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Thread: 1991 E34 M5 Suspension Question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    35
    My Cars
    1991 BMW M5

    1991 E34 M5 Suspension Question

    So, I've been lurking for a while, and feel bad that this is my first post. But now I need advice. I have a 1991 BMW M5 with Dinan Stage 1 suspension. I need to get an alignment. I called Dinan and asked what they would run for camber/toe/caster. Below is what they told me.
    Suspension Specifications

    E34 Chassis 5-Series (M5)

    Tire Pressures:

    Front 34 lbs.
    Rear 31 lbs.
    Sway Bars:

    Front Full Soft
    Rear Full Stiff

    Shock Settings:
    · · Front ¾ of a turn from full soft
    · · Rear ¾ of a turn from full soft

    NOTE: All Dinan Suspension Alignments Are Done With Full Fuel Tanks And No Weight Inside The Vehicle

    Stage 1 and 2:

    Front:


    Tol.

    Camber

    -0.7°

    ± 0.5°

    Caster

    7.9°

    ± 0.5°

    TotalToe

    0.30°

    ± 0.08°

    Rear:



    Camber

    -1.7°

    ± 0.5°

    TotalToe

    0.42°

    ± 0.12°

    I showed this to my buddy and he felt these numbers were really weird. So, I'm coming to you guys to ask for advice. Do the above numbers sound really weird for a 1991 BMW M5 with Dinan Stage 1 suspension?

    The car is mainly run on the street. I live in Portland, OR and frequently take it up into the hills and run it hard. It'll maybe see one or two fun track days a year, but no racing.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    924
    My Cars
    2005 Mustang GT
    The only thing you can probably adjust on an e34 M5 with Dinan suspension is the front toe-in, just like a stock e34.

    The Dinan front kits do not allow adjustment for camber or caster, so you should hope you match specs. On the rear, a few Dinan kits had an adjustable subframe, and if you have that you CAN adjust rear toe.

    Those alignment specs you quoted, are quite normal for a BMW without adjustments. You and your friend will note that the tolerance on the specs are huge, to allow a car to "be aligned" even if one side varies from the other side by one degree.

    Example:

    Quote Originally Posted by jafeder


    Front Camber: -0.7°

    Tol. ± 0.5°"

    This means that the car will be "in alignment" if one side is -0.2 camber, and the other side is -1.2 camber. These tolerances are very large because the camber and caster on a Dinan suspension are not adjustable.


    Here is a good article on BMW alignment.

    http://www.bmwmotorsports.org/BMW_docs/x5align.pdf
    Last edited by Hellabad; 03-28-2012 at 01:11 PM.
    Newest School BMW:
    e46 M3 with titanium suspension

    Older School BMW:
    1992 e36 325 race car
    1992 e36 325 track car

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    35
    My Cars
    1991 BMW M5
    I got an alignment yesterday. I gave him the Dinan Stage 1 specs and ask him to match them. While some are close, the rear camber is way off. Thinking of taking it back or taking it somewhere else. Attached is what my car has now... see the actual...


    What do you think of the actual numbers, which is what it is at now. I think the rear has too much camber...way more than Dinan asks for...

    Also, really appreciate your help...

    So, I read that document. Basically only my front toe can be changed without going to more aftermarket (Dinan Stage III or similar with camber plates). He did get the front toe to almost exactly what Dinan said to. The rear is still sitting with quite a bit of negative camber. I really don't want to mess up my brand new tires... Thoughts?
    Last edited by jafeder; 03-28-2012 at 01:31 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

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