Mini Cooper S 2004, stock model.
Just took it in for an alignment and was told that the camber is out between 1.3 degrees and 2.75 degrees, front and rear. So far so normal. Then I am told that to adjust the camber on this car it is necessary to order special kits and parts, disassemble the strut towers and add more kits, and the total for correcting the camber comes to $3000! Clearly this tire company is off its trolley.
I find it hard to believe that BWM would design a car whose camber cannot be adjusted to spec without replacing half the stock suspension components.
Am I correct, or is there really a design flaw?
Incidentally, my struts and mounts are fine as are my suspension components.

 

Take it to another shop.

Front and rear camber are not adjustable from the factory, but don't need to be for most people. Toe is adjustable and more important for a street car.

I would not trust the alignment numbers they are giving you if they are looking for a $3000 service. Rear camber can be adjusted with an easy to install 220 dollar set of rear control arms.

- Andrew

 

Thanks. I've been looking around for the factory camber specs, and they appear to be -0.50º for front camber and -1.75º for rear. My test results are -1.20º and -2.70º. Not sure why the camber has changed, and yes, it appears the camber adjustment on a 2004 only has 0.50º of allowance.
It is strange that BMW should design a car whose camber cannot be adjusted yet in seven years is now over 1º out of alignment.
Anyone else with suggestions?

 

It is definitely unfortunate there is no built in camber adjustment for the early cars. They did get a little bit in 2006.

Anyway, something would have to seriously be wrong with the rear for you to have -2.7 degrees. If you take a picture of the rear, I could visually tell if that number is approximately right. Something would have to be majorly bent or broken to get that number in the rear on the stock parts.

If you have -1.2 up front that's a fine number, better than stock actually. But again, that number is odd to have on stock components even with majorly mushroomed strut towers. Might be worth taking a picture of the strut towers under the hood too.

Do you have stock springs and struts?

- andrew

 

I run -2.5 on my track MINI in the rear, and you can easily see the tilt on the wheels with the naked eye, so if you really have -2.7, you should be able to see it, like andyroo says.

 

Here is that picture of the rear camber. The struts are fine, and everything is stock.

 

If you have a Droid phone download the bubble level app and check the camber. Place the phone on the wheel rim, not the tire as close the the centerline as possible. This is not very accurate, but at least you can get close. The pic does not look that bad.

 

You do not have much camber in the rear. Maybe -2.7 total (both sides combined). The rear camber looks normal.

 

Yeah it does not really look like -2.7. Tell the shop to go blank themselves and find another.

Toe is important to check though if you feel like you are due for alignment, but do not trust that shop to do it.

- drew

 

One thing that can induce a camber change in the front is mushrooming of the strut towers. The top to the towers where the strut bolts (3 studs & nuts) to the sheetmetal in the engine compartment tends to bend up (mushroom) usually from hitting bumps in the road. You search search for mushrooming on NAM to find much info. The solution is to pound the sheetmetal back into place and reinforce the area in one of many ways (strut reinforcement plates, camber plates, or strut bar).

Another thing that can happen is the the top strut bushing (rubber) wears-out and tears or cracks allowing the strut to move. If you look from the engine compartment into the hole at the top of the strut mount you can see the rubber bushing. If bad you will see tears or cracks.

 

From that picture you have nothing close to -2.7, which is good news. Time for a second opinion from another alignment shop.

 

Looks ok.
Get another shop to check it for you.
Then, if it is within spec (or not as far out of spec as the first shop claimed) - file a complaint with the BBB.

 

Tire wear is usually a good indicator of tire alignment issues. Going by the tire wear in your picture, the right rear indicates some cupping, but the left looks to be wearing fairly even.
I would definately get a second opinion.

 

I have Dinan lowering springs all the way around. I added H-Sport adjustable rear arms and H-Sport camber plates in the front. I'm still about 1.25 degrees negative in the front with both sides slid to the stops. The rear is at factory spec for toe and camber.