH on one car and might not on others. In your case I guess M3 arms amplified the vibrations already there but aren't being absorbed by the soft non M bushings. I would look into your engine mounts. Diesel aren't easy on them.

[vladmury]

Thanks, engine mounts were checked and are rock solid, so no issue from there.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

Thanks, engine mounts were checked and are rock solid, so no issue from there.

How did you check them?

[vladmury]

The mechanic tried to shake the engine left -right , I went under car and put my hands on the mounts, there was no vibration transmitted to the chassis.

At idle in Drive with foot on the brake there is no vibration, only when car is rolling so I doubt are the mounts. Can the torque converter be the issue?

[feuer]

Originally Posted by vladmury

The mechanic tried to shake the engine left -right , I went under car and put my hands on the mounts, there was no vibration transmitted to the chassis

Yes, but you didn't drive back and forth in D and R and come to almost complete stop either while having your hands on the mounts. See what I mean? Vibration and it's frequency aren't diagnose by your method. There are shops that specialize only in that.