[zangman]

we have a new 528xi which is our first bmw. th eother day my wife was driving the bmw and i was behind her in my vehicle. as i was looking at the rear of the car it seems as though the rear wheels appear slightly toed in meaining that the wheels are slightly tilted in. so i looked at a few different bmw 5 series on the interstate and i seemed to notice the same thing. so i then put a level on each side and the front and rear wheels and it confirms what i saw, however the front wheels have no tilt and are plum. does anyone know if this is normal? and why is this? thanks

 

[No12]

we have a new 528xi which is our first bmw. th eother day my wife was driving the bmw and i was behind her in my vehicle. as i was looking at the rear of the car it seems as though the rear wheels appear slightly toed in meaining that the wheels are slightly tilted in. so i looked at a few different bmw 5 series on the interstate and i seemed to notice the same thing. so i then put a level on each side and the front and rear wheels and it confirms what i saw, however the front wheels have no tilt and are plum. does anyone know if this is normal? and why is this? thanks

Is normal, they all do it. It's due to the rear suspension set up, but others will have to explain it better than I can, and in more technical terms. Every BMW I have had (12) has been that way.

 

[Fahrer]

Almost all cars have some toe-in for the rear wheels. This creates stability when cornering. When cornering, weight shifts to the outer wheels. The toe-in helps keep the outer wheel on track and reduces the tendency for the rear end to come around ( spin out). Many cars have special bushings in the rear suspension that provide for additional toe-in as the lateral forces increase.
Most cars have some toe-in for the front wheels to help straight-line stability. Less toe-in for the front wheels generally results in better steering response but less stability.