How to Adjust the Camber and Alignment of a BMW E46

Thank you for watching my video! Hope you liked it. If you'd like to support my channel, please check out my affiliate links below, thank you!
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My Patreon page may also interest you: / davidsunshine867
My AMAZON.COM store: www.amazon.com/shop/davidsuns...
Need to check for ECU errors? Get the Bluetooth OBDII Adapter for Android Phones Here: tidd.ly/39772xz (Download the Torque Lite App for free and scan for codes)
You can check 0-60mph times, 1/4 times, etc., in Torque as well.
The laser I was using is here: tidd.ly/e5cd1ffb
I put this on a plastic level by cutting the plastic so that it represented a weaver rail, a plastic level like the one here: amzn.to/2pFlzgf
I recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ on a 325, they are amazing, Amazon.com: amzn.to/33am9Rv
Or the more economic Primacy: amzn.to/3bXAYOK
You need a car DVR, with the crazy drivers out there, I use and recommend the:
Aukey DR02D - amzn.to/33ahKxX - AMAZON.COM
Aukey DR02D - amzn.to/33dkdaW - AMAZON.CA
It can run a max card size of 128GB, I use the EVO.
128 GB Samsung Evo: amzn.to/34opf4B - AMAZON.COM
128GB Samsung Evo: amzn.to/2MHaiSR - AMAZON.CA
One device you need, is this bluetooth voltage analyzer and logger, it connects to the battery and graphs out the cranking voltage! It does what it says
Bluetooth Car Voltage Analyzer and Logger: tidd.ly/f5f1682f
If you're putting the laser on the floor instead of a wall straight ahead, make sure you shoot the same distance forwards and backwards, that way you counter act the variance due to the incline of the laser. 8m front, 8m back, then the calculation will be much more accurate since no error is being introduced by the camber of the tire.
A new video will be made and linked here, which will show how to use a spreadsheet to do the calculations:
www.dropbox.com/s/xer2fcfl4us...
Or you can use it on google docs if you don't have excel, just edit it online:
drive.google.com/file/d/0ByMj...
Please use my affiliate links above if you'd like to support my channel!
Thank you!
David.

[@fulltimekiller_1441]

I am an alignment tech on german cars. This car needs a full gas tank and 300lbs in the front and 150lbs in the rear and 50 lbs in the trunk to get the correct ride height. Imitating down force at highway speed. That changes the camber by about .3-.5 degrees negative. Also changes the toe by .1-.2 positive. So keep that in mind when doing DYI alignment. Use weights.

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi Ahmad, Thanks for the info! That's a great idea to add some weights to the car, and have a full tank of gas. I'm hopeful that since I had a partially full tank, it'll be representative of me driving around the city on a partial tank. I also usually only drive around as a single occupant vehicle, so hopefully an empty car will be representative of the majority of my driving. Next time I'll definitely add some weight to help create a more accurate reading! Thanks again! I'm sure a lot of people will benefit from this info. Cheers! David.

[@pieterlastname1276]

David great job but the comment of Ahmad is very important and let me say i did replace my lower control arm bushings and had alignment done but now the steering is light and car pulls to the left. REASON:The guys never added weights to the car when doing alignment (I had full tank ) but its not just weights.The reason you add weights is to get the car front axle and rear axle to the designated ride height. You have to be very close to the specs for the ride heights .See bentley manual.Only then can you adjust the toe and camber on the car. If you dont add weights to get the ride height and do alignment camber changes you will find at high speed the car is unstable and all other issues. You also need to check the caster with the steering turned 20 and 10degrees and it should be in spec. BMW techs even sometimes place wieghts on the front shock strut towers to get the car to the correct ride height. This has to be done on a multilink suspension vehicle. Many alignment places dont follow this process or understand what they are doing.Note also the tyre pressures have to be SPOT on too. Do some more research on what i have said and let me know if you agree or not. Thanks

[@hanynowsky]

Hello. I am struggling to find the heaviest weights for front and rear seats. What are u using? Sand bags or gym weights?

[@ryanhaithcock4754]

Thank you very much for your time, energy, and knowledge in making this video. I have been watching hundreds of different e46 DIY videos over the last two years and none of them were as helpful as your video. i blew out 4 tires in this past year and was about to blow out my 5th yesterday, i noticed the inner tread wear on my back left tire and started watching videos. Now i know why ive been shredding tires. Thanks to your video im about to go make camber and alignment adjustments in my garage and fix this problem myself. 👍 🚗 🔣 😂 Best e46 DIY video on KZbin.

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. Ya, I blew out a tire on a bridge! That was it, I had to fix it. 2.5 years later, my tires (Pilot Sport A/S+) are still good, and evenly worn! It's wearing slowly, even though I corner hard and fast with this every day. Probably doesn't have as much bite on the corners, but still feels great and has plenty of grip with the ~0.7 deg negative camber. I highly recommend it! Glad you liked my video, thank you very much, I appreciate it! Enjoy your dead straight tracking go-cart handling E46! Cheers! David.

[@themadman6100]

Thank you for making this video,was about to rebuild my suspension to fix my camber,just saved me about $1,000!

[@DavidSunshine]

MadMan FPV You’re welcome! Glad it could help you. Yup, the alignment saved me lots of money too! And since I could customize it, I’ve made it flatter and have reduced wear and tear on my tires. Cheers! David.

[@who110405]

20 Years as a Ford Mechanic; your video was awesome to watch. Nicely done!

[@DavidSunshine]

Awesome! Glad you liked it. I tested checking camber with a smartphone and protractor app, it actually works pretty well! I checked a bunch of the cars in the bmw dealership and they all showed about 1 degree of negative camber. Lol

[@TimmieTennis]

Awesome video David, thanks for taking the time to do this!

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks Tim! Glad you liked it. It was a fun video to make, and I think it's very beneficial information. My tires are still wearing evenly, and the car is still driving great. I've been driving over 2 years on those tires, and the first alignment. I should probably recheck it now. Cheers! David.

[@verinb9]

I'm still trying to figure out wyd. This is amazing! Wish u lived in NC so u cud do my vehicles. Give this man a 🍻! THUMBS WAY UP!

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks man! Well, after chewing up the inside edge of my tires, I got sick of the stock aggressive settings and just wanted to make it wear more evenly. I'm happy to report that with these settings, I evenly wore out the Michelin pilot sports right down to the wear bars! Definitely recommend a neutral setup like I've done here. Unless you're racing on a track, you don't need so much toe or camber. Cheers! David.

