[M2siast]

Just had my car aligned at 5,700 Km.

Car always had the steering wheel slightly off centre. Took long to get the alignment done because dealer needed to update its alignment software to have the M2 specs.

Attaching the alignment specs. I don't know much about alignment and I am not sure if this is ok or not, but take it for what it is.

Have not driven the car hard yet to see if it feels better or worse.

Cheers

[Hit_Apex]

Not sure why they took camber out of the left rear and not the right rear. Nothing wrong with your before rear camber at 2 degrees - slightly more aggressive than the -1.5 target, which is not a bad thing. Either way, the rear camber should have been evened-up left to right somewhere between -1.5 and -2. Everything else looks fine.

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by Hit_Apex

Not sure why they took camber out of the left rear and not the right rear. Nothing wrong with your before rear camber at 2 degrees - slightly more aggressive than the -1.5 target, which is not a bad thing. Either way, the rear camber should have been evened-up left to right somewhere between -1.5 and -2. Everything else looks fine.

Noticed that too… I am never too hung up on the numbers because they sometimes don’t report before/after, but this might get me back there to fix it.

[aerobod]

The measurements are in degrees and minutes, as opposed to decimal degrees, so 1°58' is 1.97° and well within the 0°25' / 0.42° cross camber spec and to the target of 1°50' / 1.83°.

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by aerobod

The measurements are in degrees and minutes, as opposed to decimal degrees, so 1°58' is 1.97° and well within the 0°25' / 0.42° cross camber spec and to the target of 1°50' / 1.83°.

Thanks man!

I found it strange they reduced the camber on one side. I don’t know enough, I know when you move the front specs for toe it messes up the other side. But I thought camber was done with another bolt, the eccentric one…

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by M2siast

Thanks man!

I found it strange they reduced the camber on one side. I don’t know enough, I know when you move the front specs for toe it messes up the other side. But I thought camber was done with another bolt, the eccentric one…

Just moving the car around and trying to get the eccentric bolt to move a small amount (if it was even moved at all) could easily account for the 0.03 degree change before and after (0.03 degrees equates to 0.4mm movement of the top of the tyre compared with the bottom). The toe measurements are much more repeatable, but camber measurements are more dependent on “striction” in the dampers, spring settling and any resistance in the sliding plates on the alignment system.

[DeadlyDrop]

M2siast Hi! Just stumbled upon this thread. My car has 600 miles now and I been noticing slightly off center steering too. Maybe 1-2 deg to the left? Slight enough to annoy me hahaha. Just curious did alignment fix the issue and is your car's steering centered? Thanks in advance

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by DeadlyDrop

M2siast Hi! Just stumbled upon this thread. My car has 600 miles now and I been noticing slightly off center steering too. Maybe 1-2 deg to the left? Slight enough to annoy me hahaha. Just curious did alignment fix the issue and is your car's steering centered? Thanks in advance

Yes take it back for them to centre the wheel!

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by aerobod

Just moving the car around and trying to get the eccentric bolt to move a small amount (if it was even moved at all) could easily account for the 0.03 degree change before and after (0.03 degrees equates to 0.4mm movement of the top of the tyre compared with the bottom). The toe measurements are much more repeatable, but camber measurements are more dependent on “striction” in the dampers, spring settling and any resistance in the sliding plates on the alignment system.

Have not seen a BMW tech align my M2 but I watched Porsche techs align every one of my Porsche cars -- at least once -- and after making adjustments often the tech would push the car up and get it bouncing (after a fashion) to give the various suspension joints some motion to help ensure that adjustment results were accurately reflected on the alignment rack's display.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Have not seen a BMW tech align my M2 but I watched Porsche techs align every one of my Porsche cars -- at least once -- and after making adjustments often the tech would push the car up and get it bouncing (after a fashion) to give the various suspension joints some motion to help ensure that adjustment results were accurately reflected on the alignment rack's display.

Yes, bouncing the car will settle the suspension and change the measurements slightly. My own low-tech friction reduction solution for doing my own alignments uses 2x8s under the tyres on one side of the car and 1/2” plywood resting on 4x 1” wooden dowels under the tyres on the other side of the car, subsequently all lateral tyre friction between the left and right wheels is removed.

It is also important to do any suspension bush or eccentric bolt tightening with the car at normal ride height, not with the body jacked up.

[Autobahn SoCal]

Originally Posted by M2siast

Yes take it back for them to centre the wheel!

I had to take mine in THREE times for them to finally correct the steering wheel being slightly off to the left. Also on the 2nd time the tech messed up my camber and the car felt off every time I turned hard into a left corner. I think they put entry level techs on alignments I swear.

The shop foreman did the final one and test drove with me in the car and it’s perfect now as well as fixing the camber issue. The car drives and handles better than it did from the factory now, go figure.

He said they don’t fix steering wheel issues with standard alignments so if anyone still has the issue after an alignment make sure you let them know to specifically fix the steering wheel (adjust tie rods evenly).

With so many G87 and even G42 having this steering wheel issue now I’m shocked it’s not a recall at this point or at least the factory should get updated. Even with the MP HAS people still have steering wheel issues after the port “alignment”.

[Carefree]

Took mine in this morning for steering wheel adjustment. The “M” did not sit precisely at 12 o’clock during straight driving after dealer alignment regarding port installed HAS missing documentation.

All is good

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Autobahn SoCal

I had to take mine in THREE times for them to finally correct the steering wheel being slightly off to the left. Also on the 2nd time the tech messed up my camber and the car felt off every time I turned hard into a left corner. I think they put entry level techs on alignments I swear.

The shop foreman did the final one and test drove with me in the car and it’s perfect now as well as fixing the camber issue. The car drives and handles better than it did from the factory now, go figure.

He said they don’t fix steering wheel issues with standard alignments so if anyone still has the issue after an alignment make sure you let them know to specifically fix the steering wheel (adjust tie rods evenly).

With so many G87 and even G42 having this steering wheel issue now I’m shocked it’s not a recall at this point or at least the factory should get updated. Even with the MP HAS people still have steering wheel issues after the port “alignment”.

What I learned some years ago -- with another brand of car but I assume pretty much applies to other brands (at least I assume it does) -- is that one has to *ask* the steering wheel be centered.

If this is requested in one case I observed the tech use some kind of level that rested on the spokes of the steering wheel and he turned the wheel this way and that until the steering wheel was level.

Then he proceeded to align the car. And the settings were done with the steering wheel level so the wheel was centered after the alignment.

Will add while this was done in the case of one car (my Porsche Boxster) when I got into the car the wheel appeared to not be centered. I finally realized the dash had a mild tilt downward from the side to towards the center of the car. This made it appear the steering wheel was not centered.

Later at another dealer service department in talking over alignment the shop foreman/senior tech told me steering wheel centering is not done unless it is requested. Didn't quite understand that but I didn't push the issue. Just made a mental note to always remember to ask the steering wheel be centered and to make sure the SA notes this on the work order.

Also I have found over the years the best alignments -- read correct alignments -- are pretty much a given -- I can't recall one alignment this was not the case -- when I asked I be given a printout showing the before and after alignment settings.