[Shmee]

Got my e90 w sport package alignment done at a bmw dealer. The whole process was done in under and hour and the guy comes up to me and says they’re having a hard time getting it into spec and want to start measuring components to see if something needs replaced. Not sure if they’re busting my balls or not, 50min seems like they just put it on the lift, tinkered a bit and said screw it. They really messed up the toe too, not sure what to do at this point. Thoughts?

[Shmee]

Not sure if the image came up, im on mobile. I’ll link it.

View post on imgur.com

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Shmee

Got my e90 w sport package alignment done at a bmw dealer. The whole process was done in under and hour and the guy comes up to me and says they’re having a hard time getting it into spec and want to start measuring components to see if something needs replaced. Not sure if they’re busting my balls or not, 50min seems like they just put it on the lift, tinkered a bit and said screw it. They really messed up the toe too, not sure what to do at this point. Thoughts?

Yes, something is bent. Your rear right toe is way out of spec. Should be .15* and you are at 1*47'. Take a picture of the rear toe eccentric washer to see if they have it maxed out or not. Trailing arm might be bent.

[weehe126]

Looks like they didn't try, or couldn't (bolt rusted) adjust the rear toe. Fronts are fine.

[Shmee]

Looks like it still has room for adjustment, unless I’ve pictured the wrong thing. This is a Texas car so nothing should be rusted, they even asked me why it was all pristine down there. Thanks for helping out btw.

View post on imgur.com

Wrong bolt fam.

[Shmee]

Lol figured I’d be wrong, pretty clueless when it comes to suspension stuff. Do I take a pic of the toe arm?

[Tambohamilton]

Looks to me like they messed something up when trying to adjust rear toe... Was -0deg 40', afterwards -1deg 42'??? That's a whole degree worse - why have they not at least set it back where it was?

Pics of the toe arm on each side would be ideal.

[weehe126]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Looks to me like they messed something up when trying to adjust rear toe... Was -0deg 40', afterwards -1deg 42'??? That's a whole degree worse - why have they not at least set it back where it was?

Pics of the toe arm on each side would be ideal.

They adjusted camber, which then changes toe. But then didn't adjust toe into spec.

[Tambohamilton]

Good point. Still, I would have set it back where it was, preferably. 0.3deg of camber isn't bad, but a whole degree of toe will chew tyres fast!

[Shmee]

Exactly, I don’t understand why they prioritized the camber over the toe esp since it was a full degree off toe. The steering wheel is also off center which is annoying since it was perfectly straight when I brought it in. Anyway, Finally got some pics of left and right toe bolts

View post on imgur.com

View post on imgur.com

[Tambohamilton]

Plenty of adjustment on those to get more toe in, and I can't see that they're seized; it's so clean under there!

Since they've also left it with the steering wheel off centre, I say definitely find a *better* shop and have it all done again. Alignment is sensitive, and the mechanic needs to know what they're doing in order to get it right...regardless of what fancy equipment they have. Also, it's fundamental to having your car handle well, just like having good tyres.

[Shmee]

Went back to talk to them about it. The mechanic said he had the tow arm maxed out and that he doesn’t go by the eccentric washer or something like that. So I asked them if they could put it back to where it was and they want to charge me the full price again. Scumbag bmw dealers

[weehe126]

I would ask for your money back on the first alignment at this point. They clearly have no idea what they are doing.

[Shmee]

Id love to but i doubt they're gonna do it. At this point ill take the advice and take it to a specialty shop and have them try to do it. If they can get it all into spec I'm gonna go back to bmw and give them hell. Clearly they don't give 2 shits. Thanks for the answers guys, ill update this once i go to the other shop

[Tambohamilton]

He doesn't go by the eccentric washers?? How else could he possibly do it; they're what provide the adjustment!

I bet you a cup of tea at my place that a good shop can do it no bother...

Good luck!

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Looks to me like they messed something up when trying to adjust rear toe... Was -0deg 40', afterwards -1deg 42'??? That's a whole degree worse - why have they not at least set it back where it was?

Pics of the toe arm on each side would be ideal.

This isn't an alignment issue. Something must be bent.

Shmee Dealer performed an alignment just fine... take a picture of the toe arm eccentric so we can verify whether or no it is maxed out before you go wasting more money with false outrage.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

because they added camber. In the rear of the car, more camber = toe out. This isn't an alignment issue. Something must be bent.

Shmee Dealer performed an alignment just fine... take a picture of the toe arm eccentric so we can verify whether or no it is maxed out before you go wasting more money with false outrage.

See post #11.

Yes, I know how the toe came to be where it is. What I think they did wrong is that they didn't return the camber (and therefore toe) to its original position. 0.5deg of camber is way less detrimental to the vehicle than 1deg of toe.

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

See post #11.

Yes, I know how the toe came to be where it is. What I think they did wrong is that they didn't return the camber (and therefore toe) to its original position. 0.5deg of camber is way less detrimental to the vehicle than 1deg of toe.

Dealer doesn't get paid to give compromise alignments to people who don't believe them when they say something is bent lol They put things back to "green." That's just reality of the situation. Fix what's bent rather than re-align it to a still bad alignment lol Bottom picture, which I assume to be the rear right toe arm, looks to be maxed out to me. You can re-align the car yourself... mark where the lower camber eccentric currently is and then loosen it. Adjust to minimum camber possible. Simple. don't touch the toe eccentric as they already have it maxed it out. Reducing camber will toe the wheel in.

[Tambohamilton]

Neither adjuster is maxed out. Nowhere near. The bolt would be directly at one of the tabs on the subframe (opposed by the largest exposed part of the eccentric washer) if the adjuster was at its limit in either direction.

Also, have another look at which picture is which side of the car..

Are you here just to support the dealer, or do you actually know something?

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Neither adjuster is maxed out. Nowhere near. The bolt would be directly at one of the tabs on the subframe (opposed by the largest exposed part of the eccentric washer) if the adjuster was at its limit in either direction.

Also, have another look at which picture is which side of the car..

Are you here just to support the dealer, or do you actually know something?

what picture are you looking at? The top picture (left wheel) is dead center (not maxed out) and the alignment is fine on that side. the bottom picture is the rear right and, no, the eccentric is not maxed out. But, I don't think toe is going to change 1.5* to get back to a normal positive toe setting from my experience. i do see that the tech added camber to that wheel which should've toed the wheel IN a little more so the original -.42* should've became like -.3*. Still toe-out and still leaning toward there being something bent regardless of where the eccentric currently sits. Maybe they left the eccentric in that position to egg aerate the issue. Like I said to OP, takes all of two minutes to crawl under the car and play with the eccentric yourself. Don;t touch the camber just rotate the toe eccentric 360* for yourself and you will see the wheel moving... set it to max toe-in yourself until you're prepared to get it fixed right.

[Tambohamilton]

The top picture (not the one you've annotated) is the RH wheel, unless I'm very much mistaken. As you say, it's adjuster is near the middle of its range.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel confident that this could be adjusted to take out the -1.5deg of toe, and still be well away from its limit.

I guess we'll find out when the OP takes the car to another shop, but my money is on it being completely fine and nothing bent.

Adding *negative* camber, as was done, will cause the wheel to toe *out* (which is what happened); the toe arm is behind the wheel carrier, 'roll-over strut' is at the bottom of the wheel carrier.