Well...anybody that saw my earlier post...I did take my xi back to the dealer to check out the handling issue. Since they didn't find anything wrong, they did agree to change out the Dunlops with a set of the OEM Continentals...(ContiTouring 225/50 17) no charge, no less. The car is better, but still wanderin' down the highway. So they asked me to bring it back and gave me a new 525 5 speed as a loaner (wonder how many takers they'll have for that?). Anyway, this was a good thing because it has the same tires! And a similar tendency to wander...and a similar sunroof noise (that's an aside..another of my issues). So maybe my car is ok, but will eventually need some Michelins to make it right. I don't think I can ask 'em for another set of tires, unfortunately... So far, the dealership has been great. They really seem to be trying to get things right (by my definition, no less). The thing that's lurking in the back of my mind is...maybe it will never handle like my old car because it's a higher profile body. The changes seem small (an inch here, and inch there), but maybe that makes a diff. Any automotive engineers out there? I think the drag coefficient was about the same, but it goes down the road like it's in gale force winds. Like a...like a..STATIONWAGON!!!!

 

sorry, didn't read you last post, but was your last car an xi also? That makes a difference.
The E60 is definitely different from the E39. I have owned them both and I really enjoy the way my E60 drives, handles, etc. over its predecessor.

 

I take my 2004 E60 Sport to a dealer with one of those dedicated BMW wheel alignment rack. Suspension height at each corner is measured and reported. Not sure what height adjustment they would make, but I go in with a half-tank of fuel and take all personal items out (except for items in the glove box).

Each wheel geometry is checked and adjusted to BMW specification. They also have to check/zero out the steering angle when the front wheels track dead ahead. This is required for Active steering, Adaptive Lighting, Active Braking and the various vehicle dynamic control sensors. Some dealers charge a flat rate for this work (eg 130 USD), other charge labor cost, typically 1.5 hours. The print-out shows that the rack software differentiated among the the i, xi, d and Sport options on the E60. The print-out shows the parameters as recommended, before, and after any adjustment.

As long as the vehicle load and tires/wheels are normal, vehicle should track fine on normal road surfaces. Automatic brake drying does not affect the vehicle track. Has the dealer checked rotors and pads for abnormality?

Since I have a compact spare, I switched to non-RFT a while back. I have a daily driver E60 Sport that sees very little track duty. It runs on Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport P245/40R18 97W UTQG 340. The vehicle has been taken up to 130 mph with no tracking issue. Vehicle does exhibit expected tramlining behavior on uneven road surfaces and truck ruts, given the 245 tire width. The car was originally equipped with same sized RE050A 93W UTQG 140 RFT. I use dedicated 17-inch winter tires/wheels.

 

My last car was an 02 525, RWD, so definitely a different feel.

My hope is that they will align it while it's there this time. If they don't, then I'll have it done myself and see where we're at. Thanks for the detailed info on the alignment...it helps to understand what they should be doing.

 

Picked my car up this evening. Dealer re-aligned it and overall I think it's substantially better. Ran it up to 90 on the way home and it felt pretty stable. I didn't have a chance to ask about the brake rotors and pads but since it was just certified, and I'm not having any braking problems, I assume we're good there. Something to keep in mind though. I'm starting to wonder what a different set of shocks might do to reduce body roll, though even that is somewhat better also. I was looking at the Koni FSD Damper Set which sounded like it might be a good fit for what I want, just to stabilize the body during cornering without sacrificing ride quality appreciably. I know there have been a lot of threads about springs, shocks and sway bar recommendations...but I haven't seen these mentioned. My car is never going to see a track. Thoughts anybody? Or maybe I need to repost for anyone to see this....

 

Glad things are better with the car. I did suspect tires and alignment should help. I do think the E60 isn't quite as stable as the E39 was for various reasons. It does vary based on the road surface. But it shouldn't feel unsafe.

One thing misleading with CPO is folks assume things are always replaced and like new. The reality is things are inspected and if within certain guidelines, are left original such as brake pads and rotors. They could/should be fine but may not be 100% fresh and perfect.

Re shocks, I did put a set of Koni Sport adjustable shocks on an E39 M5. It made a big difference but most of that was because the car had 60k miles and the originals had gotten softer. I have not looked at shocks for the 550i yet.

 

Hey Richard,

My car has 56K (and it was leased in NJ) so maybe that says something about the condition of the shocks. I'm thinkin' CPO should actually be called CPC (comes pretty close....)