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      03-04-2020, 08:57 PM   #1
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How often do you do alignment?

Just curious to know, I am doing alignment every 3 to 4 months. I keep hitting either a pothole or a speed bump now and then, which causes my alignment to get messed up.

I feel that this car is too sensitive to speed bumps and potholes as compared to any other car that I have owned. Could be due to the stiff chassis.
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      03-04-2020, 09:16 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by buckybadger View Post
I am doing alignment every 3 to 4 months.
That seems...excessive.

I only do one if I change my suspension or get new tires.
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      03-05-2020, 12:22 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewc89 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by buckybadger View Post
I am doing alignment every 3 to 4 months.
That seems...excessive.

I only do one if I change my suspension or get new tires.
Thanks for confirming!

Roads in San Diego are quite bad, how's it over there?
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      03-05-2020, 12:23 AM   #4
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What exactly is getting thrown out of whack? Only things I can think of that are adjustable are the tie rods and rear toe links.

If it's your rear toe, you can replace the toe arms with SPL version that have eccentric nut lockouts. The eccentric nuts are prone to slipping when jarred by a bump.

If it's the tie rods, there is an SPL replacement for them but I don't think they'll make settings more stable. They use the same pinch collar as OEM. Maybe your OEM tie rods are worn out and won't hold a setting in place? Or maybe there is a way to better secure them. Locktite or tightening the nut more. I'm just speculating, but these are things I'd look into.

Or stop hitting speed bumps and potholes so hard.
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      03-05-2020, 12:34 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony1s View Post
What exactly is getting thrown out of whack? Only things I can think of that are adjustable are the tie rods and rear toe links.

If it's your rear toe, you can replace the toe arms with SPL version that have eccentric nut lockouts. The eccentric nuts are prone to slipping when jarred by a bump.

If it's the tie rods, there is an SPL replacement for them but I don't think they'll make settings more stable. They use the same pinch collar as OEM. Maybe your OEM tie rods are worn out and won't hold a setting in place? Or maybe there is a way to better secure them. Locktite or tightening the nut more. I'm just speculating, but these are things I'd look into.

Or stop hitting speed bumps and potholes so hard.
Thanks, the potholes are unavoidable and some new speed bumps are not painted.

Sometimes it can be very hard to tell, almost impossible and by the time you realize the damage is already done!
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      03-05-2020, 01:18 AM   #6
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Unless you replaced any of the parts below, a wheel alignment is not necessary and is just fluff the service department is selling, knowing it's easy money..
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      03-05-2020, 05:07 AM   #7
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Never have an issue here with the San Diego roads :
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      03-05-2020, 08:13 AM   #8
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I don't remember the last time I got an alignment on any of my current 4 cars. And DC area roads suck
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      03-05-2020, 08:30 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewc89 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by buckybadger View Post
I am doing alignment every 3 to 4 months.
That seems...excessive.

I only do one if I change my suspension or get new tires.
Same here, and sometimes not even when I get new tires.

The wear on your tires will tell you if you need an alignment....check to see if you have excessive toe or camber wear.
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      03-05-2020, 08:59 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Unless you replaced any of the parts below, a wheel alignment is not necessary and is just fluff the service department selling knowing it's easy money..
Sounds like you've never experienced alignment issues from hard suspension impacts before.
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      03-05-2020, 09:07 AM   #11
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I have GC camber plates and track on a regular basis....never met a curb that I didn’t like to hit! I have a relationship with a tire/alignment shop and we check it regularly....it never needs adjusting after 2+ years of service. The tech says this car is rock solid and will rarely need to be reset.
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      03-05-2020, 09:28 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Unless you replaced any of the parts below, a wheel alignment is not necessary and is just fluff the service department selling knowing it's easy money..
Sounds like you've never experienced alignment issues from hard suspension impacts before.
No, not really and I live in NYC, where Mars has smoother roads and must blew out or bubbled like around 15 tires, bent a few rims here and there and yet my vehicle(s) still always tracked strait.

In my younger days, I worked for a chain auto repair shop that pushed out those 3 year/ $250 alignment agreement. The manager used to loves those because he knew a vehicle really only needs an alignment when you have your suspension parts replaced such as bushings, shocks, and tie rods or if you decide you want your car lower the vehicle's stance and since collision or cosmetic changes where not covered under the program, you're essentially paying for false sense of peace of mind because the truth is, when you brought your vehicle in to attempt to cash in your "free" but unnecessary alignment, they'll just keep your car back there for a few hours and play the roll, as if an alignment was done.

Wheel alignment is a repair; it only needs to be done when there a related part is replaced or there is a problem, it's not a mandatory maintenance requirement nor is it recommend by BMW, unless necessary.

A proper wheel alignment can last many years and even the life of the vehicle. One major indication of a possible alignment problem is tire wear or pulling towards either direction but if you're already at that juncture, something is already bent and an alignment would be required, after the repair, regardless.
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      03-05-2020, 09:53 AM   #13
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I've never had an issue on my BMW. Older American cars are a different story. When I was a kid we had cars that routinely went out of alignment. Sometimes just going up against a parking stop would be enough to throw it out.
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      03-05-2020, 10:40 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
No, not really and I live in NYC, where Mars has smoother roads and must blew out or bubbled like around 15 tires, bent a few rims here and there and yet my vehicle(s) still always tracked strait.

