Camber issue on my iX

[iXer]

My iX is undergoing major maintenance as you may see on the pictures below. I have noticed one problem long ago when I got it, now is the time to fix it:
The right front wheel has too much camber.
I'm not auto-crossing with this car much, but if I did I'd definately want as much camber on the left wheel.

From what I understand, this is not adjustable with the stock parts I have.
What can I do about this?
And does anyone have a guess as to why I have this camber problem?
My suspicion is that the left or right control arm has been replaced, they're not identical! But they should be up to the same specifications..

[e30Matt]

Maybe a bent control arm? Worn out bushings, upper shock mounts?

Never really dealt with a problem like this on a stock car.

[kansas-ix]

1st q? are they stock springs? if not that is your problem. But your fender gap looks like stock though
2nd how are your control arm bushings looking? thrashed?
3rd what about your front sway bar?

I don't know then but that looks worse then when I lowered mine.

[franz]

ix control arms are different, maybe you have one of those and one cheaper non ix one

[BMW BMXER]

Seems like the left side is toed in as well.

[Bryson]

it could also be a bent strut if it's not the control arm

[e30evolution]

that is no good..... definatly replace those suspension components.... even if it is the camber that you want, it was modified by stress..... which weakens the components... find out what is bent and replace it

[iXer]

Thanks a bunch guys, I didn't expect this many replies.. I'll try to answer them all:

Maybe a bent control arm? Worn out bushings, upper shock mounts?
Never really dealt with a problem like this on a stock car.

From very crude measurements this evening, the control arms are identical and look fine, including their bushings. You may have a point about the upper shock mounts, even though they look fine.
Adjustable camber plates would be very interesting, however I don't see them as the remedy to my problem. I must have something fundamentally wrong on my suspension parts.

1st q? are they stock springs? if not that is your problem. But your fender gap looks like stock though
2nd how are your control arm bushings looking? thrashed?
3rd what about your front sway bar?

I don't know then but that looks worse then when I lowered mine.

1. The springs are stock, like the suspension as a whole.
2. The control arm bushings are old, but are doing their job fine. The control arms look perfectly centered in their respective bushing.
3. Not sure about the english words, the links/joints connecting the sway bar to the strut feel rigid and just fine, the sway bar bushings show no visible cracks.

ix control arms are different, maybe you have one of those and one cheaper non ix one

I need to investigate this, is it really possible to make this mistake?

Seems like the left side is toed in as well.

No, that's just the photo. The car handles perfectly fine in all respects, the only noticeable side effect is that it handles left hand corners better because of the extra camber on the right front wheel. I can't really say that the camber angle has caused more wear/tear on the tire (10000 km), some but not much.

it could also be a bent strut if it's not the control arm

I'm afraid you may be right.

that is no good..... definatly replace those suspension components.... even if it is the camber that you want, it was modified by stress..... which weakens the components... find out what is bent and replace it

I plan to invest in suspension components the coming months. I will take the front apart and investigate the old parts before I start replacing them. I guess it will have to wait until then to find out what's really causing this camber problem.

[nando]

there is no way to fit a standard E30 control arm on the ix. they use completely different ball joints, not to mention they aren't the same size at all. the only similarities are the basic shape and control arm bushings.

check your ball joints, control arm bushings and upper strut mounts, if those are okay then it's probably a bent strut or control arm. I feel for you, ix struts are insanely expensive! maybe you could have it repaired if that is the problem.

[franz]

there is no way to fit a standard E30 control arm on the ix. they use completely different ball joints, not to mention they aren't the same size at all. the only similarities are the basic shape and control arm bushings.

check your ball joints, control arm bushings and upper strut mounts, if those are okay then it's probably a bent strut or control arm. I feel for you, ix struts are insanely expensive! maybe you could have it repaired if that is the problem.

Thanks, it was a stupid wild guess. Bent strut seems quite possible at this point.

[iXer]

Thanks for your kind words nando, lets hope it's not the strut.
I know what to look for now, it has to wait a few months however..

[nando]

yeah, if you're rebuilding your suspension anyway, replace the control arms and bushings, it might just go away, and you should do that anyway. When you take your struts apart to change springs/shocks, measure them to see if one of them is bent. strut mounts are pretty spendy too ($90 each), but those don't usually go bad, mine have 153k and they are still like new.

the camber isn't too bad, you're not likely to wear out your tires too much, but it could be an issue if you are going to lower your car, because it will amplify the amount of camber you gain. BTW, M3 offset CABs will reduce the amount of camber you gain from lowering, if tire wear is a big issue for you.