[@pabloarencibia6116]

Thank you so much for the video! I don't have the time, tools and space to do it myself, but it helped me to confirm that the shop I got the car to was confused with the rear alignment. They said the car had a problem somewhere that prevented the rear toe to be properly adjusted but watching your video I learned that they were only working with the camber bolts instead and not touching the toe adjustment. I took it to another shop and they aligned the car properly (it was expensive though!) :)

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome! Ya, you know what they say, knowledge is power! I went to 5 shops, and they all didn't know how to adjust the camber properly, including the dealership. They told me it would take 3 hours to remove the pin. With a hammer, took me 3 seconds. lol

[@pabloarencibia6116]

:-)

[@kuma7526]

This is a really good video. A local shop jinxed the alignment 2 times and still charged me 100 bucks for both of those times. Imma do it myself now

[@DavidSunshine]

Damn that sucks, my buddy had that happen by a shop too, chewed though his tires in 7 months. Totally worth it to do it yourself. After this I went through these tires in 3 years, all even wear and tear, and that's aggressive E46 driving all over town too. You'll definitely benefit from levelling it out and having less aggressive toe. It drives much better too, and doesn't have any issues cornering, might not be as aggressive but it's still predictable. Try it out and see how you like it! If you miss the cornering you can always add back more camber and toe. Cheers! David.

[@mystirkitty4321]

Very intelligent dediction. Excelent lesson on toe.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks man! My E46 is still driving true! Great car, once it's aligned. Cheers, David.

[@brandonbonds1218]

Thanks for the video btw. Very informative.

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome! I had to post it cuz I know a lot of people are wearing out tires, and the information isn't clearly out there, of how to fix it. Most shops will tell you they can't adjust it too. Even a dealer told me they can't adjust the front camber, then I asked about the pin and he said it takes two hours, cuz he has to drop the suspension, took me 2 seconds. He was gonna charge me $200 more too.

[@vardanhovakimyan7633]

Great job, David!!! Very good video!!!

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks Vardan!! It's greatly appreciated! Hope it helps! Cheers, David.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks Gabriel! I agree, the rim would be better since then you're actually measuring the alignment of the rim, and avoiding and bulging, and tires do get a little warped so for sure that would help get a good measurement. Thanks for the tip! For those who want to increase precision: I would measure the bottom of the rim with the caliper, then measure the top, subtract the bottom distance from the top, and then you'll have your difference at the top. It's one extra step, but would increase precision of the calculations for sure.

[@DavidSunshine]

@C S Hi! Not a dumb question at all. E46 models apply between 1997 and 2006, so your 2004 will be exactly the same as my 2005. It's an easy job, to put it simply, I just set it as positive as I could, which was still like -0.7 degrees, but it's a good idea to check it, just to make sure you don't have positive camber or any crazy toe in or out. Have fun! Cheers! David. PS: BTW, I've been playing around with using the inclinometer on a smartphone to measure the camber, it actually works very well as a rough measurement, could be accurate to about 0.1 degrees, test it along with the mathematical method and you'll see how close they are, which gives you more confidence in your camber settings. You can find a protractor app pretty easily.

[@nangfah4u]

Thanks for the video. ... it was really helpful. Alignment shop was trying to charge me $1200 because ... this is what they said. .. there's no camder adjustment for BMW 528i. ... i neeed an aftermarket camber kit and labor. . $1200... I was very suspicious.... and $1200 was a lot of money. I could just buy new tires and it would be cheaper. Anyway., after watching your video I when and did the adjustment my self and test drove the car.... it drive nice now. As a bmw should. Thanks a lot for uploading the video. ....john.

[@DavidSunshine]

nang fah Hey that's great to hear! I called BMW, all independent alignment shops, and heard all the same things, "We don't think it has camber adjustment, and we'll have to take a look"(Even told me it was $200 to remove the pin, which took my hammer 2 seconds to do), I'm was thinking, I'm not going to let them touch my car, if they don't even know they can fix it, especially since a 3 series BMW is one of the most popular cars out there! It's really quite simple, and recently I tried using the protractor on my cell phone, and it can actually read the camber with pretty good accuracy, as long as you're on a flat surface and you calibrate it.(HTC One M7). After fixing my bushing and alignment, my BMW started driving as it should too, wasn't randomly wondering all over the road, even if there were undulations to the road! It's great to drive now, I definitely recommend it to everyone. Glad your car works great now, thanks for the comment and feedback! Happy driving. Cheers, David.

[@shannoneberly147]

Appreciated. A Lot! Took my 330ci to a shop, they had no idea what to do. Simple

[@DavidSunshine]

My pleasure! Lol ya, I guess shops don't always deal with that little pin for camber adjustment. Enjoy your smooth ride now! Cheers! David.

[@amandashuman6287]

Good attitude! thanks for the up!

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks! Much appreciated!

[@garydellabate2374]

Great video, thank you for this.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks! You're welcome! There's more info in the description too. I think it's easier if you measure 4m ahead and 4m behind, that way you don't need walls.

[@LochyP]

Fantastic video

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@johnharris1862]

hey david i think i got it i did what you said to do with bushing at first it looked to still be messed up but i took it for a test drive and both tires are toed out quite a bit but at least they are going the same way ill just bring it in to get alignment done tried to do it myself but couldnt get the tire rod to turn i think my next project is cv joints as the boots are tearing and there is grease on them thanks again david your the man

[@DavidSunshine]

Good to hear! Ya when you change out parts you'll need some adjustment, shouldn't be much but a few degrees is a lot for alignment and camber. A shop should be able to get it all right. You're welcome! Let us know how it drives!

[@josepeixoto3384]

LOTS OF *GREAT* IDEAS,Thank you very much;

[@DavidSunshine]

Thank you! You're welcome! Hope it helps.

[@GsinghHsingh]

Thanks for your time bro. very good video.

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. Thanks! Glad you liked it. Hopefully it's helpful. Cheers, David.

[@mademanmilt5283]

How much does a job like that normally cost?

[@DavidSunshine]

You can get custom shops to do adjust it to custom settings for about $200USD. Normal alignments to factory specs can be done for $100-150USD, but they won't remove the front camber pins unless they're really good. You've gotta find a good alignment shop that is used to doing it for cars that people take to the track, those mechanics will know how to make the appropriate adjustments. Cheers, David.

[@joesgarage618]

EXCELLENT video ! thank you.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thank you! You're welcome!

[@MrL0C07]

Awesome video David !!! 👏👏👏 Very smart , well explained and perfect use of math (practical). I don't know what the hell happened with the 73 thumbs down 😡

[@DavidSunshine]

Thank you!! I think those people don't understand the math. Lol. It's a pretty easy process to align though. Gotta keep checking and adjusting, but after that, smooth and straight! My tire wear is awesome, almost at the rated life of the pilot sport A/S and still nice even wear. Definitely recommend aligning it best you can. Cheers! David.

[@enriquerodas8893]

Because they don't own a BMW heheh... Great video thanks!! Adjusment can be done on a Z3??

[@andrewavila9089]

Just got my e46 alighned after replacing front arms,bushings,links and struts. Rear suspention looked good,rear tires had no ware problems and sat nice and square. AFTER 3 HOURS at fierstone my rear tiers are badly tilted in at the top one side more then the other. I don't think he pulled the pins on the machine so wheels could move in and out during adjusting. I will now try to change it back. Yup, under the car I go again. Thanks fore your help.

