Camber, Slanted Rear Wheels, Inner Tire Wear

[DONONE69]

mine are slanted but dont get any inner tyre wear at all, its meant to be slanted slightly,

[FSETH]

This thread is an epic fail.

BMW builds negative camber into the rear for improved handling characteristics. It is also visible to the naked eye from the rear of the vehicle in many cases.

[EKS PYB]

Its interesting that I came across this post. Now, I have an '04 X5 3.0 that originally had 17" stocks and went to 20" staggered the next day I purchased the X5. Now, I had Toyo Proxes STs on it and it lasted 2 years with roughly 30,000 miles on it but of course, I do have that inner wall wear that most are talking about. Now, is that normal? Or do I have to replace those parts mentioned by OP.

When I went with the 20's I did the usual balance but honestly I don't remember doing the alignment. Do you guys think alignment is all I need? I already replaced my tires just a few months ago with Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta that most members recommended and they are way much quieter but I just want to make sure this lasts the normal time it should.

After taking off the Toyo Proxes, the fronts are like brand new, no such wear after 2 years. The outer rears are also like new, lots of tread left but the inner wall is down to no tread at all.

[FSETH]

Originally Posted by EKS PYB

Its interesting that I came across this post. Now, I have an '04 X5 3.0 that originally had 17" stocks and went to 20" staggered the next day I purchased the X5. Now, I had Toyo Proxes STs on it and it lasted 2 years with roughly 30,000 miles on it but of course, I do have that inner wall wear that most are talking about. Now, is that normal? Or do I have to replace those parts mentioned by OP.

When I went with the 20's I did the usual balance but honestly I don't remember doing the alignment. Do you guys think alignment is all I need? I already replaced my tires just a few months ago with Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta that most members recommended and they are way much quieter but I just want to make sure this lasts the normal time it should.

After taking off the Toyo Proxes, the fronts are like brand new, no such wear after 2 years. The outer rears are also like new, lots of tread left but the inner wall is down to no tread at all.

The reason you notice more inner wear with the 20's is because the wider the tire the more pronounced the inner wear typically is.

I think it is good practice to get an alignment everytime you get new tires.

My rears (285/45/19) Toyo S/T's have over 40,000 miles on them. Yes, they are slightly more worn on the inside, but that is typical. My car was aligned by a reputable shop and all aspects of the alignment fall within spec. Having said that, the negative camber is clearly visible from behind the car as this is also normal.

As far as rollover is concerned, Repoman explained it well. The negative camber (tires sit somewhat on insides) allows the outside tire to become flat when the vehicle is cornering aggressively. This allows more rubber on the pavement and keeps the rear from coming around. Rollovers tend to happen when the vehicle gets sideways. The negative camber helps reduces the chances of this scenario. If the tire started out perfectly flat on the ground and straight up and down, more stress would be placed on the outside of the tire when cornering and grip would be reduced. This would probably also raise the chances of rolling an underinflated tire off the rim, which would also tend to induce rollover.

If your tires are wearing excessively on the inside, then you may have an alignment problem or another issue. However, saying the camber should not be visible is just completely wrong.

Also, do not agree with most of you commenting on OEM vs. ebay pars. Sure some ebay parts are as good and there may be a few that are even better (depending on part and brand). However, the vast majority of OEM parts are going to be better than the typical ebay junk. Also, BMW does warrant their parts, not sure about the ebay scammers.

[omodos]

Originally Posted by Repoman

As TrickerZ mentioned earlier about his preference for aftermarket control arms because they are built better, I share his opinion on every other part I replace on the X also. When I replace a part on the X (which is often), I go out of my way to avoid OEM because of the lack of quality of the OEM parts. Why would one replace a broken part that did last as long as it should have with the same poor quality OEM part that will most likely not last as long as it should again? Conversly, my opinion is opposite on my Lexus. When I do replace a part (which is rarely), I go OEM because of the length of time the OEM part lasted (quality).

Additionally, why does BMW keep making replacement parts of the same caliber as the ones that have been proven "defective" by the lot (i.e. window actuators, pixel issues, FSR, rear control arms, etc.)? How much extra money is BMW making off loyal customers by selling the same poor quality replacements over and over again instead of redesigning these parts so that the loyal customer won't have a problem with that part ever again after buying the replacement. What a slap in the face to their customer! BMW is laughing all the way to the bank on our dime. I don't understand loyalties to a company like that.