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    #1

    Alignment Issues

    Hey guys,

    I have a 87 325is.

    Past 6 months the car has started to pull to the left. Nearly all suspension components are less than 3 years old except tie rods. So, I replaced tie rods thinking that might solve the issue.

    Got car aligned and still drives the same as it did with the old tie rods, pulling left. The alignment report shows everything should be aligned.

    Also, you will notice Camber is way off on one side. I've had this issue since even when the car was driving straight. Though it might still be contributing.

    How do I diagnose this issue further?

    Thanks,
    Ryan
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    #2
    In the stock configuration the only thing that is adjustable on an E30 is front toe. Any other alignment errors will be the result of worn or damaged parts or frame damage. I suspect the pull is the result of the front camber and caster errors.
    The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
    Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

    Comment

      #3
      Have you ever replaced the top hats for the front struts? If they are worn that could throw off your caster/camber causing a pull.

      Comment

        #4
        If you haven't had your tires rotated it could be because of that. Check the wear on the right front vs. left front, and right rear vs. left rear. Do you know why the caster is off? Has the car been wrecked? that could be it as well.

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by Grackle View Post
          Have you ever replaced the top hats for the front struts? If they are worn that could throw off your caster/camber causing a pull.
          They are the oldest part of the set up. I could change those. I just hate to start changing a bunch of stuff only for it not to solve the issue. Did that with tie rods and didn't help.

          Comment

            #6
            Originally posted by e304me View Post
            If you haven't had your tires rotated it could be because of that. Check the wear on the right front vs. left front, and right rear vs. left rear. Do you know why the caster is off? Has the car been wrecked? that could be it as well.
            I have rotated tires in the past 6 months. No wreck, but plenty of pot holes in my area of town.

            Seems like there could be a dozen reasons this is happening and could get costly to figure out root cause.

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by rycar550 View Post
              They are the oldest part of the set up. I could change those. I just hate to start changing a bunch of stuff only for it not to solve the issue. Did that with tie rods and didn't help.
              You should be able to see if they are cracking from the top in the engine bay. If they aren't cracked/worn looking they may not be the culprit. However if they are, you should probably replace them. Mine on my car are and I have replacements on the way.

              Comment

                #8
                Something is wrong with the right front-
                it's hard to get that much camber with
                coilovers and camber plates, so if you're stock,
                something's bent. And if something's bent, it may
                be bent in more than one way.

                Having said this, you should be able to see this really easily
                when you sight down the side of the car- that right front oughta look
                pretty tilted in.

                I'd start there,

                t
                now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

                Comment

                  #9
                  Bent strut tube is a good bet. Not really easy to check though. Or a bent control arm, but if they have been replaced, you can rule that out.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    A little work with a level goes an amazingly long way towards figuring out what's going on with camber...

                    t
                    now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

                    Comment

                      #11
                      How long have you had the car and are the tires worn unevenly
                      Your alignment looks similar to my last e30 that had a little frame damage
                      On new tires it drove straight as an arrow. Until slowly it got worse and started to pull

                      Comment

                        #12
                        a little frame damage
                        That's just a bit like 'a little pregnant', isn't it?

                        t
                        now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Dirty325ix View Post
                          How long have you had the car and are the tires worn unevenly
                          Your alignment looks similar to my last e30 that had a little frame damage
                          On new tires it drove straight as an arrow. Until slowly it got worse and started to pull
                          Tires are fairly new. I've always had the right camber off but only recently it started to pull.

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