[@DavidSunshine]

Hey Andrew, anytime. That happened to my friend, brand new Michelin Pilot Sports, and the front two tires were bald in 8 months, it's amazing how fast a bad alignment can chew through tires, he had his alignment done by a shop too, and other shops said everything looked fine, when obviously it wasn't. Mine are wearing evenly and relatively slowly after aligning and setting the camber myself. Hopefully it works out for you too. Cheers.

[@MDCYouTube]

Just Awesome, Thank You.

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. After those adjustments, my car has been driving true, like driving on rails, and the tire wear is minimal and even! I definitely recommend this for all vehicles, neutral toe and camber is so nice, unless you're racing, that's a different beast in itself. Cheers!

[@johnharris1862]

thank you david i really appreciate it

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. Hope it all works out!

[@johnharris1862]

Me too so far not good is it possible since the old ball joints were so bad they threw my alignment out?

[@georgewhite3379]

Awesome video. If only mine was that easy! Could not get any movement at all on that front tower. In either direction.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thank you! That's strange, even after loosening all 3 bolts and knocking out the pin? Sounds like there might be some pressure on the strut from underneath. Make sure the tire is jacked to clear the floor and the suspension is full loose so that the suspension components are free to move around, then it'll move no problem! Cheers! David.

[@loosevalves]

This is great info. Ive used everything you’ve done to do the opposite and add more negative camber lol but great info

[@DavidSunshine]

Lol glad I could help! I would definitely add more negative camber if I wanted better cornering and handling! Gotta get the perfect setup for your needs! I just wanted to have even wear on my tires, and flattening it out definitely did that, my tires were bald years later, and were evenly worn! It still handled very well even with flat camber, probably not as good, but I couldn't tell from driving around, I'm sure a pro driver could tell tho. Cheers! David.

[@loosevalves]

@@DavidSunshine I drift my e36 so this info was perfect but I used the knowledge to set my car up for my needs. Its very helpful! Thank you mate! ❤️

[@DavidSunshine]

@@loosevalves Oh damn! That sounds like fun! Perfect then! Happy drifting!!!

[@stevensmagy8317]

Great video, but people you need to have in mind! If you’re not a professional, don’t touch you’re car, you can make it even worst. Thank’s David 👍🏻

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks! Yup! Definitely be careful, as more harm can be done than good if things aren't set correctly! Cheers, David.

[@DavidSunshine]

+ Shelby Smith The same principles apply to any vehicle. I've refined this process a bit. As described below. I don't know what adjustments the 1602 had, but if it does have these adjustments, they will work. I've never worked on a 1602 before. 1 - Alignment: What I do now, is take the laser level to the edge of the rim, top-most, the lip where the bead sits on the inside of, or where they typically hammer weights onto, then I fire the laser down at an angle to the front of the car(from the back tire), onto the ground and get someone to mark it, then fire backwards the same distance, measure the distance between those 2 points front and back, then between. That works if you don't have walls front and back. Since you're firing down at an angle, the distance front and back also need to be the same, that's the trick of this measurement. If you don't have a helper, you can mark 0, 1, 2, 3, .... 10 to a piece of paper, and put that up there, and when you hit 5.5, you just walk over and mark 5.5, put a pebble down and mark it so you can measure it later. Doing it this way removes a lot of errors that could occur while measuring. This needs to be done in a flat, shaded area, to reduce errors as well. 2 - Camber: I use an iphone as a inclinometer, if you download a protractor app, and zero it to the flat pavement that you're on, (on a level), then take that and put it up against the rim plum, you'll get the camber angle, do it 5 times and you'll get an average camber angle that's representative. If you have a square that's better, but this way is fast and easy to do, seems accurate enough.

[@gerryreggea]

Thanks for the informative video.

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome! I definitely recommend it. My tires are still doing great and I push them to the limits. Even wear throughout, so it's working great with the more neutral camber and perfect alignment.

[@gerryreggea]

Thanks David, Will definitely follow your steps in doing the same to my E34. cheers.

[@djrocc-jamaica3527]

Hi David great video! Quick question, is the Caster angle adjustable on a BMW 428i GC 2015?

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, thanks. Basically, the caster is adjusted by sliding directly forward, as opposed to sideways like I did to adjust the camber on the 325. You'll need to install camber/caster plates on the strut tower to allow adjustment of the camber and caster, they are available for the 428i GC for about $500+, and a tuner shop can probably install it in less than 6 hours. You might want to pay more and get a reliable brand though, given the importance of those adjustments. I wouldn't cheap out on camber/caster plates personally.

[@kennyspringer7668]

Thanks for the however I can't find any adjustable camber plate for my front end of my E46 unless I have coilovers which I don't

[@HRHAF]

Great video David. Theres a question i was hoping you could answer.So I tried to fix camber on right rear wheel on my e46.Thing is i have adjusted the camber bolts to the fullest but it still has some negative camber.ANy idea?

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, Thanks! Mine was fully adjusted and I could only bring it to -0.7 deg or so. You can't completely get rid of the negative camber on a BMW without after-market parts unfortunately. I think running 0.7 deg of negative camber is ok though, my wear on the tires hasn't been too bad, not as bad as when it was stock, and sitting at 1.7 degrees. Adjusting the bolt only does so much, you can get more of an adjustment by kicking the tire further, and having a friend hold it tightly while you tighten the adjustment, it'll clamp down where your friend's holding it at, and if you were getting -0.7 deg, you might get something like -0.4 deg. Give it a try, it depends on how much play there is in the system, I noticed there was quite a bit with that eccentric nut, it only helps you move it around, where you clamp it is what really matters. Cheers! David.

[@yoshi1u2]

Great video very instructive. Would hammering the dimple on the front strut bearing eventually vibrate and make the strut move around?

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, Thank you! Nope, the 3 strut bolts, torqued properly will hold it from moving. That factory dimple is just for a factory setting, that's all. If you want to vary from the factory camber setting, you just gotta take that out. Cheers, David.

[@yoshi1u2]

Thanks

[@rhyshurley706]

Hey - great video. Quick question - the factory allignment pin you hammered in on the strut when doing the front camber - how do you get it back out again?

[@DavidSunshine]

To get it out you have to take the strut off, if you're replacing the strut, you can take it out. Otherwise it'll just sit on top of the strut, not an issue. Cheers, David.

[@DavidSunshine]

And Thank you! Hope it helps you out. It really helps the stability of the car and reduces wear on the tires, if you adjust it to have neutral settings, not as good for cornering but how often do you corner tightly?

