Installing adjustable front camber kits on BMWs and MINIs - How to

BLOG ARTICLE: http://blog.bavauto.com/15365
PARTS LIST:
* Front Camber Kit -
http://www.bavauto.com/se1.asp?dept_i...
* Spring compressor -
http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part...
* Steering Knuckle Spreader -
http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part...
* Metric socket and ratchet set -- 3/8" and ½" drive, 10mm through 22mm
* Metric combination wrench set -- 10mm through 22mm
* Various common mechanic's hand tools -- Screwdrivers, pliers, pry bars, etc.


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All of the items shown in these videos are available in our online store at http://www.bavauto.com/. Need additional tech help? Please visit our tech blog for thousands of Tech and DIY BMW and MINI articles at: http://blog.bavauto.com/
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See if this sounds familiar... As you pass by your BMW or MINI, checking out the smart lines of the body, the tires look just fine to you. And when you clean the wheels and the tires, or add some air, the tread blocks look nice and deep. Then just a short time later, you are under the car and discover with some amazement and disbelief (or you are told by a technician) that the tires need to be replaced -- to the tune of several hundred dollars -- because the insides of the tires are completely bald! (See Fig. 1.) How can this be? You've driven only a few thousand miles on them, or had them on the car for just a couple of seasons of use... and the outside tread looks almost new! Welcome to the world of negative camber.

The suspension on our BMWs and MINIs is designed to deliver comfort, performance, safety and economy. These four considerations do not always make good bedfellows, and the chassis designers must compromise on one or more of these goals. For example, comfort and performance require lightweight suspension components (in comparison to chassis weight). This results in a trade-off in long-term durability plus sensitivity to issues that can cause vibrations. Similarly, designing for performance requires suspension geometry and alignment specifications that may cause accelerated wear on components -- not the best for economy.

Our BMWs and MINIs are designed to be comfortable and safe at high speeds on unrestricted highways, tricky mountain roads and those beautiful, country two-lanes that point to destinations yet unknown. To be safe in all of these scenarios, the chassis and suspension must be designed primarily for performance. This is accomplished through the suspension geometry design (how the suspension parts move as the suspension is compressed and extended) and the wheel alignment. What is wheel alignment? It is how the wheel/tire and the suspension members are sitting when the vehicle is at rest. There are three main elements in alignment -- Toe, Caster and Camber. Of these, the factory BMW and MINI camber settings are fairly aggressive and can produce the inner tread wear that BMW and MINI owners are familiar with.

What is camber?

Simply put, camber is the angle of the wheel, top to bottom, when viewed from the front or rear of the vehicle. Camber is measured in degrees. Positive camber (e.g. +3°) means the top of the wheel is tilted away from the car. If the top of the wheel is leaning in towards the car, the camber is a negative (see photo below). Most high performance cars such as BMWs come with some negative camber for better handling. People who race their BMWs at the track like even more negative camber. But excessive negative camber will result in less-than optimal straight-line tracking and faster wear of the tire tread. (And with the price of high-performance tires these days, that can add up to a major expense in a hurry.) Both front and rear tires are susceptible to uneven wear caused by excessive camber. That wear is even more pronounced on BMWs with "plus-size" wheels and tires.

While the factory camber settings are indeed aggressive for a daily driven, highway commuter application, the problems are magnified when the suspension is modified by lowering the vehicle ride height (installing sport springs). When the BMW or MINI is lowered, by installing sport springs or suspension systems, the negative camber is increased, further reducing tire life.

Details have been shortened and edited due to YouTube requirements. See the full tech blog article at - http://blog.bavauto.com/15367
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