Excessive Rear axle Negative Camber

[ATX78703]

First post - need help

I've got a 2011 x5 xdrive with about 9K miles on it, was looking at the rear yesterday and noticed an large amount of negative rear camber; front looks pretty neutral.

Is this normal? No potholes or anything crazy, car is only 9 months old. I don't think the car handles as well as the test drives and the back seat is a pretty rough ride (with vibrations). Will the dealer cover?

Anybody else have experience?

Thx

[northern2020]

Originally Posted by ATX78703

First post - need help

I've got a 2011 x5 xdrive with about 9K miles on it, was looking at the rear yesterday and noticed an large amount of negative rear camber; front looks pretty neutral.

Is this normal? No potholes or anything crazy, car is only 9 months old. I don't think the car handles as well as the test drives and the back seat is a pretty rough ride (with vibrations). Will the dealer cover?

Anybody else have experience?

Thx

I would suggest getting a full alignment at your next service and not worry about it unless you show alot of excess wear back there.

[ATX78703]

Thx - my first scheduled service isn't until 4/2012 at this rate; so I'll prob ask the dealer; inner wear seems to be okay right now. wondering if anyone else had similar issues

[gilbertfg]

That's why BMW handles so good in corners because of their excessive negative cambers in the rear! Trust me it's normal....

[ATX78703]

I emailed the service head at the dealer about this (and also about the throttle lag on the 8 spd auto) and this was his response:

"I relayed your concern regarding the throttle response to my shop foreman, he checked our technical database and there are no software updates available for this vehicle at this time. There is some lag in these vehicles since there is no throttle cable and everything is ran off sensors, running top tier premium fuel will also ensure top performance. Shell or Chevron 93 octane is what we would suggest. Regarding your alignment. They do set the rear wheels out from factory, and they will wear the tires. They do this for handling purposes, it drastically reduces the amount of roll when cornering. If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will assist."

[ATX78703]

Then I asked him if I should just bring it in anyway for alignment and if he had any rec's on rotating tires b/c I have 255's all around. His response:

"If you wanted to have it checked for the peace of mind we can. Unfortunately warranty does not cover alignments or rotates but that is an option for you. Rotating would be done at your discretion as BMW does not have a set interval or any recommendation on rotating the tires. The alignment is recommended every 25,000 as a precautionary service to maximize tire wear. Due to the suspension set ups rotating may cause uneven tire wear which usually results in feathering or a chopping of the outer treads which create excessive road noise and or vibrations. That is why rotates are not recommended or have any intervals."

[gilbertfg]

So true! There is a module that gets the lag off the throttle. I can't think of it now.... Maybe when I get back from work it will pop in my head...

[blue dragon]

sprint booster