[@emaxon6621]

Torque spec in the Bentley for the 3 bolts securing the rear trailing arm bushing carriers to the body, and rear camber bolts, is 57ftlbs, not "~40ftlbs". Shame to go to all of this trouble and have the adjustment creep thanks to loose bolts. Also, changing the front camber necessarily changes the toe. If you move the tops of the struts outward to reduce negative camber, this will toe the front wheels in a bit. Having changed front control arms several times, I learned the hard way that different brands aren't exactly the same length, which changes camber and toe. Improper toe ruins front tires quicker than anything else. Always check/adjust the front toe-in after adjusting front camber, or ruin the inner edge of your fronts in a season like I did.

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks for the comment. Very informative, and sounds like you know a lot about suspensions. I forgot to mention that the alignment changes when adjusting camber,(so it's important to follow the order of how I did it in the video) for both front and back, that's the reason why I adjust camber of both front and back first, then adjust the alignment to be as close to 0 degrees as possible, with a slight toe-in, but not much, because like you say, it will cause a lot of wear. I also forgot to mention the torque spec of the trailing arm bushing, I'll add that via a comment and video description. Thank you for your informative comment, I'm sure it'll help a lot of people out. There is no better way to get the camber and alignment just right, than to do it yourself and make it exactly how you want it.

[@DavidSunshine]

Also. 40ft-lb is the torque for the camber adjustment bolt isn't it? I'll check again but I think that's what BMW specifies. I'll be the trailing arm bushing torque spec end put it in the description. Cheer, David.

[@danielhercules763]

Get the hell out of town dude. You have solved my problem in just a few minutes thanks

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome! Glad I could help! Happy smooth driving! Cheers! David.

[@MickSoutherland]

Kid, those math skills are sharp. Kudos..

[@jmess1893]

oh my god...... we do use math after high school.........

[@DavidSunshine]

lol that's exactly what I thought when I was doing this! All that, just so I could figure out my camber and alignment.

[@THERE.IS.NO.DEATH.]

but do we really need to do math? I don't see the point of knowing it as long as we note the distance of the gap between the top of the tire and the square.

[@DavidSunshine]

Nope. You just need to plug it into the equations to figure out the camber.

[@THERE.IS.NO.DEATH.]

I see, but we could also define the camber as distance between square and tire. Anyways, whatever lol... thanks for the video!

[@DavidSunshine]

Yup, you can do that too if you want. Definitely less calculations, and easier to set the same all around. I just use degrees because that's what camber is usually measured in, and that's what they've provide the tolerances in, but you can measure it in any unit, as long as it's consistent and works. I'd recommend using degrees as the reference/set value, for instance, I think -0.7degrees of camber is pretty good, has worked well for the last 2 years, tire wear is even, and the car tracks well. Cheers! David.

[@kiry2099]

good video i took it to get it aligned but the guy said i had to change the Ream Camber and the bushings but dont i need to replace bushing cambers an not the entire camber do those ware out? the complete bar or just the bushing ware out ? what your opinion on it thanks

[@DavidSunshine]

You can replace the bushings alone, but it's more work, it's easier for them to replace the trailing arm and bushings since they are together, the bushing needs to be pressed into the arm. The bushings do wear out though so yours might be loose, you should lift it and check yourself.

[@jonstallard4298]

Hell yeah!!!

[@DavidSunshine]

Hammer time!!! 🔨 😂

[@hpt08]

Might be worth mentioning that a little bit more camber and caster on the nearside (gutter side) of the car will help keep the car straight on the road. It's called cross camber, cross caster.0.25-0.5° is recommended I think

[@DavidSunshine]

Ya the stock settings are good for tracking straight and handling around corners, but I found a more flat and straight setup actually drove straighter for me than the stock settings. Cheers! David.

[@hpt08]

@@DavidSunshine have to say this is an excellent video. @Chrisfix and @engineeringexplained quality. I've applied the same procedure to 20 year old jaguar. Much better than the front alignments I've paid for!

[@DavidSunshine]

@@hpt08 Thank you! That's great! Ya, if you want it done right, you gotta do it yourself. It's the best alignment I've had too. Enjoy driving like you're in rails! Cheers, David.

[@hadzrayarchitecture]

hi bro, brilliant video. thank you so much for your time creating such a helpful video. much love from malaysia

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks man! I appreciate it! Hope it helps! Much love from Canada!

[@hadzrayarchitecture]

its 1pm here, just got back from the the tyre shop. hahaha had a very, very funny conversation with the guys whos aligning my wheel. kept telling them its not a simple as loosening one screw etc. needless to say they didnt managed to get it right. they told me my bushings need replacement. currently my front wheel is at +0.5 both side, with rear at +2.4 left, 2.9 right. is that way off?

[@DavidSunshine]

Lol, it's 10:02 PM here. The BMW dealership told me they couldn't change the camber on the front tires, and then I reminded him about the pin, he said it would take 3 hours to take it out.... Geez, I got it out in 3 seconds with a hammer, well not out but effectively the same thing. Some mechanics don't tell you the right information, and you need to know everything yourself, otherwise it won't be done right. They're just using a computer system to tell them what's going on, they don't know for sure. Is it 0.5 degree toe in left and right? That's a little more than the spec, but not way over, BMW spec is 0.1 to 0.367 degree toe in TOTAL, so you have like 0.5 x 2 = 1 degree total. forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=3913531 You should check your camber, it sounds like your bushings may be worn and your toe in and camber are way too much, toe-in and negative camber I suspect. You'll wear through tires really quickly like that, like in a year of driving. With good alignment, I've been evenly wearing out my tires with aggressive driving for 2 years, and they still have 2 more years left on this set. It's very important to align them right, and set camber properly for even wear, if that's what you want. If you do track days, I would set camber to most negative, just for that day, then set it back to full neutral as much as possible for normal driving. If you want to check camber and don't have a square: Try taking your smartphone, installing an inclinometer, or protractor type app, parking on a level garage, and using that to zero to the floor, then test your rim's camber, it should be -1 degree or so.

[@robertvanruyssevelt7159]

The big question is- why is the factory setting designed to wear out the tyres on the inside?! I have done the mod as you show but it still wears. I do not want to buy camber plates so I am going to try to modify the three mounting holes a little!

[@johnharris1862]

hey david thank you for the video really good man i have a question concerning control arms i just changed the lower control arms on my 01 330 xi because of bad ball joints on the driver side i replaced the the whole control arms both ball joints and pressed out the bushing and pressed a new bushing in the bushing has a mark that your supposed to line up on the bushing bracket i was a little off with the mark i fig no big deal i did have a hell of a time pressing the bushing in n oit so on the passenger side i just reused the old bushing that was already in the bracket after getting it all together my tires are messed up when the driver side tire is straight my passenger tire is turned out to the right its very noticible an when i drive it the tires pull to the left and right depending on which way im turning. can you help should i do an alignment or is there something else going on i did not touch the tire rods at all i did pull the cv joint inners in and out while replacing control arms any advice would be much appreciated thanks man

[@DavidSunshine]

Hey John, anytime. I can't think of anything that could lead to a misalignment like that, but the low control arm bushing. The correct installation of them will help hold the control arms in the right location, if the bushing isn't sitting right, it could push it over like you suspect. I would take them out and make sure they are right, and slide them back in, with a little silicone grease they slide in and out with one hand and very little force. Check out my video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/inOYl5-MpLx-ebs. After that, set your steering wheel straight, and mark the rear wheels on the front wall, then the front wheels on the front wall, and see which front tire is offset from the rear tire the most, that will be the tire that's got a problem(This assumes your steering wheel tracked straight before the procedure). You can take it to an alignment shop but they will most likely just adjust the tires to be straight using your tie rod adjustments, while another problem is causing them to be crooked, that's only a band-aid fix and that's never good, as it could lead to other problems down the road.

