thanks for all the input. at this point, i've contacted the dealer in denver and am waiting to hear back as to whether or not they're going to step up; in reviewing the cpo paperwork the suspension components were deemed to be in line with oem specs so, in essence, the car wasn't really up to specs since they aligned it using the wrong specs and 'covered up' the problem with the upper control arm (i'm hoping they smell the potential for a 'false claims' action and decide to go along with my proposal they pay for the upper control arm to be replaced.) if not, i will have to start moving up the chain of command until someone realizes the dealer screwed up, i.e., area rep, etc. i plan to be present when they remove and replace the upper arm to make sure it aligns when they're done.

Quick Update: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. i bitched and moaned enough that both my local dealer and the dealer in denver kicked in and are going to replace the upper control arm. interestingly, i learned the 07's had a service campaign for this component and i wonder if mine may have been a late 07, early 08.

Thats why there is about 3 different version of that control arm, they tried to retify the castor problem by having different arms, better suited to LHD X5, though did'nt work for our RHD X5's here!

Actually replacing the upper control arm is the only way to adjust camber on the E70/E71 platforms.... Go BMW engineers!

So as techs at the dealer, if we need to adjust the front camber we have to note down which degree arm is installed, note of how many degrees are needed, then install the arm with the correct level of correction.

(you would think they could put eccentric bolts on the chassis end of the arm, but that would have made too much sense :rolleyes:)

I know, BMW make such a simply alignment problem such a major task. They get you by saying the alignment is within spec, yeh, problem its there spec for RHD & LDH is crap and needs adjustment to the countries different road conditions!

I am sure they will adjust your alignment by ordering a couple different arms and changing them, test drive, try the next arm at $780 each under warranty!:bustingupHence the saying "its in spec" but it just pulls left or right, its lucky the Adaptive Drive X5's (& X6) are the more problematic X's, there a little more sensitive to the road conditions.

well, for my visits (went in twice for alignment issues) first time they did alignment to the "E53 specs" and now on the 2nd visit they told me "We can only do toe adjustment on the E70s and although the toe little off, it is well within spec- we can adjust it but you have to pay"- I said no.

I know it p**ses you off, well in spec, so why does it pull one certain way.

Anyway my new X5 arrives at the dealers Monday, the State technician for BMW is putting it on the dealers alignment machine before anyone touches it and then armed with the printout we are installing the 6mm Castor Bushes I had made to correct the 4mm front set back on the lefthand front wheel, so we end up with 4mm set back on the righthand wheel.

Care to provide the SIB on this.

i'll see if i can track it down; a friend of mine who is a bmw tech told me about it.

When you say it pulls to either left or right, are you sayng when you let the steering wheel go on a level surface, it will move itself either way?