M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Suspension => Topic started by: dino245 on September 22, 2006, 02:43:04 PM
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I just put one on my car and love the feel in the steering. It took some persuading with a hammer in a few places but in the end it fit, not as bad as you might think to install. I will try to get pictures.
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sounds cool
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Have thought about picking one up, good to here you're giving it a thumbs up.:)
Any idea on weight of the x-brace? Do you have a front strut bar installed along with the x-brace?
Thanks
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I just put one on my car and love the feel in the steering. It took some persuading with a hammer in a few places but in the end it fit, not as bad as you might think to install. I will try to get pictures.
Where did you mount it? I had a look on my car using a x brace off my old E36 and while it fitted at various points there were not any holes in the chassis rails that lined up with x brace.
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I think the brace is about 5lbs, not much and it is down low. I do have an upper strut bar also. I did this in preperation for some 15x8 wheels and race rubber. I was looking at the underside of the car and was surprised by the open space between the rear mounting points of the control arms. I have seen that the E36 uses the same control arms and thoght that the X brace should work, and it does with alittle persuation.
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Christian
I had to drill the frame rail holes and install the nutserts that came with the brace. I have some more nutserts on order to add a couple more at the point where it mounts to the subframe, the brace only came with 4 nutserts.
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Looks like i may have to look into picking one up. Can you tell me how much of an increase in chasis rigidity you noticed with the x-brace?
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Well I have quite a few suspension changes already which have stiffened up the car. One thing I did notice was before the brace I would notice a slight delay between the time I made a steering change and the time the car would actualy move. It was not much of a delay but I could notice it before. Now that I installed the brace the steering input generates an almost instant change in the cars direction. I would not call it a nervous car just that the steering input was imediatly felt by the car. Now this is with 195-60 14 tires, Yokomamas AVS Es100's be that as they are. I now that with stiff side wall race tires on a hot track the car will thank me for installing it.
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How big is this thing/where exactly does it mount?
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Got pics?????
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under an E36:
(http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/101-Projects-66-X-Brace/Pic2-01.jpg)
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wow... this looks like a great mod... I'm feeling, uh, stiffened just thinking about it! lol.
any more detail re: your install most appreciated!
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Is it a skidplate or a chassis brace. It looks as if it would be a better skidplate than a brace. On an E36 the sump is at the rear instead of the E30's front location. As a brace it lessens the lateral movement of the front crossmember in relation to the uniboy structure aft of the rear lower control arms. This probably isn't a major concern due to the crossmembers mounting arrangement. Of course it doesn't hurt but this may be an area that doesn't need that much help. The sump hanging down is a perennial problem.
Question:
1) What is part #31 and what does it do?
2) Does the sump hang down below the crossmember?
Realoem doesn't name this piece. Anyone know the BMW name for this part?
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wow that looks like a nice upgrade, I doesn't look like its in the way of the exhaust which is nice ;)
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Is it a skidplate or a chassis brace. It looks as if it would be a better skidplate than a brace. On an E36 the sump is at the rear instead of the E30's front location. As a brace it lessens the lateral movement of the front crossmember in relation to the uniboy structure aft of the rear lower control arms. This probably isn't a major concern due to the crossmembers mounting arrangement. Of course it doesn't hurt but this may be an area that doesn't need that much help. The sump hanging down is a perennial problem.
Question:
1) What is part #31 and what does it do?
2) Does the sump hang down below the crossmember?
Realoem doesn't name this piece. Anyone know the BMW name for this part?
Real OEM doesn't name it because you may be looking under the wrong car. The brace itself is listed as a cross reinforcement. 95 M3 Lightweights and E36 convertables and the Z3 came with it and part 31 came into the picture on the Z3 only. As you can see from the pic above which looks nothing like what TMS or the others companies sell there a couple different versions.