[@johnharris1862]

Hey david thank you for your quick response im actually in the process of re pressing the bushing back into the bracket cause i was offset a little from the mark not sure what you mean by mark the rear wheels on the front wall then the front wheels on the front wall what am i marking

[@DavidSunshine]

+John Harris Hi John, anytime. At 8m25s, I use a laser to figure out exactly where the tires are pointing, if the back tires point at a point on the front wall, and the front tires point at the same spot, your tires are perfectly aligned and your car will track straight, if not, you'll get erratic wandering as you drive down the road. I've got my camber and alignment really straight and my 325 drives like a dream!

[@brandonbonds1218]

Nothing bad happens from punching out that pin on the front strut mounts?

[@DavidSunshine]

BMW puts them on the cars on the assembly line. They assume all the vehicles are made the same and set the same. By taking it out, you are gonna show them that it was adjusted. You're out of warranty so it doesn't really matter. Nothing else that's bad happens tho. They would do it too, if they wanted to adjust the camber.

[@Crist1an01]

Hello, I recently hit a curb at a pretty fast speed on my rear tire and that part that your showing at (5:48) is bent a good bit inward and I was wondering if I need to replace the whole part or if it’s safe to just get an alignment, thanks !

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, If you can actually see damage, it's time to replace. But if you don't see any damage and it's adjustible to spec, then it's fine. But if you see damage, something else that you can't see might be damaged too, so maybe best to bring it in and have it checked out professionally. If you want to save money, check it out yourself, if it's all within spec and not looking damaged, you should be fine. Last thing you want is your suspension falling apart while driving, so make sure it's all good! Cheers! David.

[@Crist1an01]

In the video I’m just checking my brakes but you can see the damage on the right side, Also seems that my left rim is dented

[@Crist1an01]

Also can you tell me what part that is

[@imadude85]

I did not quite understand on the rear camber adjustment part. How are the 2 bolts that u loosened and tightened back actually change the camber?

[@DavidSunshine]

+imadude85 Hi, the rear-most bolt is holding it tight, when you loosen that, you can adjust camber. The front-most bolt is eccentric, like the link below: c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/418788_x800.jpg c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/439367_x800.jpg When you turn the front-most bolt, it moves in and out the lower suspension, if can keep spinning it 360 as many times as you want, just keeps spinning, if you watch the camber, it will keep changing back and forth between most negative and most positive, I just made it as positive as I could, kicked it more positive as well, then locked it into place while holding it as positive as I could, even at the MOST positive camber, there will be some negative camber. With it as neutral as I could get it, the wear on my tires have been very even, and I'm still very happy with it. I got new tires before I did this alignment that I filmed, and so it's been over a year, and the tire wear is very minimal. I'm running Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's, and those are supposed to wear quickly, but mine are looking good still, these should last me a couple more years. Cheers, David.

[@imadude85]

+David Sunshine Thanks for the explanation David! I think i get it now. I will try to do it on mine soon.

[@jasonfontanoz]

Good video, however BMW"s procedure for non M cars is to load the front seats each with 150 pounds, rear center seat with 150 pounds, 46 pounds center trunk with a full fuel tank, then take your measurements.

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi Jason, thanks for the comment, I think that will benefit a lot of people. I read about the pre-loading, but I excluded it from my procedure, but thinking back, I probably should have gotten someone to sit in the driver's seat; as the majority of my driving is just me, so you're right, it would be a good idea to have someone of the same weight sit in the driver's seat, would have made my readings more representative of the driving conditions. Next alignment I'll probably do that actually. I like being more accurate than not. I've also refined my technique, and am always doing so, so I'll take your great information and add it to my technique as well! Thank you for taking your time to share that information with us, more will benefit than you'll know, I'm sure. Best regards, David.

[@CompleteCarCareEncinitas]

COOL !

[@DavidSunshine]

Thank you! Hope you found it helpful. Actually, I've got the Pilot Sports A/S 3s on right now and there appears to be very little wear on them! alignment and near flat camber really help maximize the lifespan of tires. I definitely recommend this to everyone who cares more about life span than cornering!

[@themadman6100]

Have a question about my steering wheel position being off center on my 2000 323i E46,steering wheel is at about o'clock position for the car to go straight,how can I fix this?

[@DavidSunshine]

MadMan FPV Hi, to fix it you’ll want to use the front tie rod adjustments in equal turns. So a quarter turn on left and the same on the right so that you don’t change alignment. Once you get it straight you’re set! You can do it by trial and error until it’s straight. Cheers, David.

[@ve2430]

Got a scientist over here

[@DavidSunshine]

Vadim E The secret is, I'm mad all the time!

[@ve2430]

David Sunshine 😅👍

[@jrswartzbaugh]

Just installed Bilstein sport suspension with lowering springs in rear for e46. Immediately noticed negative camber on rear. Will this method correct some of that?

[@DavidSunshine]

Yup. This will fix that right up! You'll probably want to set it to E46 specs. Negative camber can be great for performance at the cost of tire wear. If it's a daily driver, you can choose to have less tho, I think -0.8 deg is good. Cheers! David.

[@jrswartzbaugh]

@@DavidSunshine Thanks so much. Love the math.

[@DavidSunshine]

@@jrswartzbaugh You're welcome! Ya the stuff we learned in school can actually come in handy sometimes! Definitely helped save me from uneven camber wear. Cheers! David.

[@shelbysmith8509]

Would that apply to BMW 1602 ?

[@djrocc-jamaica3527]

Having some alignment issues, and took it into a BMW Service Center. The car was not holding a straight path, and small bumps in the road would throw it off. I suggested to the tech that possibly the Caster Angle was a bit too much on the Negative side. He replied that Caster Angle can not be adjusted on my BMW? Is he misinforming me? Thank you for your help.

