[Steven1077]

I've noticed the drivers side looks like it has a smaller gap between the tyre and the arch, I've even put my fingers in there and it feels like there is more room on the passenger side (left) but when I measure the arch to the ground its the same both sides, I looked at an E90 that was parked near mine and it looks the same with a bigger gap on the left, I asked two other people and we all agree it looks bigger on the left and we all measured it, now if the wheel is the same size and the arch is the same height how is it possible one side looks and feel bigger? Or have I lost the plot?

[teaston]

Is this on completely flat and level ground?

[Steven1077]

Yes, I checked it on different places, but my garage is level

[Mr NSB]

Originally Posted by teaston

Is this on completely flat and level ground?

My first thought. Turn the car around and see if the gap difference changes sides

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Steven1077

Yes, I checked it on different places, but my garage is level

Can you measure the gap properly using a ruler or something straight to lay on top of the tyre then measure to top of arch?

[Steven1077]

I'm sure I could, I'll try at some point, and I've tried turning the car around, looks the same, the car is dead level, but the gap looks bigger

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Steven1077

I've noticed the drivers side looks like it has a smaller gap between the tyre and the arch, I've even put my fingers in there and it feels like there is more room on the passenger side (left) but when I measure the arch to the ground its the same both sides, I looked at an E90 that was parked near mine and it looks the same with a bigger gap on the left, I asked two other people and we all agree it looks bigger on the left and we all measured it, now if the wheel is the same size and the arch is the same height how is it possible one side looks and feel bigger? Or have I lost the plot?

I remember this very thing with an E36 328i Lux coupe I had years ago and took it up with the dealer and the answer I got was they were all the same, slightly larger gap on passenger side compared to drivers side, apparently they were set that way from build as it compensates for the weight of an average driver on board on his own! Thought that was bullshit at the time but now you've got me wondering!
I'll try and check my 435i M Sport and see if mine's the same!

[teaston]

Originally Posted by bmnut

I remember this very thing with an E36 328i Lux coupe I had years ago and took it up with the dealer and the answer I got was they were all the same, slightly larger gap on passenger side compared to drivers side, apparently they were set that way from build as it compensates for the weight of an average driver on board on his own! Thought that was bullshit at the time but now you've got me wondering!
I'll try and check my 435i M Sport and see if mine's the same!

Then surely the gap would be larger on the drivers side!?

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by teaston

Then surely the gap would be larger on the drivers side!?

The other bit of suspected bullshit from the dealer was that they were only set up like that for the LHD market regardless of which market they were built for!......can you believe that crap?

Nah!.....Me neither!

......still OP's got me wondering now though!

[Steven1077]

My nephew is a mechanic and he mentioned Mercedes seem to be higher on the drivers side, but as I said the arch is the same height from the ground both sides, I just measured the wheel height and they look the same as you would expect, so maybe its a trick of the eye

[335dJa]

I may be way off but there is a thing called "setback" in wheel alignment which is where a wheel on one side is marginally in front of the other side. I don't know the f30 settings but this may explain the "optical illusion"
Just a thought.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by 335dJa

I may be way off but there is a thing called "setback" in wheel alignment which is where a wheel on one side is marginally in front of the other side. I don't know the f30 settings but this may explain the "optical illusion"
Just a thought.

Setback is if the car has been is a collision though isn't it? Not because the car was built like it!

[335dJa]

It is designed in on some I think, and a certain amount is accepted as "within tolerance".
I'm not saying it is setback, just throwing an idea out there. It may explain why some dealers can't seem to align the car with the steering wheel straight too?

[Proftinkerpot]

Stupid thought but could one tyre be softer than the other allowing a little less height in the tyre wall?

[Steven1077]

Like I said I looked at an e90 335i parked near me and even that looked lower on the right, all I know is every time I see a BMW now I'll be looking at the ride height each side lol

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Steven1077

My nephew is a mechanic and he mentioned Mercedes seem to be higher on the drivers side, but as I said the arch is the same height from the ground both sides, I just measured the wheel height and they look the same as you would expect, so maybe its a trick of the eye

Still trying to find some perfectly level ground to check mine for your info....nowt's bloody level here in the North East!
Taking the missus' 120i to our dealer tomorrow to have the winter bouncy balloons swapped for the M 313's for 'summer'( ha! lol...this is the North East!) so I'll ask the techs about this out of curiosity.

[Apl440i or 335d?]

Are you parked on a kerb....?

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Apl335d

Are you parked on a kerb....?

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

Would suggest running shoes as well!!!!

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Steven1077

I've noticed the drivers side looks like it has a smaller gap between the tyre and the arch, I've even put my fingers in there and it feels like there is more room on the passenger side (left) but when I measure the arch to the ground its the same both sides, I looked at an E90 that was parked near mine and it looks the same with a bigger gap on the left, I asked two other people and we all agree it looks bigger on the left and we all measured it, now if the wheel is the same size and the arch is the same height how is it possible one side looks and feel bigger? Or have I lost the plot?

Spoke to the techs a my dealership this afternoon and whilst they haven't noticed this as we have, their opinion is that it is probably due to the location of the fuel tank the shape of which is such that a greater volume of fuel is carried more to the offside of the vehicle than to the nearside. Thus slightly more weight is placed on the driver's side suspension which may result in lowering it more compared to the passenger side. Also the fuel draw off is from the offside and the tank is designed such that the fuel is siphoned from the nearside to the offside so will drain away from nearside to offside as it's used up, meaning there will always be more weight of fuel on the offside of the vehicle.
Does that make an sense to you the way I've tried to describe it? Thinking about it, it would seem to be a reasonable explanation to me!
Meaning the answer I was given all those years ago about my E36 was, as I suspected at the time, probably bullshit!!!

[teaston]

Originally Posted by bmnut

Spoke to the techs a my dealership this afternoon and whilst they haven't noticed this as we have, their opinion is that it is probably due to the location of the fuel tank the shape of which is such that a greater volume of fuel is carried more to the offside of the vehicle than to the nearside. Thus slightly more weight is placed on the driver's side suspension which may result in lowering it more compared to the passenger side. Also the fuel draw off is from the offside and the tank is designed such that the fuel is siphoned from the nearside to the offside so will drain away from nearside to offside as it's used up, meaning there will always be more weight of fuel on the offside of the vehicle.
Does that make an sense to you the way I've tried to describe it? Thinking about it, it would seem to be a reasonable explanation to me!
Meaning the answer I was given all those years ago about my E36 was, as I suspected at the time, probably bullshit!!!

This does sound feasible! And if so was probably designed so with the driver sitting in a LHD the car will sit level!? Meaning our RHD cars will be double lop sided when driven!

[Torquein]

Originally Posted by teaston

This does sound feasible! And if so was probably designed so with the driver sitting in a LHD the car will sit level!? Meaning our RHD cars will be double lop sided when driven!

But with the general road camber leaning toward the nearside it will balance it up a touch