Alignment Needed?

tctic · 03-21-2006, 02:11 AM

I lend my car to my sister and she curbed the car on a right turn and put a dent on the rim. Sad... I'll look into it and see if it can be repaired... But my concern is the alignment. I don't notice a problem with the car afterwards but should I still have the alignment checked by the dealer?

visor · 03-21-2006, 02:19 AM

Ouch! Does your car have Active Steering that she wasn't used to?

Alignment or not depends on how it drives.
Any vibration at any particular speeds?
Also any front wheel mis-alignment is felt more easily because of the feel thru the steering wheel.

ward · 03-21-2006, 09:03 AM

she probably curbed the rear wheel,

if it's like older cars, there isn't any adjustment back there anyways

I wouldn't worry too much about it

London320d · 03-21-2006, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tctic

I lend my car to my sister and she curbed the car on a right turn and put a dent on the rim. Sad... I'll look into it and see if it can be repaired... But my concern is the alignment. I don't notice a problem with the car afterwards but should I still have the alignment checked by the dealer?

Try the car on a flat, level (not cambered) surface. Set the steering perfectly straight ahead and drive. If the car does not pull to one side and the steering keeps straight then you're probably ok.

As for the damage to the rim, theres the cosmetic aspect of course, but try the vehicle over the range of speeds you require looking for vibration. If you get excess vibration, get your wheels repaired and/or balanced.

As for alignment. In the UK, I'd go to a specialist tyre dealer not BMW. Look for one with an electronic 4 wheel alignment rig. Only take it to BMW if the tyre dealer says that there are damaged components.

Ward - When I used to get my E46 aligned - They would do all four corners. I'd be surprised if the E90 was different.

tctic · 03-21-2006, 09:00 PM

It's the front wheels. The rear wheels are fine and not impacted. Up till now, I don't feel a difference. The steering wheel direction seems to match it's tracking and no vibration felt.

David328M-Sport · 03-21-2006, 10:29 PM

The dented wheel should be looked at by a wheel/tyre professional.
I certainly would have my dealer look at it as they are set up for this.

03-21-2006, 02:11 AM	#1
tctic Major 38 Rep 1,238 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	Alignment Needed? I lend my car to my sister and she curbed the car on a right turn and put a dent on the rim. Sad... I'll look into it and see if it can be repaired... But my concern is the alignment. I don't notice a problem with the car afterwards but should I still have the alignment checked by the dealer?
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

03-21-2006, 02:19 AM	#2
visor BMW, can I have some LSD please? 88 Rep 1,591 Posts Drives: 2017 F30 340i xDrive Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada iTrader: (0)	Ouch! Does your car have Active Steering that she wasn't used to? Alignment or not depends on how it drives. Any vibration at any particular speeds? Also any front wheel mis-alignment is felt more easily because of the feel thru the steering wheel. __________________ 2006 330i \| TiAg \| Black \| Al \| 6MT \| Sports Package \| Logic 7 retired 2008 335i \| AW \| Black \| Al \| 6MT \| Sports Package \| Logic 7 retired 2013 328xi \| Red \| Gray \| Al \| 8AT \| Sports Line \| Premium \| Executive \| Heat Pkg retired 2017 340i xDrive \| Estoril \| Black \| Al \| 8AT \| M Package
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-21-2006, 09:03 AM	#3
ward Major General 155 Rep 6,158 Posts Drives: F Join Date: May 2005 Location: T iTrader: (0)	she probably curbed the rear wheel, if it's like older cars, there isn't any adjustment back there anyways I wouldn't worry too much about it
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-21-2006, 09:00 PM	#5
tctic Major 38 Rep 1,238 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	It's the front wheels. The rear wheels are fine and not impacted. Up till now, I don't feel a difference. The steering wheel direction seems to match it's tracking and no vibration felt.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-21-2006, 10:29 PM	#6
David328M-Sport Brigadier General 101 Rep 3,566 Posts Drives: F30 M-Sport 328i Estoril Blue Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Melbourne Australia iTrader: (0)	The dented wheel should be looked at by a wheel/tyre professional. I certainly would have my dealer look at it as they are set up for this. __________________ 328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
	Appreciate 0 Quote