I'm going to get my wheels aligned soon. I have no idea what I'm getting; I found a reputable guy from local enthusiasts, and thats it. What should I ask for?
1991 BMW 318 convertible. Mostly a DD (when I DD), and I autocross when I can.
I'm going to get my wheels aligned soon. I have no idea what I'm getting; I found a reputable guy from local enthusiasts, and thats it. What should I ask for?
1991 BMW 318 convertible. Mostly a DD (when I DD), and I autocross when I can.
I'd start with factory spec for camber and caster, and get 0 degrees of toe.
When you autocross, check your temps, and adjust camber accordingly.
ReverendDexter wrote: When you autocross, check your temps, and adjust camber accordingly.
This means nothing to me... FWIW, we autocross it on the same tires as we drive on. Right now, its on allseasons 
Live axle or independent rear? If it's a live axle you want a "Thrust" alignment so the front wheels are set to the back & the is as square as possible. A thrust angle close to 0 is a good indication that the car has never been severely wrecked. If the car has an independent rear then you need a 4-wheel alignment again pay attention to the thrust angle. Don't have the work done by a mass marketer unless you know the tech.
1/16th toe out in the front, 1/8 toe in for the rear, 3 degrees neg camber in the front and 2 degrees in the rear. Trust me, it's perfect ;)
(disclaimer: don't listen to me, that's bad advice)
BMWs love tons of negative front camber. Get as much as you can get, and set toe to zero to keep tire wear down. I run -3.8deg front for autocross, and -2.2deg on the street (camber plates).
someone correct me if im wrong.. but..
on a stock E30 the only adjustment is front toe, correct?
^^^ correct, but you can always use camber shims/washers.
Alignments are, to some degree, a personal thing, i.e., a function of your driving style and what feels comfortable.
If you have no idea what you're doing, ask for an alignment to the aggressive side of the factory tolerances (the most negative camber, and the most front caster that is still in spec). I'd set the toe to the recommended spec in the front and rear. Most serious autocrossers run a little toe out in the front, but I wouldn't go beyond 0. I hate the way a toed-out car handles anywhere but an autocross course, and it doesn't sound like you autocross seriously enough for the difference to matter.
Once you figure out how the car handles and what you want to change about how it handles you can figure out what needs to be changed for yourself and revise accordingly.
I've been performance driving for a while now (started with autocross, but mostly track days now), and when I get a new track car I always start at the aggressive side of the factory specs. I find this works better than starting with whatever magical alignment settings someone on the Internet recommends. I can figure out how the stock car works or doesn't work with my driving style and preferences and revise accordingly.
Okay, to bring up another topic on this... We might be getting new tires, but maybe not for about a month. Is it bad to wait that long for the alignment? What about if I autocross on it once?
Nothing at all wrong with that.
miatame2 wrote: 1. E30s can only adjust toe in stock form 2. I don't recommend autocrossing on allseason tires, but that's up to you 3. Let the tech know what you plan to do with the car and let them do all the work. Chances are that he'll toe the front out an 1/8 or 1/16 and try to set the thrust angle so the rear is happy. E30s tend to bend the rear subframe over time and you'll end up with funky numbers. Only way to fix it is with weld on adjustable camber/toe plates or a new rear subframe.
Thanks for the advice.
As for the allseasons... Not worried about it. Its what we have. We're getting something new soon, but for now thats the best we can do.
You'll need to log in to post.
