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      03-05-2020, 04:30 PM   #23
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I think we can all agree getting an alignment every 3-4 months is excessive. I regularly track my S2000 and Autocross it and i only get an alignment whenever i change my suspension or if i feel a pull on one of my wheels. Maybe at most...once a year?

While potholes and speed bumps CAN cause your alignment to go out of wack, i cant imagine BMW making such weak suspension that going over a few of them at the proper speeds would mess it up enough to need an alignment.

That being said i do know many people (my girlfriend included) who do tend to drive over speed bumps faster than i would ever do. Maybe OP is one of those people? Who knows
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      03-05-2020, 04:42 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xxyion View Post
I think we can all agree getting an alignment every 3-4 months is excessive. I regularly track my S2000 and Autocross it and i only get an alignment whenever i change my suspension or if i feel a pull on one of my wheels. Maybe at most...once a year?

While potholes and speed bumps CAN cause your alignment to go out of wack, i cant imagine BMW making such weak suspension that going over a few of them at the proper speeds would mess it up enough to need an alignment.

That being said i do know many people (my girlfriend included) who do tend to drive over speed bumps faster than i would ever do. Maybe OP is one of those people? Who knows
I believe frequent alignment recommendations is a auto repair shop's way of recouping the cost of equipment they invested in. A typical Hunter alignment machine is like 200k, give or take and someone has to pay for all that..

When your tire begin to wear funny or something changes in the ride or steering, then by all means, please get it checked out but other than that, the house always wins..

Fixing something that isn't broken sometimes results in making something broke that wasn't.. ** haiku**
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      03-05-2020, 04:44 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xxyion View Post
I think we can all agree getting an alignment every 3-4 months is excessive. I regularly track my S2000 and Autocross it and i only get an alignment whenever i change my suspension or if i feel a pull on one of my wheels. Maybe at most...once a year?

While potholes and speed bumps CAN cause your alignment to go out of wack, i cant imagine BMW making such weak suspension that going over a few of them at the proper speeds would mess it up enough to need an alignment.

That being said i do know many people (my girlfriend included) who do tend to drive over speed bumps faster than i would ever do. Maybe OP is one of those people? Who knows
Had an e92 from 2007 (very first MY) that had the same issue the OP is describing. Just going over rough uneven pavement or heavy suspension travel would throw it's alignment off all the time. Some symptoms were crooked steering wheel, car pulled to one side, when turning it would abruptly go into oversteer to name a few. This was a new leased car and after numerous visits to the dealership I spoke to management about the issue. They replaced some suspension parts, but not sure exactly what and it fixed the issue for me. Haven't experienced anything that bad since then, but every time I came into the shop they found the alignment was way off and the techs were always scratching their heads. Don't think anyone is doubting if getting an alignment every few months is excessive or not, it is. But, that doesn't explain why it keeps happening to the OP.
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      03-05-2020, 05:15 PM   #26
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Maybe some part is loose or the service guy at the dealership is not tightening things enough.

When I say bad roads I am referring to downtown area in SD. The 2 speed bumps I hit were not painted and as mentioned would be very tricky to tell while driving. I've seen few other folks hit such bumps in SD.
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      03-05-2020, 05:16 PM   #27
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I'm a simple man

When the car pulls one way, I get an alignment to correct it

(Also when I got new wheels, tires, springs)
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      03-05-2020, 06:04 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tag View Post
Had an e92 from 2007 (very first MY) that had the same issue the OP is describing. Just going over rough uneven pavement or heavy suspension travel would throw it's alignment off all the time. Some symptoms were crooked steering wheel, car pulled to one side, when turning it would abruptly go into oversteer to name a few. This was a new leased car and after numerous visits to the dealership I spoke to management about the issue. They replaced some suspension parts, but not sure exactly what and it fixed the issue for me. Haven't experienced anything that bad since then, but every time I came into the shop they found the alignment was way off and the techs were always scratching their heads. Don't think anyone is doubting if getting an alignment every few months is excessive or not, it is. But, that doesn't explain why it keeps happening to the OP.
Well he's not here to find out why. If he wants to do that he needs to go to the dealership or a mechanic. If he's having the exact same issue as you did, then it sounds like faulty suspension.
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      03-05-2020, 07:09 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewc89 View Post
That seems...excessive.

I only do one if I change my suspension or get new tires.
About to say......every 3-4 months is insane. I also do it every time I get tires, and that's it.
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      03-06-2020, 11:06 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MMMBRAP View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewc89 View Post
That seems...excessive.

