[B4LL3N]

So I had my H&R Springs installed on my E92 335Xi a few weeks back, let them settle in for a week or so, then had the wheels aligned. I went to a very highly recommended alignment specialty shop that was very accommodating and professional. However after giving the car a close look, I noticed that the front weeks appeared to be towed out in the front slightly.

The schematic that was generated by their equipment shows me right in the green but the wheels aren’t even close to parallel with the top of the fender. At this point I’m wondering if this is an optical illusion from the contours of the surrounding panels or if it just looks different to me being that the car is lower. Could my 12mm spacers be attributing the “towed out” look possibly?

I reached out to the alignment shop and they were very insistent that it was in fact an optical illusion but at this point I don’t know who to trust because it looks way out to my eye. Or is this normal?

Thoughts….?

I recently changed to similar toe specs up front (1/32" @ each corner up front) and noticed the same effect. I'd would say that looks normal in this case.

If you want to be sure though, string the car and take some measurements. Should be interesting to see how those figures compare to that of the fancy alignment machine

[B4LL3N]

I'll have to do that. It just doesn't look right...

[ajsalida]

I do ghetto alignment checks on my cars all the time. Too expensive to take it to a shop every time the suspension is taken apart.

For (total) toe use some 1" box aluminum tubing approx 5 ft long (actually 180/pi inches). 2 pieces. Bungee to lower face of each wheel, low enough that in back (if you're measuring front) a line between clears everything under the car. Measure the distance front ends of aluminum and back. 1" difference = 1 degree.

Usually have to use masking tape on one end of the tape measure, easiest with 2 tape measures. Important to get aluminum sitting across each tire/wheel flat. This works surprisingly well, every time I've gone in for alignment it's real close if not dead on.

You can also do ghetto camber with a digital level, like $40 from Home Depot. This is harder because it is super important to have level floor before you start. But if you are patient and don't mind shimming the floor beforehand with something like linoleum tile under each tire, it is also pretty easy. I have found a spot on my floor close to level so just ignore or compensate (eg if floor spot measured across where the axle sits is tilted say -1 deg to the right, then shift measurement accordingly). This gets you very close.

You can do individual toe and thrust angle etc., but that is more complicated.

edit: BTW the fender faces/hood gap lines are not parallel to centerline, they slope slightly inwards.

[B4LL3N]

I'll give that a shot this weekend. So in other words that appears to be normal?

At this point I'm thinking that it just looks different to me after lowering the ride height and increasing the offset... just something odd that caught my eye.

I really don't want to take it back to the alignment shop to argue with them because they're only open when I work and they were extremely insistent that this is to be expected.

[tc535i]

the fender is at an angle, it isn't straight forward and back, it tucks in to meet the pointed front

that just makes it look like the tire is sticking out

if you really want, just take a string from front of one tire to the other, then do the same place in the rear of the tire

the rear should be equal or slightly longer, this indicates even or some toe in

[VTECaddict]

It's probably normal. The ends of the car taper in so the wheel arches aren't necessarily parallel with the wheel face. If you notice, the rear looks like it toes in a lot relative to the fender.

[B4LL3N]

Unfortunately I won't have a chance to measure it this weekend. But yeah, I did notice it a lot in the back as well (especially after just installing 15mm spacers) but it seemed much more in line with the body.

The tires do sick out a bit in the front- see pic below, but that may because of my offset.

[Kgolf31]

Camber can make the eye deceiving.

This is my car with -3.6* up front, and 0 toe. It looks wrong doesn't it?

[ajsalida]

Great t-shirt!

[B4LL3N]

Yeah so I'm getting the idea that this isn't really a concern and that I'm being far too OCD.

That does look pretty similar to the toe out on my car, bet that thing is a blast on the track. +1 on the shirt.

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by B4LL3N

Yeah so I'm getting the idea that this isn't really a concern and that I'm being far too OCD.

That does look pretty similar to the toe out on my car, bet that thing is a blast on the track. +1 on the shirt.

Yea, it looks weird because your bumper edge body line isn't straight, so it causes a false perception almost.

And yea...I mean it's kind of fun I guess...

Originally Posted by B4LL3N

That does look pretty similar to the toe out on my car

Umm....you have toe in; not toe out.