Camber achievable with stock parts

nomile · 05-02-2011, 11:00 PM

Hello all,
2007 328xi - I'm curious if anyone has tried to get more negative front camber with stock parts. I have seen individuals talk about removing the alignment pin (top of strut-bearing) and getting up to -1.2 deg, but I think those have all been regular (non-xi) machines.

Is it possible to do this in an xi? has anyone done this?

Thanks

PS - Reason for asking: outer edges of my RE050As are wearing like crazy with moderate canyon driving, and I'm heading to an HPDE in a few weeks. Don't want to have bald shoulders after 2 sessions if I can help it, and a bit more camber may do the trick. Car is stock.

krnboy817 · 05-02-2011, 11:13 PM

i want to know this my self as well. having similar tire wear issue

serotoninsteve · 05-03-2011, 08:04 AM

Hi,

yes you can do this an an xi,
I've done it with a KW v3 setup and adjusted 1degree of camber.

But my front tires still wear to much on the outer edge,
my own diagnostics is the lower control arm bushings are shot,
they flex under load and lose camber while cornering.

Bushings optically seem ok, my BMW dealer refuses to change them,
but they are shot, a different dealer confirmed this.

My car has 50000km on the clock, and seems that th xi has alot more stress on these bushings as the i.

How is your mileage? Does your car drive fine under load, breaking/accelerating?

Mine is almost undriveable in the last time,
bushings will be changed on monday.

Here are some videos of mine when they are shot

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Busching335ixLeft.mov
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Busching335ixRight.mov
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Bus...35ixRight2.mov

Steve

nomile · 05-03-2011, 08:30 PM

@ serotoninsteve:
Everything feels fine - I live up a canyon, and tend to commute quickly with a good bit of cornering, but as for bushings, this BMWs are lasting much longer than my previous (e36 318ti). I'm at 74kmiles right now, and bushings still feel tight. With the old car I had all sorts of 4-wheel steering around 100k. Curious to see if this car will also do that.

Did you just pull the factory alignment pin and crank the strut tops toward the center as far as you can?

serotoninsteve · 05-03-2011, 09:49 PM

They removed the pin while installing the coilovers. Together with the lowering I could get more than 1',
but for a stock height it will be around 0,8-0,9 degrees wich is completely fine for street use I think.

Good luck

05-02-2011, 11:00 PM	#1
nomile Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 261 Posts Drives: 328xi; 318ti Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lyons, CO iTrader: (0)	Camber achievable with stock parts Hello all, 2007 328xi - I'm curious if anyone has tried to get more negative front camber with stock parts. I have seen individuals talk about removing the alignment pin (top of strut-bearing) and getting up to -1.2 deg, but I think those have all been regular (non-xi) machines. Is it possible to do this in an xi? has anyone done this? Thanks PS - Reason for asking: outer edges of my RE050As are wearing like crazy with moderate canyon driving, and I'm heading to an HPDE in a few weeks. Don't want to have bald shoulders after 2 sessions if I can help it, and a bit more camber may do the trick. Car is stock.
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05-02-2011, 11:13 PM	#2
krnboy817 Major 44 Rep 1,011 Posts Drives: 2008 328i coupe Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: DFW texas iTrader: (3)	i want to know this my self as well. having similar tire wear issue __________________ driving is poetry in motion.
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05-03-2011, 08:04 AM	#3
serotoninsteve Private First Class 7 Rep 131 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Luxemburg iTrader: (0)	Hi, yes you can do this an an xi, I've done it with a KW v3 setup and adjusted 1degree of camber. But my front tires still wear to much on the outer edge, my own diagnostics is the lower control arm bushings are shot, they flex under load and lose camber while cornering. Bushings optically seem ok, my BMW dealer refuses to change them, but they are shot, a different dealer confirmed this. My car has 50000km on the clock, and seems that th xi has alot more stress on these bushings as the i. How is your mileage? Does your car drive fine under load, breaking/accelerating? Mine is almost undriveable in the last time, bushings will be changed on monday. Here are some videos of mine when they are shot http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Busching335ixLeft.mov http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Busching335ixRight.mov http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10690520/Bus...35ixRight2.mov Steve
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05-03-2011, 08:30 PM	#4
nomile Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 261 Posts Drives: 328xi; 318ti Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lyons, CO iTrader: (0)	@ serotoninsteve: Everything feels fine - I live up a canyon, and tend to commute quickly with a good bit of cornering, but as for bushings, this BMWs are lasting much longer than my previous (e36 318ti). I'm at 74kmiles right now, and bushings still feel tight. With the old car I had all sorts of 4-wheel steering around 100k. Curious to see if this car will also do that. Did you just pull the factory alignment pin and crank the strut tops toward the center as far as you can?
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05-03-2011, 09:49 PM	#5
serotoninsteve Private First Class 7 Rep 131 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Luxemburg iTrader: (0)	They removed the pin while installing the coilovers. Together with the lowering I could get more than 1', but for a stock height it will be around 0,8-0,9 degrees wich is completely fine for street use I think. Good luck
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