Pbondar said:
MACK said:
I'd get the 5mm spacers on first before any alignment, moving back to the standard (or within 1mm of) scrub radius is probably no doubt a good thing. Manufacturers are pretty good at getting that right and its often overlooked because most folks have never heard of it and even less understand it. I don't know what the standard M Sport alignment specs are for the E89. but I'd find that out and compare it with say a M Sport E85 to see if its more/less aggressive from the factory just out of interest. For me I'd probably go with something along the lines of E46 M3 CSL specs for road use, that's where I'm probably going to go with mine when I get it done. With the mods you made it should liven up the E89 chassis a fair bit, but you might need adjustable rear arms to get the camber where you want it to be.
Thank you for your comments...I’ve attached the E89 launch comparative notes contrasting the E89 and E85 for your delectation..
I don’t have the complete geometry set up for an A and B comparison..
Trying to understand what they were saying it seems they quickened up the steering but relied on ‘better rubber’ and a much better front end to retain stability?
One thing that has appeared odd is the fact that many people bolt on alloys with substantial differences with regards to changes in scrub radius..people never seem to notice / comment?
That's an interesting if wordy read and does explain the tendency of E85/E46s etc with McPherson struts to have more tramlining characteristics than the likes of the E89.
Apologies if these are a bit late in the day for your alignment session, but I dug out some alignment specs from TIS
E89 - With VDC (Adaptive suspension to the rest of us) I suspect M Sport is very similar to this.
Front axle:
Total toe-in 0° 14' ± 12' Camber (difference between left/right max. 30') - 33' ± 30'
Rear axle:
Total toe-in 0° 18' ± 12' Camber(difference between left/right max. 30') -2° 20' ± 25'
E89 - Standard suspension
Front axle:
Total toe-in 0° 14' ± 12' Camber (difference between left/right max. 30') - 23' ± 30'
Rear axle:
Total toe-in 0° 18' ± 12' Camber (difference between left/right max. 30') -2° 20' ± 25'
So the alignment on all E89's suspension setups is the same bar a very slight difference in front camber. This will be solely down to the different ride heights.
E46 - M3 CSL
Front axle:
Total toe-in 0 DEG 04’ +/- 07’ Camber 1 DEG 00’ +/- 45’ MAX DIFF L/R 30’
Rear axle:
Total toe-in 0 DEG 04’ +/- 06’ Camber 1 DEG 50’ +/- 15’ MAX DIFF L/R 15’
Runs a bit more camber and bit less toe than the E89 for a livelier handling car. To get the front camber you'll probably need to remove the camber pins which IIRC the E89 has. Adjustable arms might be needed for the rear camber.
I'm be tempted to follow the advice below that I've seen on here in the past that takes things a little further. I did this on my E85.
- PULL THE CAMBER PINS AND MAX FRONT CAMBER BOTH SIDES MATCHED TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE. FOR EXAMPLE IF ONE GOES TO 1.5 AND THE OTHER ONLY GOES TO 1.3 GET BOTH AT 1.3.
- FRONT TOE TO 0.04 BOTH SIDES. YOU COULD GO LESS AT SAY 0.02 EACH SIDE WHICH IS CLOSER TO PARALLEL.
- REAR TOE TO 0.06 OR THEREABOUTS BOTH SIDES.
- REAR CAMBER TO 1.5 DEGREES AT MOST AND IDEALLY MORE LIKE 1.1-1.3. YOU MAY FIND THE STOCK ADJUSTMENT DOESN'T GO THAT LOW IF THE BUSHES ARE WORN SO JUST TAKE THE SAME APPROACH AS THE FRONT BUT AIM FOR MINIMUM RATHER THAN MAXIMUM CAMBER.
I didn't get close on the rear camber (as to get there my Eibach equipped car would need adjustable rear arms) but the extra front camber makes a very noticeable improvement to turn in, albeit with slightly increased bump steer.
At the end of the day you could try these more aggressive setting and not like them. They'll no doubt make the handling livelier, more like a sports car should be, but they'll also detract somewhat from the E89's GTesque nature from the factory. Everything's a compromise one way or the other when it comes to alignment, however if there not for you reverting back to OEM specs is easy enough.
Lets us know how the alignment goes and how you think the M3 arms compare to standard ones once properly aligned.
or shud that be la la,
