[etinifni]

I installed Dinan lowering springs and bump stops yesterday and car was pulling to the right pretty good. I had the car aligned at the dealer today per Dinan specifications and car is still pulling to the right albeit not nearly as bad. Is there anything I should check out specifically or could this just be an issue with new springs needing to settle?

Here is the alignment data from dealer:

[IMG]http://d.pr/i/J6G5+[/IMG]

[BlueCrabMafia]

Check tire pressures first. If those are good, then rotate your tires. I'm willing to bet one of those two things solves your problem.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by BlueCrabMafia

Check tire pressures first. If those are good, then rotate your tires. I'm willing to bet one of those two things solves your problem.

I actually had the dealer rotate and balance the wheels/tires (square stock 18" wheels) before they did the alignment. They recommend running 38psi on all four tires so I said okay. Something about the listed tire pressures on the door jam are for car with full load.

[robbiep]

38 psi !

My F31 runs on 32 all round. 34 on the back if I'm carrying a fair bit of stuff in the boot.
I'd reckon the high pressures you're running, coupled with the camber, could well be causing the problem. I'd expect my car to pull to the left a bit if I was running that high.
Try dropping the pressures to 32 or 34 (check and adjust with cold tyres). You'll probably find it disappears AND you'll have a more comfortable ride.

[etinifni]

Does it matter with these pressures that I'm running RFTs?

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by etinifni

Does it matter with these pressures that I'm running RFTs?

My car is running those lower pressures on RFTs.

Try it. The ride will probably be a lot better AND it won't pull to the side.

You must remember though, you've just lowered the car - taking out suspension travel capacity, which destroys ride comfort, and makes a car far more 'twitchy' on the road. It might look nice, but it's not doing a damn thing worthwhile.

[BlueCrabMafia]

Try the lower tire pressure first and see if that helps. Make sure you check the pressure when the tires are cold.

Also remember your tires have worn in at your previous ride height/alignment specs. You now have hose same tires on different specs so it may take a week for them to settle in.

If it's still pulling to the right after a week, I would take it back and have the alignment checked.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by BlueCrabMafia

Try the lower tire pressure first and see if that helps. Make sure you check the pressure when the tires are cold.

Also remember your tires have worn in at your previous ride height/alignment specs. You now have hose same tires on different specs so it may take a week for them to settle in.

If it's still pulling to the right after a week, I would take it back and have the alignment checked.

This is what I thought might be part of issue although I just don't see that much of a wear difference being the problem. I have been more concerned that maybe one of the springs were installed wrong or something as I've read about this happening with the Dinan springs.

[BlueCrabMafia]

Originally Posted by etinifni

This is what I thought might be part of issue although I just don't see that much of a wear difference being the problem. I have been more concerned that maybe one of the springs were installed wrong or something as I've read about this happening with the Dinan springs.

Rear springs are kinda hard to screw up, but it's possible the fronts are not seated correctly into the strut bearing. If that was the case though, I would assume the alignment would have been out.

Let it ride for a week and if it doesn't change, take it back and have them check their work.

P.S. Did you align the car directly after installing the springs or did you wait a week and then get the alignment?

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by BlueCrabMafia

Rear springs are kinda hard to screw up, but it's possible the fronts are not seated correctly into the strut bearing. If that was the case though, I would assume the alignment would have been out.

Let it ride for a week and if it doesn't change, take it back and have them check their work.

P.S. Did you align the car directly after installing the springs or did you wait a week and then get the alignment?

I installed the springs then drove about 60 miles the next day and had it aligned.

[BlueCrabMafia]

Originally Posted by etinifni

I installed the springs then drove about 60 miles the next day and had it aligned.

It's possible the front springs weren't seated properly prior to the alignment and then settled into position afterwards throwing the alignment off.

Just a random theory though.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by BlueCrabMafia

It's possible the front springs weren't seated properly prior to the alignment and then settled into position afterwards throwing the alignment off.

Just a random theory though.

I'm taking it back to the dealer this afternoon. The steering wheel looks like it's off center just a little bit. SA said he'll send tech with me on test drive to show him.

[BimmerFan]

Alignment done at the dealer is hit more miss. I am never doing my alignment at the dealer again! I paid over $200 to have my alignment done at the dealer. After going back the 4th time cause they just couldn't center the steering wheel and shop foreman was feeding me crap about how that is how BMW designed the car, I gave up and found an indy. 60 bucks later, I was straight as an arrow. Alignments done at the dealer is a complete waste of money. It's not rocket science.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Maybe you over-tightened the top hats

[etinifni]

Here is a short video clip.

http://d.pr/v/lfzV

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by etinifni

Here is a short video clip.

http://d.pr/v/lfzV

Too short. It shows nothing in all of it's 2 seconds. Even if it did show more, nobody knows the camber on the road, or any of the other factors which could affect things.

Have you adjusted the tyre pressures yet ?

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by robbiep

Too short. It shows nothing in all of it's 2 seconds. Even if it did show more, nobody knows the camber on the road, or any of the other factors which could affect things.

Have you adjusted the tyre pressures yet ?

With the drop in temperatures today TPMS went off saying all 4 tires were low so I set them all at 32psi...didn't really seem to affect issue.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

Maybe you over-tightened the top hats

Are you talking about pre-loading the springs?

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Originally Posted by etinifni

Are you talking about pre-loading the springs?

On my old E90 when we tightened the top bolt on the strut mount it was way too tight. The car pulled to whatever side I fully turned the wheel to after straightening out

[BimmerFan]

Video shows a lot. With Steering straight car pulls right..way right. He has to hang the steering wheel off center to the left for the car to track straight. That drives me insane! Find an indy alignment shop that know what they are doing. In some cases, the steering wheel was not perfectly straight when the alignment was done. This can cause the alignment to be within spec, but steering wheel off-center.

[kenwelch]

Go back to your alignment printout. The actual readings are "after" the tech finished. You will notice that the "cross camber" readings are out of spec shown on the right side. More than .5 degrees will cause a pull. Your left negitive camber in causing the pull. The rear readings are good and not the cause.

[etinifni]

Originally Posted by kenwelch

Go back to your alignment printout. The actual readings are "after" the tech finished. You will notice that the "cross camber" readings are out of spec shown on the right side. More than .5 degrees will cause a pull. Your left negitive camber in causing the pull. The rear readings are good and not the cause.

Forgive my ignorance but how is that corrected? Only the toe is adjustable is it not? Shouldn't the Dinan spring setup not cause anything that would require camber plates?