I only do one if I change my suspension or get new tires.
About to say......every 3-4 months is insane. I also do it every time I get tires, and that's it.
You guys are missing the point...
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      03-06-2020, 01:40 PM   #31
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My previous car was aligned on a hunter system here in the UK and got it checked two years later. We have crappy roads and the car barely needed anything doing to it.

Having said that there was a tangible benefit getting it updated but nothing night and day.

I think for a petrol head every couple of years is sufficient and responsible and doesn't break the bank

Mandatory on cars new to me though, most previous owners having not given it a second thought .
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      12-23-2020, 09:27 AM   #32
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Originally Posted by Twt View Post
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.
I'm getting ready to install Camber Plates and will get my M2 aligned when done. Do you change your Camber when you get to the Track, or run it as set for DD? If you change at the Track,are you saying you can just move it back to Street settings on Camber and be OK?
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      12-23-2020, 02:34 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
I'm getting ready to install Camber Plates and will get my M2 aligned when done. Do you change your Camber when you get to the Track, or run it as set for DD? If you change at the Track,are you saying you can just move it back to Street settings on Camber and be OK?
I leave it at -3.2 for street and track...no changing between. It’s not my DD but I do drive it on the street and to the track...no trailer. By the way, my street tires are AD08s so I can flip the fronts to compensate for inside wear.
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      12-23-2020, 04:54 PM   #34
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Once a year, unless I hit something. I paid for the lifetime alignment, so it costs $0.
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      12-23-2020, 05:28 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chief1richard View Post
I'm getting ready to install Camber Plates and will get my M2 aligned when done. Do you change your Camber when you get to the Track, or run it as set for DD? If you change at the Track,are you saying you can just move it back to Street settings on Camber and be OK?
Increasing camber by moving the upper mounting point of a MacPherson strut inboard via camber plates (GC, Vorshlag, Millway, etc) will also cause toe-out. This is because the strut is also angled rearward (castor). Simple trigonometry.

This is not necessarily a problem if the numbers coincidentally line up. Because if you run a small degree of toe in on your "street" camber setting, this will become neutral or slightly toe out as you adjust to your "track" camber setting.

A small amount of toe-in makes the car behave well and steer nicely on the street (reduces tramlining or wandering). Zero-toe or a small amount of toe-out improves steering response and turn-in respectively on the track. So it's a win-win.

The problem arises when the changes are not proportional. In my particular car, I move from -2.0deg street to -3.5deg track. To match this with my preferred toe settings, I need to accompany the camber change with 3/6ths of a turn inwards on each tie rod, otherwise the toe-out at -3.5deg camber for track is excessive.

It's a fair bit of screwing around so it depends on how serious you are. Unless you are prepared to do this, you are better off with just choosing a hybrid setting and sticking with it for street and track. -2.5deg and zero-toe is a good place to start. Shoulder wear will help you get the camber fine tuned. Steering feel will help you get the toe where you want it.
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      12-24-2020, 01:34 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VisualEcho View Post
Once a year, unless I hit something. I paid for the lifetime alignment, so it costs $0.
My stance too.
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      12-24-2020, 02:18 PM   #37
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In other vehicles I have hit potholes at high enough speed to muck the alignment.

For those with height adjustable coil-overs I have always had the alignment checked after raising or lowering.

I don't do regularly scheduled alignments but I'll have it checked if the shop is capable and I'm getting other work done.

Last edited by redgs4; 12-24-2020 at 02:25 PM..
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      12-24-2020, 03:48 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redgs4 View Post
In other vehicles I have hit potholes at high enough speed to muck the alignment.

For those with height adjustable coil-overs I have always had the alignment checked after raising or lowering.
I actually don't hit potholes much, and if I'm honest, got the lifetime alignment because I figure I'll be fiddling with the height here and there. I think I have the height right at the moment, but I'll still get an alignment once a year, and every time I get new tires for absolute sure.
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      04-08-2022, 11:36 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I believe frequent alignment recommendations is a auto repair shop's way of recouping the cost of equipment they invested in. A typical Hunter alignment machine is like 200k, give or take and someone has to pay for all that..

When your tire begin to wear funny or something changes in the ride or steering, then by all means, please get it checked out but other than that, the house always wins..

Fixing something that isn't broken sometimes results in making something broke that wasn't.. ** haiku**
A while back the service advisor told me it needed alignment. How I described the issue to them, the front end started to feel loose and during acceleration the front would move around/feel unstable. Similar to windy conditions. I guess alignment is what they came up with after driving it. There was probably 30k miles on the car at that point.