[@DavidSunshine]

+ROCC JA Hi, don't worry about the caster, he is correct that it can't be adjusted(You can adjust it if you add camber/caster plates, but you don't need to do that). It's the negative camber that could increase your wobbling steering wheel issues, but the main thing that can be causing your wobble are the loose lower front control arm bushings, kick the front tires, and if they wobble, it could be loose bushings, here's a video on how to diagnose it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ml6qZ5iejMuFic0 And here's a video showing how you can replace them, it's pretty easy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inOYl5-MpLx-ebs I had the same erratic tramlining, but after replacing the bushings, and setting the camber to about -0.5(From a crazy -1.7) degrees, it drives and tracks straight now. Once you've replaced the bushings, your steering rack should be solid, and it should drive straight. If you're running 17" rims, with high speed rated tires(Stiffer side walls), then that will be causing some of the feedback, that's normal, and is good, but it obviously shouldn't be wandering/tramlining left and right when you hit the undulations in the road. The negative camber will contribute to the erratic tramlining as well, so if you can hammer out the pins, and loosen it up, and check to see that it's only about -0.5 degrees, you'll be much more stable driving straight, and will wear out your tires much more evenly. Check the insides of your tires, they're probably worn out pretty badly. You can use your cell phone and a protractor app to measure the camber if you don't have a square, just make sure you're on a flat surface, zero it to the surface, and put the phone up to the rim and you'll get a pretty accurate reading. Check them first, and both should be -1.5deg or so, check them after, and you should have about -0.5deg. The negative camber is good for improved traction while turning, but not so great for straight driving, so if you're willing to corner less aggressively, make it closer to -0.5 degrees. Cheers, David.

[@DavidSunshine]

+ROCC JA Also, BMW will tell you that you can't adjust camber in the front, as you see in my video, once you punch out the factory pin, you get a small amount of adjustment, which is all you'll need or want. (You don't want postive camber, ever).

[@djrocc-jamaica3527]

+David Sunshine Thank You so much David for your help! :)

[@DavidSunshine]

+ROCC JA You're welcome! hope you get it sorted out. once you do, it'll be nice to drive!

[@jakofall79]

Which model are you working on appreciate it much

[@DavidSunshine]

2005 325CI here. Cheers, David.

[@rivolinho]

Hi. How are you getting the vertical measurement for the calculation. Is it from the center of the tyre at the bottom up to the center at the top of the square. Or is it the actually height of the tyre from ground to top. Thanks

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, I took it front the tire contact point at the bottom. But it would be best to take it from the rim, since the rubber can bulge out, and won't be as accurate as the rim. You'll want to create a triangle with a right angle, so the vertical portion must be measured from where your "adjacent" touches your hypotenuse. SOHCAHTOA, or so they say. Using TOA, as tan opposite adjacent, we just need to measure out the opposite and adjacent, which is like run and rise. I've started testing the camber with a smart phone, and it can be very accurate if you have a level surface to park the car on, the protractor apps can be 0.1 degree accurate, I've tested my HTC M7 against a calibration wedge, and it was almost spot on. I haven't tested the iPhone, but I suspect it's pretty good too. So give that a try on a level surface. Good luck! Cheers, David.

[@rivolinho]

Thanks for that. I did indeed resort to an android app aswell! My driverside rear tyre blew out today and I now notice that all the wear was on the inside. When checking it with a piece of wood against the rim and my smartphone against it, Im getting negative camber of 3.5 - which I believe is waaay too much. The opposite side is wearing evenly and the app is reporting 2.0 on that. Ive got an e46 myself so Im just going to attempt to adjust it to the positive until im getting closer to 2degrees which I believe is correct for the car.... Can I ask what app you'd recommend for android?

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. Haha nice. Ya it works well. If you calibrate it to a flat floor, you probably get a more accurate reading than a measurement with a ruler and square. I thought that the spec max was 1.7 or something. I forget now, I think I have it in my video somewhere. My max was 1.7 and I felt that was too much negative camber. Your alignment might be out too. The alignment might straighten out once you fix the camber tho. Sounds like something is really bent to be having 3.5 though. My tire blew out when I had -1.7, and some toe in, so yours must be blowing out really quick. Ya I would set as close to 0 as you can and see if that helps, when you make the adjustment, maybe get a friend to push the bottom of the tire in while you tighten the nut, that is a way to get an extra 0.5 that you otherwise wouldn't be able to get. Just make sure he doesn't knock the car off the jack stands, that can be dangerous to be pushing the car while you're underneith, so caution there. If you still have -2.0, something is probably bent badly. If measure it with a square to make sure your readings are right too. Can't just trust a smartphone on this. Tires aren't cheap. Lol. I used "smart protractor", but any app works. Good luck! David.

[@rivolinho]

Thanks, Ill give it a go and report back. Last question.... when you were researching all this, did you read that messing with the camber can adversly affect alignment (toe)?? Ive had my car four wheel aligned 2 months back in order to pass a road worthiness test. The mechanic only concentrated on toe because that's all the test is concerned with. Im just worried that since all these setting are related, if I increase the positive camber alot, I will mess up the toe setting on that wheel and chew the tyre up worse.......

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. Yes, you are 100% correct, any change to the camber will most certainly affect alignment, it's designed to do that, and that's why the order in which it's done is so important. First step is to adjust camber to what you want, this will change the alignment. Second step, you adjust alignment to exactly what you want, this won't change camber at all, so now you have the correct camber and alignment. During the alignment, they should have recorded a print out of your camber and alignment. Even though they won't change camber they should have checked it with the computerised system, Hunter or whatever they used. If they didn't check your camber, that's just being lazy. I wouldn't bring my car to a shop that won't print all your before and after readings. Reducing the camber will make it toe out, if it's toe in right now, it might make it less toe in, and that's fine. You just want to make sure it's not toe out. You just want a slight toe in for stability, and tracking. Even if it's 0 toe, you're fine, one sure your car will track fine like that. So just check your alignment before and after the camber adjustment and you should be fine. You can check the alignment with the string method if you don't have a laser level. I've seen some videos out there try that out. I don't think the android app would work well for that. You just want your tires straight basically. Hope that helps. Cheers, David.

[@williamlynch6095]

Great job I just wish I could do the math

[@DavidSunshine]

Thanks! The scientific calculator function on most smart phones can do the calculations. Cheers! David.

[@Giggidygiggidy12]

Is the camber adjustment for rear the exact same on a X5 e53??

[@DavidSunshine]

Giggidygiggidy12 Hi, There should be an eccentric bolt on the X5 similar to what you see here for the lower control arm, so you'll be able to adjust the camber in a similar way. It's a limited adjustment but hopefully it's enough to give you what you want. Cheers, David.

[@senpaislytherin3212]

So I want to run a square setup of 275/35R18 tires with 18x9.5 (35 offset) wheels... I’m hearing that you want to run -2.5° camber in the front and -1.5° in the rear. What exactly would be the pros and cons of running this setup?

