 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Alignment
Service
Having your vehicle in proper alignment is very important for the tire
wear, handling and ride characteristics of your BMW. Vehicles can get out
of alignment from hitting pot holes, worn suspension components, minor
impacts, or other road hazards.
Before having your alingment performed, it is recommended to have the suspension inspected for loose components or any damage, as aligning a vehicle with loose or damaged components will not be of any value.
After verifying that your vehicle is a good candidate for an alignment, the process involves hooking up a laser aligned sensor to each of your four wheels, measuring toe, camber, and caster of each wheel. If you were looking from the top down on any of your wheels, the amount that the forward most portion of your wheel is moved to the left or to the right is called the toe setting, this is important for steering, and if out of specification can cause poor tire wear and extreme hunting at freeway speeds. Facing the side of the wheel, the amount the top of the wheel is tilted in towards the inside of the car or outside is referred to as camber. Improper camber settings allow for poor inner or outer tire wear. There is a delicate balance for camber, as a wheel that is tilted in will grip the road better in corners, but have less traction on a straight line and wear out quicker. Caster is the degree at which the suspension geometry compresses. Looking at the side of the wheel, as the suspension loads, the wheel will travel upwards and rearwards a small amount. A more aggressive caster setting allows for a sharper turn in response from the vehicle, but with increased effort. Caster is not usually adjustable on vehicles, although an improper reading indicates potential problems with the suspension.
Once your vehicle is in proper alignment settings, the technician verifies that the steering wheel is straight and test drives the vehicle to verify that the work was properly performed before returning your vehicle to you.