Page 1 of 1
Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:33 pm
by celica
I have had my wheel alignment done several times with no luck to correct the pulling to the left
All four tyres have worn relatively evenly in tread depth, rear centre worn more than the fronts. But one major issue which could be caused by the pulling to the left is that my front passenger tyre has worn on the outer side much quicker to the point it's completely worn out!
It's a m sport 2008 3.0sd, 7 seater with adaptive drive (I have the sport button next to the shifter) on 20"
Going for new rubber and getting alignment checked again
But here's what happened to currrent tyre
Front left/ passenger - not great!
Front right/ driver

Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:54 am
by graemeX5
Hi
Normally if just or greater wear in middle it's over inflated, and if wear just or greater wear on Both inner and outer edges then usually under inflated.
So worth checking if the inner edge of tyre the Same as outer first, if it is then check tyre pressures when cold.
If inners are ok, then it could be down to driving as there was a post about tyre wear, the owner had a prob with first set of tyres wearing quickly. Then on next lot he was gentler with the car on bends and roundabouts and the wear on edges seemed to have improved.
I'll have look for the post
Hope that helps
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:04 am
by graemeX5
Hi
Try this and also may be worth 4wheel alignment as well
http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/index.php/t ... #msg138583
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:07 am
by graemeX5
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:27 am
by Nat
Hi ,
You need to find awheel alignment centre that has a Huntsman machine and an operator that knows what he is doing.
Factory tolerances for tracking are quite wide. Just for the sake of this example, lets say factory tolerance is from +5 to -5.
So as long as the number is between that range your BMW dealer will tell you its within " tolerance".
However............
Go see the alignment technician and tell him to first check the alignment. Then tell him what you want done. I.E fronts to stop scrubbing the outside of the tyre and the rears not so much negative camber.
Get him to accurately adjust the alignment. Make sure all wheels are the same , not just within tolerance.
By that I mean deadly accurate. You will find the fronts go to the extreme of factory tolerance both at +5 and the rears at -1 from -5
You will find this solves your problem.
Yes..................been there done that.
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:11 am
by Graeme
Yes, that's good advice from Nat/ I've had exactly the same done about 18months ago and it corrected excessive wear on the insides of the rears and that of the front outside edges. It is absolutely vital to find an independent technician who knows what he's doing with the right equipment. Nevertheless, if you meet a lot of roundabouts on your daily journeys, exhuberant driving when turning right at them will wear the outside of the passenger side faster than the driver's side.
Graeme
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:55 am
by celica
Thanks all
It's booked in for an alignment at a well known place in the bristol region
For reference it's just the outside shoulders shown
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:32 am
by CondorX5
I read somewhere that the toe in tolerances from BMW are far too wide and need to be reduced to 0.03 or thereabouts to reduce outer edge wear - no doubt the alignment place will know. Is it a Hunter machine? They are apparently best for 4 wheel tracking.
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:07 pm
by martin33100
I use the wheel alignment centre in Southampton and they know there stuff, had some toe taken off the front and has some deg camber taken off the rear and our last Michelin Latitude sport 3's lasted 20-25k.
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:14 pm
by Nine468
You will need to set the fronts to between 0.01 and 0.03 toe in per side, and the rears to 1deg -ve camber.
Ive found that seems to work well...
It might sound specific, but it has to be...
Itd be interesting to see what your original settings were to cause the wear you have...
Re: Wheel alignment help, shoulder wear
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:44 pm
by celica
Thanks
Will go in with that info.
It's not a hunter machine but it's not to disimilar, although can't remember name
I did go to a hunter place near by but the operator seemed to follow the screen for green markings and that was it. Car felt wrong!