do new springs need to settle before an alignment?

tomtom11 · 04-23-2011, 11:12 AM

i am getting new shocks and lowering springs installed and i thought you had to wait like a week before you do the alignment. the very experienced guy at the shop said thats an old thing the springs will settle in 10 minutes. and then i can do the alignment. is this true?

tomtom11 · 04-23-2011, 01:56 PM

?

Darkside Eng · 04-23-2011, 02:03 PM

yes, a week

tomtom11 · 04-23-2011, 02:08 PM

thanks for your response. anyone else? im just curious because the guy at the shop is very experienced and he said he could get the springs to settle in like 10 mins of driving. so is it a week od driving or a week of the car sitting? or it doesnt matter as long as its 7 days?

cssnms · 04-23-2011, 04:46 PM

a week or two. get 100 miles on them and you should be good.

kevin@bavarianx · 04-24-2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkside Eng

yes, a week

Quote:

Originally Posted by cssnms

a week or two. get 100 miles on them and you should be good.

All true!

04-24-2011, 12:56 AM

Do a canyon run.

SneakyDeeky · 04-24-2011, 01:15 AM

I just installed a set of KW V1 coilovers on my E90 335i and the guys at the shop went ahead and did an alignment right when they installed them, but after about 50 miles the rear had settled about half a finger (between tire and fender) lower than the front. No problem though as the shop hooked me up with another free alignment. I've got pics posted in my profile that were taken before the 2nd alignment.

tomtom11 · 04-24-2011, 04:27 PM

alright thanks guys

f00dstamps · 04-24-2011, 09:54 PM

So are you not supposed to drive your car very much for that week? I read that toe can shred your tires in a few hundred miles.

tomtom11 · 04-24-2011, 09:58 PM

thats why i asked before should i let it settle for a week without driving. but everyone said get at least 100 miles on it.

f00dstamps · 04-24-2011, 11:03 PM

I have coilovers that should be here by Thursday this week. I will be getting it aligned immediately after they are installed and I have the height dialed in. My wheels and tires are shipping the first week of May. I hoping that I do not have to adjust the height again but I will have them check the alignment regardless and adjust it as necessary. Personally, I wouldn't risk driving very far on an unaligned car.

michaelalex17 · 04-24-2011, 11:14 PM

hmmm good question it seems to have a split answer?

VTECaddict · 04-24-2011, 11:22 PM

you should drive it, not let it sit. you need the compression and extension from daily driving to help it "settle". just drive gentler/slower than usual because your alignment will be out of whack.

the absolute best thing will be to align right after installation and then align again after a week or a couple hundred miles.

michaelalex17 · 04-25-2011, 11:59 AM

but isnt it bad for the tires to drive with a fucked up alignment?

mike-y · 04-25-2011, 02:38 PM

I just installed a set of coilovers, and the springs settled about 1/2" within the first 3 days. I've already adjusted the height back up to what it was when I installed them on friday. I don't think they'll settle much more, but I'll be getting an alignment this weekend.

lakefront · 04-25-2011, 03:34 PM

100 miles on a slightly "off " alignment isn't going to ruin your tires. The installer should get the alignment close, than finalize after "break-in".

Babydragon · 04-27-2011, 07:34 PM

Just had springs installed 5 day ago. It has lower about and eighth of an inch in the last couple days and a total of 1 inch. If you do some research some people have said you may notice more of a drop after months of driving. I think it all depends, but there are so many variables.