In my younger days, I worked for a chain auto repair shop that pushed out those 3 year/ $250 alignment agreement. The manager used to loves those because he knew a vehicle really only needs an alignment when you have your suspension parts replaced such as bushings, shocks, and tie rods or if you decide you want your car lower the vehicle's stance and since collision or cosmetic changes where not covered under the program, you're essentially paying for false sense of peace of mind because the truth is, when you brought your vehicle in to attempt to cash in your "free" but unnecessary alignment, they'll just keep your car back there for a few hours and play the roll, as if an alignment was done.

Wheel alignment is a repair; it only needs to be done when there a related part is replaced or there is a problem, it's not a mandatory maintenance requirement nor is it recommend by BMW, unless necessary.

A proper wheel alignment can last many years and even the life of the vehicle. One major indication of a possible alignment problem is tire wear or pulling towards either direction but if you're already at that juncture, something is already bent and an alignment would be required, after the repair, regardless.
Cars will go out of alignment depending on the condition. One of the most obvious is after hitting a pothole or something similar it throws it off. How do you know? Keep the steering wheel dead center and watch the car drift into another car or wall. That's just one example. I get that some shops push them to make $$$, that's a whole other can of worms. As far as your experience in NYC, you've either been lucky or didn't realize the alignment was off because it wasn't severe.
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      03-05-2020, 11:07 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
No, not really and I live in NYC, where Mars has smoother roads and must blew out or bubbled like around 15 tires, bent a few rims here and there and yet my vehicle(s) still always tracked strait.

In my younger days, I worked for a chain auto repair shop that pushed out those 3 year/ $250 alignment agreement. The manager used to loves those because he knew a vehicle really only needs an alignment when you have your suspension parts replaced such as bushings, shocks, and tie rods or if you decide you want your car lower the vehicle's stance and since collision or cosmetic changes where not covered under the program, you're essentially paying for false sense of peace of mind because the truth is, when you brought your vehicle in to attempt to cash in your "free" but unnecessary alignment, they'll just keep your car back there for a few hours and play the roll, as if an alignment was done.

Wheel alignment is a repair; it only needs to be done when there a related part is replaced or there is a problem, it's not a mandatory maintenance requirement nor is it recommend by BMW, unless necessary.

A proper wheel alignment can last many years and even the life of the vehicle. One major indication of a possible alignment problem is tire wear or pulling towards either direction but if you're already at that juncture, something is already bent and an alignment would be required, after the repair, regardless.
Cars will go out of alignment depending on the condition. One of the most obvious is after hitting a pothole or something similar it throws it off. How do you know? Keep the steering wheel dead center and watch the car drift into another car or wall. That's just one example. I get that some shops push them to make $$$, that's a whole other can of worms. As far as your experience in NYC, you've either been lucky or didn't realize the alignment was off because it wasn't severe.
It's not that I don't notice or I'm oblivious to misaligned suspension, I'm the anal-retentive type, if there was an issue, it would be addressed. Trust me, I have no problem humbling myself, if I'm proven wrong.

A misaligned suspension is pretty self-evident and the diagnosis not exactly rocket science; you let the steering wheel go and gently let the vehicle move forward, on a smooth surface. If the steering wheel tracks strait and doesn't pull to either side. Now, if it shows no signs of being broken, why would I pay to fix it.

The concept of a wheel alignment as routine maintenance is an old wives' tale, hashed up by ambitions auto repair mechanics, that pounce on fear-mongering and consumer ignorance.

Its your money and you can obviously spend it how you please but factually, if your steering is behaving as normal and you have reasonably even tire wear, it's a waste to pay to have the alignment checked.

Now wheel balancing; this is something I recommend be done, like every season, as typical daily collision with a reasonable-sized crater can eventually knock your wheel or it's set weights, out-of-round. This sometimes gets misconstrued as a bad wheel alignment, due to the steering wheel vibration, at speeds above 70MPH but incorrectly get lumped into one category.
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      03-05-2020, 11:14 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
No, not really and I live in NYC, where Mars has smoother roads and must blew out or bubbled like around 15 tires, bent a few rims here and there and yet my vehicle(s) still always tracked strait.

In my younger days, I worked for a chain auto repair shop that pushed out those 3 year/ $250 alignment agreement. The manager used to loves those because he knew a vehicle really only needs an alignment when you have your suspension parts replaced such as bushings, shocks, and tie rods or if you decide you want your car lower the vehicle's stance and since collision or cosmetic changes where not covered under the program, you're essentially paying for false sense of peace of mind because the truth is, when you brought your vehicle in to attempt to cash in your "free" but unnecessary alignment, they'll just keep your car back there for a few hours and play the roll, as if an alignment was done.

Wheel alignment is a repair; it only needs to be done when there a related part is replaced or there is a problem, it's not a mandatory maintenance requirement nor is it recommend by BMW, unless necessary.

