[iBimmerDriver]

Hi Bimmerposters and readers,

I've been reading posts for a while but decided to make my first post. I recently went for a 4-wheel alignment on my 2023 i4 eDrive 40 (M-sport, adaptive dampers, 19-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot 4*).

The alignment results showed that the front wheels have almost no camber (only 0.26 degrees), whereas the G26 420i, for example, has around 1 degree of camber. I think this could be the reason why my i4 feels a bit slow to respond in steering at speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph), and even a bit "frozen" around 125 km/h (78 mph). I don’t want to have to give too much steering input to move the car, but I find the fine corrections too heavy, especially at higher speeds.

The "Swivel Bearing, Camber Correction" was suggested by my tire/suspension specialist, but my BMW dealer is not familiar with it. This part adds extra camber to the front wheels, and it supposedly corrects the camber by 0.6-0.7 degrees, bringing it closer to 1 degree, which seems to be the average for street BMWs.

My car:
BMW i4 eDrive 40 M-sport with adaptive dampers.

Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions!

[jpuffmasterpuffpuffpuff69]

AFAIK, there's a little bit of wiggle room for more camber in the front. I don't know if front toe is adjustable too, but you can get a friskier front going with toe out.

[Setright]

I have only owned my i4 e35 for two months, but I have covered almost 10.000 km. What I also have is extensive experience tweaking the suspension on my cars. Subarus and BMWs.

I agree, the steering is a little slow, but camber isn't the first place to start. Camber will affect grip levels.

I haven't had time to do any work on my i4, but if it's anything like my previous 3 BMWs, the factory setup has too much toe-in on the front. Even compared to BMWs own specs.

Get an alignment done, and have the toe-in adjusted. Do NOT go for actual toe-out, but go for less toe-in. Stick it on the edge of the tolerance.

This will liven-up the steering response.

Toe-out will give you a nervous car, that never settles down. It will sniff out any bumps/ridges in the road surface and tug on the steering.


BMW i4 has a LOT more negative camber on the rear, compared to the front. This is a safety choice...when you boot the throttle, BMW want the instant torque tamed a little, so the car doesn't oversteer you into problems.

Try the less front toe-in, before you do anything else


(I have usually ended up with the same toe values front and rear, but I am not sure the i4 will respond well to that. )

[jpuffmasterpuffpuffpuff69]

Just don't zero the toe. Toe changes as the car is driven, and you don't want to go from positive to negative back as you drive. The car may behave weird.

[Setright]

Originally Posted by jpuffmasterpuffpuffpuff69

Just don't zero the toe. Toe changes as the car is driven, and you don't want to go from positive to negative back as you drive. The car may behave weird.

I approve this message

[ChipXpert]

Originally Posted by Setright

I have only owned my i4 e35 for two months, but I have covered almost 10.000 km. What I also have is extensive experience tweaking the suspension on my cars. Subarus and BMWs.

I agree, the steering is a little slow, but camber isn't the first place to start. Camber will affect grip levels.

I haven't had time to do any work on my i4, but if it's anything like my previous 3 BMWs, the factory setup has too much toe-in on the front. Even compared to BMWs own specs.

Get an alignment done, and have the toe-in adjusted. Do NOT go for actual toe-out, but go for less toe-in. Stick it on the edge of the tolerance.

This will liven-up the steering response.

Toe-out will give you a nervous car, that never settles down. It will sniff out any bumps/ridges in the road surface and tug on the steering.


BMW i4 has a LOT more negative camber on the rear, compared to the front. This is a safety choice...when you boot the throttle, BMW want the instant torque tamed a little, so the car doesn't oversteer you into problems.

Try the less front toe-in, before you do anything else


(I have usually ended up with the same toe values front and rear, but I am not sure the i4 will respond well to that. )

I did this on my i4 M50 and it made a world of difference. I have minimum to but still inside the spec. Tires wear better and steering is a lot more connected

[iBimmerDriver]

Thanks a lot for all, for your replies. Really helpful and interesting.

I will call my tyre/suspension/alignment center to ask what they can do with the "Toe In".

Any suggestions are always welcome.

[jpuffmasterpuffpuffpuff69]

My only mistake was to switch to Michelin all seasons instead of any kind of summer tire. Now that the weather is warmer, I miss the sticky grippers. Then again, frozen summer tires not so fun.