Tracking and Alignment

[gan1hck]

Not sure where to put this thread, so here it is.

For those of you who track your M3 on a regular basis, how often do you have your alignment checked?

I guess I'm an intermediate driver...a little sliding...with occasional hits of the gators.....Porschefile here can verify if my description is accurate...and after 4 track days at Barber, my alignment (passenger front and driver side rear) is off...toe per the shop.

How often do you guys check...and how often do you find that your alignment is off.

[1MOREMOD]

i think most shops would reset if you lost adjustment on their alignment as long as you arent out bending stuff. i just had mine set up couple months ago and going back again to dial in more negative front and rear after swift spec-r arrives.

[CanAutM3]

I have mine done once a year, usually a few day before the first event of the season. Most of the time, it does not need much of an adjustment.

[Car54]

Does the car drive different? If not, get a second opinion or get yourself some toe plates for $60 and check it whenever.

[Richbot]

Toe plate and camber gauge sanity check once in a while. If nothing's moved, nothing's moved, if something's moved, get it aligned put it back and string it to make sure thrust angles aren't off

And you have to define "off" too. The best setup for the track is usually not the manufacturer's spec

[Richard@M-World]

Yup really depends on your "off". And most of the time, you will notice a difference in the way your car drives (pulls to one direction, steering off centered, etc) if the alignment deviation is significant.

I once hit a curb exiting turn 8 at TWS CW and my steering wheel immediately became off centered.

[Alekshop]

Depending on how often you go to the track and depending on how you drive your car, we recommend to recheck alignment every 3-4 months. Sometimes it takes one pothole to mess up your settings ...

If you have adjustable camber plates and change your camber pretty often between street and track settings it might be a good idea to put it on a rack sometime to see if it's still within the specs.

Aleks.

[gan1hck]

Originally Posted by Alekshop

Depending on how often you go to the track and depending on how you drive your car, we recommend to recheck alignment every 3-4 months. Sometimes it takes one pothole to mess up your settings ...

If you have adjustable camber plates and change your camber pretty often between street and track settings it might be a good idea to put it on a rack sometime to see if it's still within the specs.

Aleks.

This is my first BMW, so I'm not sure what the reference point is for checking. My last car was a WRX STI, and it seemed like the alignment was always off.

My car is completely stock, and I've been to Barber 4 times in the last 6 months, and I definitely get the car a little sideways both on track and on empty streets now and then, and didn't know if that kind of activity could get the toe off spec....although I can't tell from driving it...ie the steering wheel is straight and it tracks true.

[ThunderMoose]

I bought a set of toe plates and with my solo DL ( to watch steering angle on straight roads) keep any eye on alignment pretty frequently.