Updated and last alignment printout.....My alignment specs.

[IS300E30]

The car was totally refreshed upfront with OEM and OEM Supplier arts only. Everything was changed. The rear everything was changed other than the subframe itself and the trailing arms themselves. All the rubber components were changed.

How is the front alignment stats and how bad is the rear specs? I know they are bad, but how bad?

[jlevie]

You have a bent strut or control arm and/or frame damage on the right front and bent trailing arms and/or frame damage on both rear wheels. I'd consider the alignment errors to be very bad. Replace the right front strut & control arm, both trailing arms and see what the numbers look like. If unsatisfactory take the car to a frame shop.

[IS300E30]

I have owned the car since new. I know for a fact there is no frame damage or structure damage as the car has never been in an accident. Any chance they just did a bad job in the front in regard to alignment? Also, the front struts are new Sach and the control arms are new Lemforder.

Only way to fix the rear is buy new, and change both trailing arms? Any chance at all something is wrong with anything else in the rear other than trailing arms? Can a frame shop fix the trailing arms? Any chance anything else is wrong with the rear?

[jlevie]

Unless the alignment shop screwed up, something has happened to the right side of the car. It is surprising how little of an impact, like a curb strike, is required to result in damage. The strut inserts may be new, but the strut housing may be bent.

For grins it might be wise to have the alignment checked at some other shop. But if the results are the same, there is damage somewhere.

[IS300E30]

The only alignment place that is open tomorrow (Sunday) is Sears. Would you trust Sears with this or wait till Monday for a real alignment shop?

[IS300E30]

Here is the alignment specs from the new place. The above specs is the before, the bottom specs is the after they adjusted it.

They stated the front alignment was waaaay off before hand (previous alignment place just did it last week).

This spec sheet looks a heck of a lot better. Your thoughts?

I am also going to bring it to one more alignment shop next week. I just do not know which place is right and which one is wrong.

[iwantspeed]

I have a question regarding the last picture you posted with the after results? Did you request a specific alignment or just ask them for factory settings?

is this a normal stock e30?
or something that will see some autocross and track driving?
from your first post i assume stockish e30

typically for a street car you do not want your total toe in the front to be zero,( in my opinion it causes the car to behave "darty") as the sheet states that exactly what it is.

so currently your tires point like this l----l your after something like this but not extreme /----\

everything else looks good, front and rear

[surebimmer]

Did you ask for zero front toe? I agree its going to act "darty" may be good for autox but in normaly leave a little toe in for a car that is going to see some street duty. The rear looks great. Front is well in spec. The only OEM adjsutment on a e30 is front toe.

[IS300E30]

I am out of town for the rest of the week.

The first thing I will do when I get back in town is bring it to one more, very well known in the area, alignment shop. Believe me, that is all I have been thinking about.

I will have them put it on the rack and I hope to G-d that the rear is perfectly in spec just like the most recent alignment printout I posted.

I will post the new printout when I get it, and again, I sure hope its all perfect.

This car will never be autox at all. This is just a completely street car, a cruiser. As I mentioned the total suspension has totally been refreshed with only stock parts. Every part that came oem with this car was replaced with a new oem version.

[IS300E30]

Here is the latest and last alignment print out. Obviously in a perfect world, I would want everything in the green. But, all rubber pieces front and back has been changed with new oem versions, lets just say everything has been changed other than springs.

With the above being said it is not perfect, but for a car built in 1987 and has 104k miles, I am content as I have to be. It is not totally out of place as the ones in the red is not far from green.

Odd thing is, no one alignment shop has the same printout as the next. They all very to some degree.

[Todd Black 88]

Are you running lowering springs?
Are you running M3 offset control arm bushings?

[IS300E30]

Are you running lowering springs?
Are you running M3 offset control arm bushings?

No, springs are the same exact springs that came on the car in 1987. That is the only thing that hasn't been changed. They are stock 87 325i convertible springs from 87.

No, no M3 offset control arm bushings. Just regular Sachs 325i control arm bushings.

[jlevie]

The front suspension is fine. The rear not so much. With all of the bushings having been changed I'm going to say that the right rear has a bent trailing arm.

[cunninglinguist]

The subframe mounts are new, correct?

[IS300E30]

The subframe mounts are new, correct?

Thank you for the question. Yes, subframe mounts are brand new.