for some time now i have had this annoying thumping/ knocking coming from the rear of the car. it only happen when i went over bumps or if i turned left.
so yesterday when i was changing the oil i decided to have a look at the rear trailing arms, but they are fine. so i grabbed things and started to shake them to see if anything will move. then i found out that the right rear camber arm was lose and moving around. its been like that for months...
so this got me thinking about doing a wheel alignment myself, that way i can double check everything and that i know its all good. im looking at different methods of wheel alignment and the tools they use. i have found some laser wheel alignment equipment on ebay, but i would like to know if there is anything i need to know about wheel alignment befor i decide to get the tools to do it.
when ever i do some suspension work i have to go the wheel alignment place and spend money. this can get expensive in the long run, so maybe the laser wheel alignment tools will pay for themselves.
does anyone have any experience with wheel alignment? and does anyone know of good websites that sell wheel alignment tools and information on wheel alignment.
whats the good/ bad about DIY wheel alignment?
any response will be great
get some string, a tape measure, a couple jackstands, and a DIY camber gauge. Google it.
The most important thing to know for this^^ is the track width front vs. rear. They're not the same.
did u check your rear shock mounts?
e39 M5 - LED Angel eye upgrade, E60 SSK with ZHP knob DSSR and clutch stop, Hotrod Scott X-pipe and exhaust, Dinan air ducts, K&N Drop-in filter, Beastpower Swaybar mounts, X5 Thrust arm bushings, Rogue Tranny mounts, Bilstein pss9 kit, SS Headers, Spal electric fan, DSW Subwoofer and overhead trunk enclosure
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e46 M3
e36 328is - Intake,Straight pipe,Racing Dynamic Strut, Spal fan,Depo,DDM HD Led Angel, LTW wing, m3 rear end, 3.23 LSD, poly RTABs, M3 brakes, Eibach Swaybars,Apex Lowering Springs, Koni Yellow.
e36 M3 - AA SuperCharger, M50 Mani, ZF Tranny to 3.23 LSD, EBC Brakes, Enforced Subframe w/Polybushing, Eibach Swaybars,Apex Lowering Springs, Koni Yellow, Racing Dynamic Strut, LTW wing
e30 325i Hard top convertibleM52 swap
Although I dont have much experience with DIY alingments, I have seen it done before. but there is a reason the alingment machines(like the one I use at work) cost upwards of 20 grand-they adjust to one hundreths of a degree, which something that can be very hard to do without the proper tools. I cant tell you much about the DIY alinment tools, but if you choose that route I suggest getting an alignment CHECK done(which costs less than an actual alignment) to make sure the adjustments are within specs.
this guy goes pretty over and above. But +1 on getting a check.
I did it as this guy shows, but didn't level my floor. And only did it as an initial check on my beater car (to see how f'd up it was...and turned out it wasn't, lol). As long as you understand trig it's a breeze
[ame]http://youtu.be/sZoL1gaWedA[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/gjcP07VKVZM[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/RpEwSeSJVW4[/ame]
if you need another lower camber arm I have one for sale. I went with VAC ones so I don't need it anymore. Actually I have a pair but the other side is slightly bent.
thanks for the vids. and my wheels have the same offset all round so the track width should be the same?
also my camber arms are fine, they were loose so i just tightened them up and now its all good.
sorry for any noob questions, its just that a DIY wheel alignment is new to me
If you can DIY, and get it right-more power to ya!
im a DIY man, so a wheel alignment won't be hard for me to do. i just need the alignment equipment and methods so it will go smooth. also a second opinion always helps, that way i can learn from other peoples experiences.
I have a Gunson Trakrite, works well
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...lignment-gauge
instructions for use
http://www.gunson.co.uk/items/pdf/Pr...structions.pdf
Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!
nope (this is a US M3...might want to search for more data).
more reading: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1627502
Last edited by Moron95M3; 02-21-2012 at 09:47 AM.
too much damn work...just pay the 100 bucks for someone else to deal with it
I paid $200 and no luck. At high speeds, the car will go anywhere else but straight. So DIY might be a good idea.
Any idea if I can measure caster using the Trakrite tool?
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