[@senpaislytherin3212]

This is a street/track car btw

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi, From my experience with the 325CI, negative camber of over 1 degree chewed up the inner thread of the tires pretty quickly, less than 0.7 degrees allowed it to wear evenly, but it wouldn't be a great setup for the track. That setup sounds like a good one for the track, but I think you'll notice a lot of wear on the inside of the tires. You could change the settings for track days, then change it back to less than 1deg for regular driving. I drove around with it set about -0.7 and it was still handling very well. I would try it like that and see what you think. The front is setup up so it gives the Tire some negative camber when you turn in anyways, so that might be enough for you. There's not a big need for negative camber while going straight in my opinion. I think the stock BMW settings are a good compromise between performance and wear tho, they are usually around -1.2deg for the 3 series. The funny thing, on my X5M, it's so heavy that the entire thread wears evenly even though it's at like -1.5. the 325CI was light enough that it would only wear the inside of the thread tho, and not produce an even wear. Surprised me, but it makes sense. That's my 2 cents. Cheers, David.

[@senpaislytherin3212]

David Sunshine how would it differ for the M3?

[@DavidSunshine]

@@senpaislytherin3212 Oh nice, the M3 will be similar weight to the 325, just a couple hundred kgs more. But if you're driving the M3, I'd stick with the more aggressive setup. You may wear through tires quicker, but try it out and see how badly the inner thread wears out, if you have lots of toe in, it'll wear even harder, but that's better for handling. If it wears too much, set it up like I've done, with less aggressive camber and toe, I was pretty happy with the handling of my 325 like that, and the even tire wear was nice, 4 years on my A/S+s and it was evenly worn down, and I drove it hard, so that's impressive mileage. My friends with M3s buy tires off Craigslist and get a good deal, rather than buying brand new at full price. Especially if you're going to the track, it'll be worth it to buy cheaper tires and rims to abuse. I'd personally stick with an aggressive setup like you're talking about, since you'll be driving around the city in a sporty car. It'll be better suited for the driving style. Cheers! David.

[@nickamarit]

I decreased negative camber in the front wheels using this method but also ended up losing an amount of caster. Now I have around 1 degree of caster per side when it used to be around 4 degrees of caster per side. Weird. But the overall alignment setup drives okay though; although I've read that a higher degree of caster is better for return to center and a few other characteristics.

[@DavidSunshine]

Hi Nick, I didn't check my caster, but when you slide your strut over to make camber more positive, you could also push it towards the back to get more positive camber, it's only got a little play, so it's probably an insignificant amount, but better than nothing. If you want more positive caster to get better return to center, you could get the custom camber and caster plates, but if you're trying to maximize tread life, I think you've got it since your settings are as neutral as it can be without modifying anything. I personally would not mind 1 degree of caster, since it takes little force to make minor adjustments, and probably minimizes inner tire wear. It's driving pretty nicely with less than a deg of camber, hope you like the way it's driving too. Probably doesn't need 4 deg of caster.

[@nickamarit]

***** to be honest, it drives great! I didn't really do it for the purpose of tire wear though, but more for a loose setup. I'm on F225/40R18 and R235/40R18, and my old alignment was pure understeer. Now with my current setup, I can feint oversteer when I want to as well (but overspeeding into a corner will still get me understeer midcorner though). Front: toe-out (+1.10mm per wheel) 50' of negative camber per wheel 1 degree of caster per wheel Rear: toe-in (-1.25mm per wheel) 10' of negative camber per wheel For a future alignment, I am considering having 0 toe in the front and minimal toe-in in the back though, just to see the driving characteristics.

[@DavidSunshine]

+Nick Amarit I see. Ya I like how mine drives with close to 0 toe in, camber and caster as well, it feels very stable, and tracks like it's driving on rails. Which makes sense to me, I don't do much aggressive turning so a neutral setup would be best for straight or slightly curving stretches of road. I don't like much automatic return to center so I think I like it without toe in or positive caster. I think you'll like it with settings closer to 0, unless you like cornering stability. then again, the E46 doesn't have much body roll so a neutral set up isn't that bad.

[@nickamarit]

***** Did you change out your springs and shocks? Mine has an all stock suspension and the car seems to have a fair amount of body roll though, but I guess it could just be my subjective opinion.

[@DavidSunshine]

+Nick Amarit I used to drive Chevrolet and Fords, so compared to those it's not much, even compared to the impreza it's less. I have the stock springs, but it's a pretty low and stiff suspension so it's not bad. But like you said, it's subjective. I've also got 17" rims, that helps make it feel more responsive and tight. Running Michelin pilot sports a/s3s, that helps too, tires can really change a lot in terms of handling.

[@kylestkyle]

hey I'm really trying to figure out where that pin that gets hammered out goes? it's somewhere in the top mount and it just floating in there is bugging me. any idea how to get it out?

[@DavidSunshine]

I think you have to remove the strut to get it out, it probably sits on top of that. I haven't done that before though, so not sure how hard it is. Seems pretty involved though.

[@kylestkyle]

I figured it out, just lifted the car and was able to fish it out with my fingers and a borescope. Thanks for replying man, appreciate it much

[@DavidSunshine]

Lol nice, good job, so no need to remove the strut. That's good to know. Do you think it can fall out from just driving around? Hit some good bumps maybe and it'll go flying.

[@officialyungtwizted3858]

How do you do toe in and toe out in the back? My right back wheel is toed in from hitting a curb, car spun out, forgot to turn TCS back on.

[@DavidSunshine]

I got you. Head to 9m21s. Where I talk about hitting a curb lol. Sounds like fun. We all been there done that 🤣😂🤣😂. RWD is fun but can come with its results. Hope you can bang it back to the right alignment. I would just loosen them and hammer it back straight as far as you can. No need for fine adjustments(that's what you need the tool for). Good luck! Cheers, David.

[@officialyungtwizted3858]

@DavidSunshine oh no everything back I ended uo getting a new lower control arm in the back and a trailing arm. But for some odd reason it's still toed in.

[@DavidSunshine]

@@officialyungtwizted3858 oh damn. Try adjusting it and hopefully that'll be enough. You might need to take it to an auto body shop to fix it is body damage causing the misalignment. They can pull it straight if that's the case. They got rigs to straighten the body after a collision. Cheers, David.

[@officialyungtwizted3858]

@@DavidSunshine they gin charge me Hella bread 😭😭😭it's a bummer dawgg

[@DavidSunshine]

@@officialyungtwizted3858 Ya pulling ain't cheap but if you know somebody they might do you a solid instead of rip you off. If you only want a quick pull maybe it's quick and worth it. If it's $300 it'll save that in tires. Misalignment can chew up tires in months. See what you can do first to straighten it out, then ask around if a shop is willing to straighten it out after hitting a curb, if the shop does it regularly they can do it quickly. Good luck! David.

[@AJFresh69]

can anyone here tell me if there is a standard order for adjusting alignment, like is it caster, camber, toe or something else? Also looking for tips on access to camber bolts that are located near the top of the strut. So far I can only think to jack the car up, adjust the bolt, tighten, lower the car, resettle the suspension and recheck the camber. Same for toe. For toe, I have service manuals that say for example, 0mm +/- 3mm, but what points are being measured? By 0mm I believe they're also stating 0deg. How would I measure angles from the car's center line?