Was it just bs? They give you the before and after, but you say the alignment shouldnt be off other than components not working as intended, right?
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      04-08-2022, 11:57 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scarygary View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I believe frequent alignment recommendations is a auto repair shop's way of recouping the cost of equipment they invested in. A typical Hunter alignment machine is like 200k, give or take and someone has to pay for all that..

When your tire begin to wear funny or something changes in the ride or steering, then by all means, please get it checked out but other than that, the house always wins..

Fixing something that isn't broken sometimes results in making something broke that wasn't.. ** haiku**
A while back the service advisor told me it needed alignment. How I described the issue to them, the front end started to feel loose and during acceleration the front would move around/feel unstable. Similar to windy conditions. I guess alignment is what they came up with after driving it. There was probably 30k miles on the car at that point.

Was it just bs? They give you the before and after, but you say the alignment shouldnt be off other than components not working as intended, right?
From what I understand, you really don't need an wheel alignment unless major suspension components are replaced and even then it's still just a rough check on the work that was done, not necessarily a hard requirement.

I used to work in a major parts/auto repair shop, similar to Pep Boys and it was an insider joke that the mechanics and service writer called for a wheel alignment as just a way to pad the bill. That was pretty much easy money for them and something the customers would not question, just 10 mins of pretending to turn a wrench and print out a piece of paper.

It sounds to me like the dealer suggesting a alignment was just a shot in dark and not really the cause of the underlying issue, which could of been anything from tire pressure variations or just undulations in the road surface giving off the impression that the settings was off.
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      04-08-2022, 12:24 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
From what I understand, you really don't need an wheel alignment unless major suspension components are replaced and even then it's still just a rough check on the work that was done, not necessarily a hard requirement.

I used to work in a major parts/auto repair shop, similar to Pep Boys and it was an insider joke that the mechanics and service writer called for a wheel alignment as just a way to pad the bill. That was pretty much easy money for them and something the customers would not question, just 10 mins of pretending to turn a wrench and print out a piece of paper.

It sounds to me like the dealer suggesting a alignment was just a shot in dark and not really the cause of the underlying issue, which could of been anything from tire pressure variations or just undulations in the road surface giving off the impression that the settings was off.
I recall getting the feeling on different highways/roads. Get that big push around 4k rpm and the front just couldnt handle it. Idk it seemed remedied. Now its been a year and Ive recently got rear tires Feb. and fronts in Oct. Got the $100 off coupon in my email which is obviously bait, but I would hate in like 4 months from now the front feel squirrely again.

The issue could also be related to the electronic steering I guess. Ive seen the other thread reporting the steering being weird after an update, but it wasnt after any update to my knowledge.
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      04-08-2022, 12:32 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scarygary View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
From what I understand, you really don't need an wheel alignment unless major suspension components are replaced and even then it's still just a rough check on the work that was done, not necessarily a hard requirement.

I used to work in a major parts/auto repair shop, similar to Pep Boys and it was an insider joke that the mechanics and service writer called for a wheel alignment as just a way to pad the bill. That was pretty much easy money for them and something the customers would not question, just 10 mins of pretending to turn a wrench and print out a piece of paper.

It sounds to me like the dealer suggesting a alignment was just a shot in dark and not really the cause of the underlying issue, which could of been anything from tire pressure variations or just undulations in the road surface giving off the impression that the settings was off.
I recall getting the feeling on different highways/roads. Get that big push around 4k rpm and the front just couldnt handle it. Idk it seemed remedied. Now its been a year and Ive recently got rear tires Feb. and fronts in Oct. Got the $100 off coupon in my email which is obviously bait, but I would hate in like 4 months from now the front feel squirrely again.

The issue could also be related to the electronic steering I guess. Ive seen the other thread reporting the steering being weird after an update, but it wasnt after any update to my knowledge.
Sometimes your mind play games with you also; my car always feels like it has the power of a Lambo after a simple oil change..

My humble opinion, if the steering wheel is tracking strait and not drastically veering to side by side on its own, a wheel alignment is not needed.
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      04-08-2022, 12:37 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
Sometimes your mind play games with you also; my car always feels like it has the power of a Lambo after a simple oil change..

My humble opinion, if the steering wheel is tracking strait and not drastically veering to side by side on its own, a wheel alignment is not needed.
Now you mention, the steering wheel was off center as well. Something ill keep eye out for
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      04-08-2022, 02:28 PM   #44
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Weird thread...
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