04-23-2011, 11:12 AM	#1
tomtom11 Captain 88 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (1)	do new springs need to settle before an alignment? i am getting new shocks and lowering springs installed and i thought you had to wait like a week before you do the alignment. the very experienced guy at the shop said thats an old thing the springs will settle in 10 minutes. and then i can do the alignment. is this true?
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04-23-2011, 01:56 PM	#2
tomtom11 Captain 88 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (1)	?
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04-23-2011, 02:03 PM	#3
Darkside Eng Private 1 Rep 56 Posts Drives: '11 335i Coupe Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: FL iTrader: (2)	yes, a week
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04-23-2011, 02:08 PM	#4
tomtom11 Captain 88 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (1)	thanks for your response. anyone else? im just curious because the guy at the shop is very experienced and he said he could get the springs to settle in like 10 mins of driving. so is it a week od driving or a week of the car sitting? or it doesnt matter as long as its 7 days?
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04-23-2011, 04:46 PM	#5
cssnms Brigadier General 213 Rep 3,174 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 335d Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Murland iTrader: (4)	a week or two. get 100 miles on them and you should be good.
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04-24-2011, 12:56 AM	#7
RemovedUser Guest 0 Rep n/a Posts Drives:	Do a canyon run.
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04-24-2011, 01:15 AM	#8
SneakyDeeky driver mod in progress 231 Rep 1,858 Posts Drives: with both feet Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Redondo Beach, CA iTrader: (6) Garage List 2015 VW Golf R [5.50] 2014 Audi SQ5 [10.00]	I just installed a set of KW V1 coilovers on my E90 335i and the guys at the shop went ahead and did an alignment right when they installed them, but after about 50 miles the rear had settled about half a finger (between tire and fender) lower than the front. No problem though as the shop hooked me up with another free alignment. I've got pics posted in my profile that were taken before the 2nd alignment.
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04-24-2011, 04:27 PM	#9
tomtom11 Captain 88 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (1)	alright thanks guys
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04-24-2011, 09:54 PM	#10
f00dstamps Second Lieutenant 24 Rep 234 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 335d Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Kansas City, MO iTrader: (0)	So are you not supposed to drive your car very much for that week? I read that toe can shred your tires in a few hundred miles.
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04-24-2011, 09:58 PM	#11
tomtom11 Captain 88 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (1)	thats why i asked before should i let it settle for a week without driving. but everyone said get at least 100 miles on it.
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04-24-2011, 11:03 PM	#12
f00dstamps Second Lieutenant 24 Rep 234 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 335d Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Kansas City, MO iTrader: (0)	I have coilovers that should be here by Thursday this week. I will be getting it aligned immediately after they are installed and I have the height dialed in. My wheels and tires are shipping the first week of May. I hoping that I do not have to adjust the height again but I will have them check the alignment regardless and adjust it as necessary. Personally, I wouldn't risk driving very far on an unaligned car.
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04-24-2011, 11:14 PM	#13
michaelalex17 Brigadier General 619 Rep 3,398 Posts Drives: Manual Wagon Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	hmmm good question it seems to have a split answer?
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04-24-2011, 11:22 PM	#14
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 487 Rep 6,066 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	you should drive it, not let it sit. you need the compression and extension from daily driving to help it "settle". just drive gentler/slower than usual because your alignment will be out of whack. the absolute best thing will be to align right after installation and then align again after a week or a couple hundred miles. __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
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04-25-2011, 11:59 AM	#15
michaelalex17 Brigadier General 619 Rep 3,398 Posts Drives: Manual Wagon Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	but isnt it bad for the tires to drive with a fucked up alignment?
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04-25-2011, 02:38 PM	#16
mike-y just another bmw douche bag 195 Rep 3,640 Posts Drives: 1.9L of fury Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (4)	I just installed a set of coilovers, and the springs settled about 1/2" within the first 3 days. I've already adjusted the height back up to what it was when I installed them on friday. I don't think they'll settle much more, but I'll be getting an alignment this weekend.
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04-25-2011, 03:34 PM	#17
lakefront Captain 647 Rep 789 Posts Drives: Whatever's in the garage Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SE Wisconsin iTrader: (2)	100 miles on a slightly "off " alignment isn't going to ruin your tires. The installer should get the alignment close, than finalize after "break-in".
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04-27-2011, 07:34 PM	#18
Babydragon Captain 35 Rep 781 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Chic/ago iTrader: (0)	Just had springs installed 5 day ago. It has lower about and eighth of an inch in the last couple days and a total of 1 inch. If you do some research some people have said you may notice more of a drop after months of driving. I think it all depends, but there are so many variables.
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