Alignment Question

[dschwartzer]

I recently got a 2004 325xiT. While washing it today I noticed that iy appears the two rear wheels tow in (the front of the wheels point tw=owards each other). I say this because if I look down from the rear fenders the wheels are not parallel to the fenders. Both sides apear the same.

I realize this is completely unscientific and may just be an optical illusion but I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this and if it is normal. The car only has 5,000 miles on it but there does not appear to be any premature wear on the tires.

By the way, here is a picture of my "baby".

Just wondering. Thanks.

 

[MrElussive]

Your front alignment is probably off. Drive in the middle of a very flat road, hold the steering wheel in the middle and let it go. See if hte car drifts to the left or to the right. Also, while driving around, check to see if you have to keep the steering wheel in the center to keep the car going straight. If you have to hold the wheel a little to the right or a little to the left to keep it going straight, then your alignment is probably off. But keep in mind that most roads curve downwards on each side so this may be kind of hard to evaluate. Your best bet is to try these two tests on the middle lane of a very flat highway.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Your front alignment is probably off. Drive in the middle of a very flat road, hold the steering wheel in the middle and let it go. See if hte car drifts to the left or to the right. Also, while driving around, check to see if you have to keep the steering wheel in the center to keep the car going straight. If you have to hold the wheel a little to the right or a little to the left to keep it going straight, then your alignment is probably off. But keep in mind that most roads curve downwards on each side so this may be kind of hard to evaluate. Your best bet is to try these two tests on the middle lane of a very flat highway.

You didn't read his post carefully enough. He's talking about the rear wheels having what he perceives to be excessive toe-in, not the front wheels. A bad front alignment will not affect the rear wheels in this manner.

I'd be willing to bet that everything is fine. The rear quarter panels on your car are not going to be parallel to the road axis of the vehicle - as you go to the rear of the car, the quarter panels taper in towards the center of the vehicle. This would give the illusion that the rear wheels toe in, but it's just an illusion. You can't "evaluate" the alignment of your car by looking at the fenders in relation to the position of the wheels.

As an aside, your rear wheels should have some toe-in that is normal and designed into the chassis of the car for added stability. However, it will be slight and you won't be able to visually see it. If you had so much toe that you could actually see it, then the car would drive really weird and your tires would be shot. Plus, I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain that the rear wheel toe is not adjustable (I know that it isn't adjustable on my 1987), it's just designed into the suspension and chassis. There wouldn't be any point to having an adjustable rear toe.

 

[Zchild]

I hate to be a stickler for details, however the rear toe and camber's as well as the front toe and cambers have to be aligned properly to get the most efficiency out of your bimmer. I usually get mine aligned every couple of months or whenever I come across Wash DC's man-eatting, wheel-spliting potholes. BMW calls for a four wheel alignment not just a front wheel alignment. I also get it done everytime I purchase new tires. Happy Motoring...[driving2]

 

[Kirby]

I agree with Justin's comments, but I also agree with ZChild. Rear alignment is adjustable, hence the phrase "4 wheel alignment". It's unlikely that you have a problem, but the dealer can check it for you.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Yes, the newer 3ers require a 4-wheel alignment, but is the toe actually adjustable on the E46s? AFAIK, most cars with independent rear suspension only have adjustable camber. The rear toe isn't adjustable on the e30, but I know that the E46 uses an entirely different rear suspension design than the e30.

 

[aNoodle]

Yes, it can be adjusted I beleive in the rear wheels of the E46. BMW is known for tuning their suspensions with a lot of toe-in, at least according to Motor Trend. I never realized it was actually visible though.

 

[Kirby]

Here's a link to some 330 performance alignment tips:

http://www.my330i.com/alignment.php

 

[tih2k]

My 04 is the same way. It drives fine and I thought maybe it was supposed to be like that. My brother said it is the way the bumper is shaped, take a look at it without the bumper.