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Thread: DIY wheel alignment?

  1. #1
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    DIY wheel alignment?

    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

  2. #2
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    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.
    BMW CCA Illini Chapter Vice President
    1995 M3
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  3. #3
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    did u check your rear shock mounts?
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  4. #4
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    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.

  5. #5
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    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]
    BMW CCA Illini Chapter Vice President
    1995 M3
    - My Favorite DIY's and FAQ's



  6. #6
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    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.

  7. #7
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    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

  8. #8
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    If you can DIY, and get it right-more power to ya!

  9. #9
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    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.

  10. #10
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by DailyE36 View Post
    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

    nope (this is a US M3...might want to search for more data).
    more reading: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1627502

    Quote Originally Posted by RUddin3 View Post
    Drew,
    From my US sales brochure (measured from wheel centerline to wheel centerline):

    F: 56.0 in (1422.4 mm)
    R: 56.6 in (1437.64 mm)

    Hope this helps.

    Drive Safely,
    Raza
    Last edited by Moron95M3; 02-21-2012 at 09:47 AM.
    BMW CCA Illini Chapter Vice President
    1995 M3
    - My Favorite DIY's and FAQ's



  12. #12
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    too much damn work...just pay the 100 bucks for someone else to deal with it

  13. #13
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    E36 328i M54B28
    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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