A proper wheel alignment can last many years and even the life of the vehicle. One major indication of a possible alignment problem is tire wear or pulling towards either direction but if you're already at that juncture, something is already bent and an alignment would be required, after the repair, regardless.
Cars will go out of alignment depending on the condition. One of the most obvious is after hitting a pothole or something similar it throws it off. How do you know? Keep the steering wheel dead center and watch the car drift into another car or wall. That's just one example. I get that some shops push them to make $$$, that's a whole other can of worms. As far as your experience in NYC, you've either been lucky or didn't realize the alignment was off because it wasn't severe.
Careful using that diagnosis technique ...you're assuming the road is always flat with no grade. Many roads are graded so that water drains properly, So you may feel your car "pulling" in the drainage direction when the alignment is perfectly fine.
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      03-05-2020, 01:45 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Al Bundy's Dodge View Post
Careful using that diagnosis technique ...you're assuming the road is always flat with no grade. Many roads are graded so that water drains properly, So you may feel your car "pulling" in the drainage direction when the alignment is perfectly fine.
Obviously, when I saying pulling I'm referring to a flat road. For instance usually the best roads to test on are three lanes and drive in the center lane. Even those are not always perfect, you need to drive another car properly aligned and then the one pulling on the same road to know for sure. And if it's a car that you've owned for a while you know how it drives and how it feels in any lane and will know if something is off pretty quick.
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      03-05-2020, 01:51 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
It's not that I don't notice or I'm oblivious to misaligned suspension, I'm the anal-retentive type, if there was an issue, it would be addressed. Trust me, I have no problem humbling myself, if I'm proven wrong.

A misaligned suspension is pretty self-evident and the diagnosis not exactly rocket science; you let the steering wheel go and gently let the vehicle move forward, on a smooth surface. If the steering wheel tracks strait and doesn't pull to either side. Now, if it shows no signs of being broken, why would I pay to fix it.

The concept of a wheel alignment as routine maintenance is an old wives' tale, hashed up by ambitions auto repair mechanics, that pounce on fear-mongering and consumer ignorance.

Its your money and you can obviously spend it how you please but factually, if your steering is behaving as normal and you have reasonably even tire wear, it's a waste to pay to have the alignment checked.

Now wheel balancing; this is something I recommend be done, like every season, as typical daily collision with a reasonable-sized crater can eventually knock your wheel or it's set weights, out-of-round. This sometimes gets misconstrued as a bad wheel alignment, due to the steering wheel vibration, at speeds above 70MPH but incorrectly get lumped into one category.
Who said anything about routine alignments? The OP clearly stated he keeps hitting pot holes and/or speed bumps.

This thread is getting annoying with its assumptions.
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      03-05-2020, 02:51 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
It's not that I don't notice or I'm oblivious to misaligned suspension, I'm the anal-retentive type, if there was an issue, it would be addressed. Trust me, I have no problem humbling myself, if I'm proven wrong.

A misaligned suspension is pretty self-evident and the diagnosis not exactly rocket science; you let the steering wheel go and gently let the vehicle move forward, on a smooth surface. If the steering wheel tracks strait and doesn't pull to either side. Now, if it shows no signs of being broken, why would I pay to fix it.

The concept of a wheel alignment as routine maintenance is an old wives' tale, hashed up by ambitions auto repair mechanics, that pounce on fear-mongering and consumer ignorance.

Its your money and you can obviously spend it how you please but factually, if your steering is behaving as normal and you have reasonably even tire wear, it's a waste to pay to have the alignment checked.

Now wheel balancing; this is something I recommend be done, like every season, as typical daily collision with a reasonable-sized crater can eventually knock your wheel or it's set weights, out-of-round. This sometimes gets misconstrued as a bad wheel alignment, due to the steering wheel vibration, at speeds above 70MPH but incorrectly get lumped into one category.
Who said anything about routine alignments? The OP clearly stated he keeps hitting pot holes and/or speed bumps.

This thread is getting annoying with its assumptions.

So, he get's a an alignment every time he hits a pothole/speed bumb, or sometimes or only when the sky is blue?

You know, so we don't make assumptions on asinine such practice is, regardless how you try to spin it..
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      03-05-2020, 04:10 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
So, he get's a an alignment every time he hits a pothole/speed bumb, or sometimes or only when the sky is blue?

You know, so we don't make assumptions on asinine such practice is, regardless how you try to spin it..
Spin? Maybe try reading and comprehending the thread from the beginning and then think about what you just said.
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      03-05-2020, 04:15 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
So, he get's a an alignment every time he hits a pothole/speed bumb, or sometimes or only when the sky is blue?

You know, so we don't make assumptions on asinine such practice is, regardless how you try to spin it..
Spin? Maybe try reading and comprehending the thread from the beginning and then think about what you just said.

r/woosh

For someone who probably figure they need an wheel alignment every time they full up on gas, I'm not remotely surprised that facts when strait over your head...

Ignore is bliss
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      03-05-2020, 04:23 PM   #22
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Quote:
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r/woosh

For someone who probably figure they need an wheel alignment every time they full up on gas, I'm not remotely surprised that facts when strait over your head...

Ignore is bliss
Well stated.
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