Camber issue on rear

[ID4.8]

Anyone ever have a wheel that couldn't be adjusted? Driver side rear is stuck at -2.5. I have new guide links, integral links, ball joints and bushings for both sides waiting to go in. I was thinking sub-frame bushings as well but I don't have any noise coming from the rear. I also still have a visible space at the top of the bushing mounts, I was told that mattered. Any thoughts? vehicle has never been in an accident, so nothing is tweaked.

[white_335i]

I think the camber issue could be the ball joint going bad or the swinging arm bushings going bad.

I am in the process of replacing all of these and was hesitant to replace the subframe bushings.. But I am glad I am replacing them after seeing what shape they are in..After removing the bolt and the top plate, the bushing looked OK, but after I had removed it, I saw that it began to disintegrate in the middle. If I were you, I would replace them since you are already in there..

[oldskewel]

If you mean that at the limit of camber adjustment, you are still out of spec, then yes, I had that, and it is a pretty common situation on these vehicles.

On mine, 2001 3.0i, it was the ball joints. They are so deep in there that I also replaced the integral links just because I was in there and the old ones had to come out anyway.

The "guide links" were fine on mine, are not a big factor in camber (they mostly set toe), and are trivial to replace down the road if needed, so I'm still running with the originals at ~184k miles.

One of my rear upper control arms was loose, so I also replaced both of those. I did not see those on your list. Similar to the guide links, these are relatively trivial to replace at a later time, although they are one of the prime suspects back there, second only to the ball joints.

Before any of this, the car drove straight, handled well, and the only "real" problem was ridiculously excessive tire wear on the inside corners. I think I'd have been fine if I had only replaced the ball joints, but after doing all the things I mentioned, it was very easily adjustable within spec.

My subframe bushings and everything else back there (struts, links, ...) are also still original and still fine.

[X5only]

Originally Posted by oldskewel

If you mean that at the limit of camber adjustment, you are still out of spec, then yes, I had that, and it is a pretty common situation on these vehicles.

On mine, 2001 3.0i, it was the ball joints. They are so deep in there that I also replaced the integral links just because I was in there and the old ones had to come out anyway.

The "guide links" were fine on mine, are not a big factor in camber (they mostly set toe), and are trivial to replace down the road if needed, so I'm still running with the originals at ~184k miles.

One of my rear upper control arms was loose, so I also replaced both of those. I did not see those on your list. Similar to the guide links, these are relatively trivial to replace at a later time, although they are one of the prime suspects back there, second only to the ball joints.

Before any of this, the car drove straight, handled well, and the only "real" problem was ridiculously excessive tire wear on the inside corners. I think I'd have been fine if I had only replaced the ball joints, but after doing all the things I mentioned, it was very easily adjustable within spec.

My subframe bushings and everything else back there (struts, links, ...) are also still original and still fine.

..original at 184k miles and still fine? I think you're used to how they feel. I recently did a complete suspension overhaul (except for the subframe, diff and trans bushings) at around 132k miles and the difference is like day and night. Before the change the suspension used to feel ok but now I know they were not. I had forgotten how a good suspension feels like

[ID4.8]

I actually have replaced both upper control arms already, I did forget to mention that.