Re: How accurate should wheel alignment be? BA

["Brett Anderson" <bretta@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 15:10:34 -0500
>From: "Mark DeSimone" <mark@domain.elided>
>Subject: How accurate should wheel alignment be?
>
>I just got my '95 M3 aligned and I looked at the spec sheet that listed
what
>they did.  I noticed that there is a small range for each setting
(camber
>between -.4 and -1.4).  I then looked at the specs they set my car to.
I
>noticed that the camber on left-front was about -1.0 and the
right-front
>was -1.5.  Now my first thought was that it should be within range.  My
>second thought was that they should be the same on the left as the
right.
>Right?  I also notice a very slight pull to the left.  What I am asking
is:
>Shouldn't the setting be the same on the left as on the right,
regardless of
>the range?
>
>thanks,
>Mark DeSimone
>'95 M3


Ideally every cross measurement would be identical.  In reality,
anything below 0.5 degrees difference will not be noticed. 0.5 or above
difference can cause a pull, getting worse as the difference gets
higher, the car will pull towards the side with the LOWEST reading (-1.5
in your case)
Unfortunately for you, the camber is not adjustable on this car, so you
either live with it or start replacing parts until you find what is
bent/worn.  The deviation from spec is so slight that it would be
virtually impossible to identify the component causing the problem.

Brett Anderson
BMW and ASE master technician
http://frontpage.bestweb.net/~bretta

Please include all correspondence when replying
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