Front Camber Adjustment

[White05X3]

Does anybody know whether or not the front camber is adjustable on the X3? One place told me that it is but that a special tool is required. Does anybody know what tool that is?

Thanks!

[AzNMpower32]

Is this to possibly enhance cornering on your X3 for improved auto-x times?

[judybe83]

maybe to much auto-X ing

this is from our stealer, from our 1st alignment
not sure about special tool but it looks like camber can be adjusted

[White05X3]

My purpose is 100% for auto-x!!

Without a doubt the extra negative camber would give me higher cornering speeds. All I am looking for is about -.25 to -.5 degrees so tire wear will not be too bad. I also want to set a tiny bit of toe out on the front and maybe even in the rear. That should help turn-in and rotation just a touch. I am so close to being able to win my class...SO CLOSE...I don't want to do anything too radical as that would take me out of the stock class. I need to find little stuff that will add-up to the difference.

Apparently there is a special service tool (pn 32 3 140) that is used to adjust the X3's camber. There is a small pin in the engine compartment next to the top of the strut. You knock that out. Then use this tool on top of the strut to adjust camber. It almost looks like this tool could be an impromptu camber plate (depending on how much adjustability there is).

Now I just need to get the part...and find somebody willing to do this for me...and find the time to get it done...

[noego]

white05X3...did you have any training, say via Skip Barber for example, to prepare you for autox'ing? how about video games (no kidding)? hope my questions don't get in the way of answers to your question to the board.

[hayaku]

yes, all bmw's have front adjustable camber... look at my free-camber article..

no, you don't need the special tool. it just makes it easier and you don't have to man-handle the wheel to move the slotted strut. (i have used the tool and doesn't make it any easier or harder, just different imo)

[White05X3]

Originally Posted by noego

white05X3...did you have any training, say via Skip Barber for example, to prepare you for autox'ing? how about video games (no kidding)? hope my questions don't get in the way of answers to your question to the board.

I have gone to 2 Skip Barber 2-day schools, 5 or 6 SCCA auto-x schools, probably 20 BMW CCA driver's schools/auto-x events, 2 BMW CCA track schools, 3 Driving Concepts track schools and one Red Line Track Events school.

In addition I began auto-x'ing at the age of 18 (I am now 39) and have typically run about 5 auto-x's per year (on average) since then. Last year I had a dedicated track car and ran 14 track days.

The main secret is that at every event, every single time, I ALWAYS use the instructors. Those guys are amazing and teach me something new every time.

HAYAKU -

So I printed the directions from TIS. It looks like all I need to do is knock the centering pin out, loosen the three strut top nuts and slide the strut towards the inside of the engine bay. Is that right?? How much negative camber do you think that should get me? Thanks for the advice on the tool... I will skip it!

What are your thoughts on the toe settings for the rear??

[hayaku]

Originally Posted by White05X3

I have gone to 2 Skip Barber 2-day schools, 5 or 6 SCCA auto-x schools, probably 20 BMW CCA driver's schools/auto-x events, 2 BMW CCA track schools, 3 Driving Concepts track schools and one Red Line Track Events school.

In addition I began auto-x'ing at the age of 18 (I am now 39) and have typically run about 5 auto-x's per year (on average) since then. Last year I had a dedicated track car and ran 14 track days.

The main secret is that at every event, every single time, I ALWAYS use the instructors. Those guys are amazing and teach me something new every time.

HAYAKU -

So I printed the directions from TIS. It looks like all I need to do is knock the centering pin out, loosen the three strut top nuts and slide the strut towards the inside of the engine bay. Is that right?? How much negative camber do you think that should get me? Thanks for the advice on the tool... I will skip it!

What are your thoughts on the toe settings for the rear??

yep.. basically just unscrew and remove the centering pin, loosen the 3 strut nuts and then slide the entire strut inwards towards the engine. On the X5, the stock is set at -2.0 with the centering pin in. Once removed, my adjustment went from -1.9 to -2.3 (measured with a intercomp racing digital camber gauge on a 100% levelled surface on scales and slip plates).

stock rear is toe in. i would only change it if you need to rotate the car more (ie: zero toe), but there are other ways of adjusting the car's behavior for oversteer that is safer then rear toe. I would not go with toe out in the rear.

[White05X3]

Originally Posted by hayaku

yep.. basically just unscrew and remove the centering pin, loosen the 3 strut nuts and then slide the entire strut inwards towards the engine. On the X5, the stock is set at -2.0 with the centering pin in. Once removed, my adjustment went from -1.9 to -2.3 (measured with a intercomp racing digital camber gauge on a 100% levelled surface on scales and slip plates).

stock rear is toe in. i would only change it if you need to rotate the car more (ie: zero toe), but there are other ways of adjusting the car's behavior for oversteer that is safer then rear toe. I would not go with toe out in the rear.

Great advice! Thank you!!!

I will leave my rear toe alone. It seems like the most negative camber i will be able to get is about -.7 degrees. I will take all I can get! From my last alignment I seem to recall that one of my fronts is actually at slightly + camber. That guy might not have been the most competent tech in the world...he spent 20 minutes trying to convince me that my car is an X5 and that there is no such thing as an X3 (seriously...not kidding). Next time I am taking the car to the shop that did the alignment on my track car and did an awesome job.

I do need to get the car to rotate better. Although x-drive allows me to power out of a push I would prefer to have the car rotate a bit more on trail braking. I am having to shave too much speed on turn-in to make the front bite. I think because of the weight of the X3 and the relatively high profile of the tires (50 series) there is this initial pause after the steering input, then a huge weight transfer that unsettles the tires. Once they find grip again the chassis does a great job of utilizing all available grip. It is really well balanced and will rotate a bit with a mid-corner throttle lift but that is obviously not the fast way around a corner. I want it to rotate on turn-in and then be able to use WOT the rest of the way around.

I tried playing with tire pressures with the only resulitng change being more or less squeal. I don't want to go with a bigger rear sway bar because that would take me out of the stock class. Disconnecting the front bar for auto-x seems like an awfully bad idea to me...Whats left??

[vinuneuro]

Get camber plates and increase your front camber even more. I don't think that'll bump you of stock.