[@DavidSunshine]

I only adjusted camber, and alignment. Since changing camber also changes alignment, you've gotta adjust camber first, then adjust the alignment. Changing alignment doesn't change camber much, but I think it'll change it a bit. You could check the camber after changing alignment to confirm. For caster, I don't think it affects alignment or camber much, but I would do that first, since it's less sensitive than camber or alignment. I measured my toe angle using a laser level. I wouldn't measure it from the center point of the car, it's more important to measure it relative to the other tire since that's what matters, it's where the rubber hits the road, as they say. Ya, I would jack it up, adjust, then drop it down, and move the car back and forth to resettle, then measure again.

[@AJFresh69]

David Sunshine thank you David!

[@DavidSunshine]

You're welcome. My tires are wearing out evenly and very little, so I think my technique works. As long as you do alignment last, and get it near-perfect, your tire wear will be minimal. I'm pretty happy with it, and after hearing horror stories of my buddy's having tires worn out after 7 months due to a bad alignment, I'm glad I did it myself, and did a good job with it. Definitely worth it.

[@bestbomb17]

As a mechanic, i saw a calculator and was like bruh

[@creatorr24]

you need to put the air in the tires to before you measuring :))

[@DavidSunshine]

+creatorr24 Yup, great point! Thanks. Everyone should be running the recommended PSI at all times(checked when cold).

[@zigo1965]

It would be less confusing, easy to do, and achieve the same objective, cutting 2 pieces of pvc pipe, about an inch long(exact same length, to clear the center of the rim, tape them on a 2 ‘ level, so they touch the outside edge of the rim. position the level vertically on the rim, and adjust the camber until the the level is plumb, or as close as you can get it.

[@DavidSunshine]

Ya, that would be a great solution too! Thanks for the recommendation.

[@matthewrichardson828]

this obviously works in Canada, but what about BMW's in the United States?

[@DavidSunshine]

Matthew Richardson The adjustments should be the same for E46s in the states. Same pin and eccentric bolt. If they're missing let us know! Cheers, David.

[@ivancenteno541]

Isnt camber plates only for coil overs

[@DavidSunshine]

You got it! So you'll want to get both camber plates for the front struts and camber arms for the rear, if you want more adjustability from the stock mounts, but I would only do that if you're going to the track and need more than what stock can give you. Going to about -0.7 degrees is as flat as I would go, with very little toe, my tire wear was very minimal, and it wore evenly, and it still handled well. So for a daily driver that is a little aggressive, but still wants to save on wear and tear, it's a good setup even with the stock adjustments. Cheers! David.

[@ivancenteno541]

@@DavidSunshine I have to do some homework on the camber number because Im not sure what the specs are suppose to be, but I have gotten eibach springs on my e46 but I was told I needed camber plates but I Seen that they wouldn’t work for the type of springs I have, but thanks for the feed back

[@ivancenteno541]

Not sure what to use

[@DavidSunshine]

@@ivancenteno541 Oh nice, if the eibach springs lower it 0.25", you'll want to check your camber as it'll go a little negative at rest, maybe running at -1.5?, So you might be fine without camber plates. See if you can adjust it between -0.04 and -1.1 degrees, I would run -1.0 if you want good handling, -0.7 if you want lower rear. Cheers, David.

[@ivancenteno541]

@@DavidSunshine eibach springs lowered it .9 f and .6 r but thanks bro

[@LukeVMH-Games]

yeah 1 degree of negative camber IS bad im looking fir 12

[@samuelvandavos3523]

Why not get a laser alignment.... Its like 50-100$ max.

[@DavidSunshine]

Great question! Laser is great in certain applications, but there's a level of risk to it, it all comes down to the calibration and experience of the technician. If you trust the shop and they can adjust it to your liking, then it is certainly worth the money. But a lot of shops will just do a basic alignment and set it up to BMW spec, which can cause a lot of wear, doing it like this at home, you can fine turn it however you want. If you're a DIY mechanic and do all your car repairs yourself, you'll definitely want to fine tune your alignment for less wear as a commuting car, you can set it up with less camber and toe-in. If you want more camber for track days, you can easily do that. Then change it back after. Doing it this method, you can triple check and confirm your alignment too. I set mine up less aggressive as a commuter car and it worked very well, drove smooth and the tires lasted a long time. With a $100 alignment, you only get one check, and if you've experienced, or had friends experience bad alignments, you'll know the tire wear can be massive and the cost of replacement tires is upwards in the hundreds of $$$. To avoid that risk, I rather do the alignments myself, and the results have been great, no uneven wear, and the tires lasted a very long time. Before I got this car and aligned it properly, this car had really bad toe-in and was eating up tires every 2 years of light driving. It was to BMW spec, which is quite aggressive. If you want to dial that back, it'll last longer in every day driving conditions. Good question though! Thanks. Hope that helps explain why you'd want to check and do the adjustments yourself. Cheers! David.

[@dirty-36sideways51]

Lol nine your never supposed to use torque wrench for loosening

[@DavidSunshine]

lol I know. Got lazy and didn't really care. If it was any more than 20ft-lbs I would have gotten a real wrench, but at low torque it doesn't hurt anything. I'm using a weaver rail mounted lazer on a plastic level to align my tires, and a square to check my camber so I'm probably doing something I shouldn't lol.

[@Wipsplash]

Measure off the rim and not the tire. The tire bulges on the bottom from the weight of the vehicle and gives you false measurements.

[@DavidSunshine]

Good advice! I didn't have a good level that fit on the rim, but ya, off the metal is better. The rubber part I measured from is at the bead so the bulging was minimal, but was probably still there. I've come up with a new system based on this method, I'll post that in the future. I've got the x5m now, so I'll have to reduce the camber on the rear for that, it's way too negative for everyday driving. Cheers! David.

[@bryan_nfs5593]

Engineering explained?

[@DavidSunshine]

We make great use of geometry here, I've actually made a new method of doing this. Basically you use two rulers front and back, same distance apart, and shoot the laser at them and read it, that'll help read the alignment easier. I'll have to make a new video for it, but basically it removes the camber from the alignment measurement, if you don't use the same distance front and back, the camber will affect the alignment reading. It's minor but still there. Hope you enjoyed the video! Cheers, David.

[@bryan_nfs5593]

Good video by the way brother, youre awesome i didnt know there were that many alignment points

[@DavidSunshine]

@@bryan_nfs5593 Thanks! Ya it's great, after I got out all straight, I've been driving it hard and the wear is minimal and even. I'm in the same set of tires now and still going strong. It's getting down there since I've driven a lot, but still has some good thread on there. Straight alignment really helps, a little mis alignment can really eat through tires. Cheers! David.

[@MaximaJ31]

camber dont wear your tires that much i have -3 front -7 rear like a boss #CAMBERGANG

[@DavidSunshine]

Awesome man. Ya my alignment was probably also contributing to the mad tire wear.