#31 is a rubber bushing called a "Stop Buffer" and is listed under Z3 in realoem. It is supposed to limit trans tailshaft squat under acceleration. The driveshaft is slightly angled at rest and when you put a load on it it tries to straighten itself out. -3 degrees is standard, under acceleration 0 degrees is optimal but the trans tailshaft can try to "hunt" for its favored location. That bushing is meant to keep everything where it was designed to be and help eliminate wheel hop by limiting driveline angles. Thank you UUC for that info :D
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The rear mount on the cross reinforcement appears to be located between the engine and transmission. There is also a tailshaft mount. As to wheel hop, we're talking about an independant rear suspension with a solid mounted differential and center carrier in a car with 300-350 HP. I didn't know wheel hop was a problem here. Live and learn I guess.
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This was as it was explained to the guys at UUC, which was explained to them by a BMW technician. I don't see the issue either. I see it as a stop for the engine movement, but for wheelhop? I dunno about that.
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hey, how easy is your access to the drain plug w/ the brace installed? it looks like it may be in the way...might make an oil change take 6 bolts longer to complete, gosh!
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I had one of these installed on my 318ti a few years ago. It made a noticeable difference in the way the car feels even in highway driving. I drove around for a day with the thing on the car having been told that they weren't able to install it. The car felt obviously different (i.e. more stable and just tighter), but I couldn't figure out why since I thought this part wasn't on yet. When I called the next day to set up the appointment to have it installed, they told me they did get it on. I went out and checked and there it was. So, I don't think the noticed improvement was wishful thinking since I didn't think it was there. Also, the brace is the lowest point of the car in that area and has taken more bangs and scrapes than I care to think about (Eibach Pro-kit + Maryland roads). It's holding up well. I would recommend it for any E36 that doesn't have one.
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The E30 318is engine oil pan sits ahead of the subframe and not behind like the E36 engines. so there is no problem reaching the drain plug.
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would this be the same one? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-X-Brace-E36-318ti-M3-323-325-328-318-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ42609QQihZ007QQitemZ170044480301QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V
not a bad price for its usefulness. serves as a good way to stiffen your chassis as well as a factory skidplate. hmmmmm. and im sure used ones are WAYY cheaper
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This is the same guy i bought mine from. This will work.
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in the pic, there are two little bars connecting the x bars, does yours still have those too?
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Yes it does.
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I installed one of those on my E36. Like said above, it was a huge upgrade. I did it right before an autocross and I could really feel the difference.
I'd like to see pics of it hacked into the E30.
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I know one guy who put it on his car. It was way too low so he had to take it off. There a pic of one floating somewhere. I don't seem to remember the site I got it from though. :(
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I know one guy who put it on his car. It was way too low so he had to take it off. There a pic of one floating somewhere. I don't seem to remember the site I got it from though. :(
e30 or e36?
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e36 x-brace on an e30. Isn't that what the thread is about :p
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e36 x-brace on an e30. Isn't that what the thread is about :p
true, I was hoping that it wasn't the e30 that it was too low on. :(
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dino put one on his car and he didnt say anything about it being too low.
dino?
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paging dino...?
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i remember jordan saying it was the lowest part on his car
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I did put it on and it does sit low but I retired from rock clawling awhile ago. I just got my 15x8 wheels that will be going on in the spring with some victor racers. I love the way the car handles now with the 195-60-14's cant wait to feel the grip of the 225-50-15's in the spring. At this point the brace will be much needed.
Remember it does sit low but I dont care, my car does not sit that low anyways.
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Hmmm I can see it being pretty low, but a few scrapes arent the end of the world, I'm worried about my oil pan...
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Excellent discussion...but I'd love to see a photo of an e36 x-brace on an e30. Please!!???
Thanks, Gary
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Excellent discussion...but I'd love to see a photo of an e36 x-brace on an e30. Please!!???
Thanks, Gary
YES lets to it.
EDIT: Can we get some more smilies on this board? :p
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well here are some old pics of the e36 x-brace on my 85 325
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/7/4/5/1/PICT0024_627410.JPG)
(http://www.r3vlimited.com/gallery/files/7/4/5/1/PICT0025_905151.JPG)
It ended up being 1.5" off the ground at the lowest point, I scraped it like 10 times in a matter of a few days so I had to pull it off.
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wow 1.5"
dang, w/ what springs?
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coilovers. I'd realy like to at some point make a custom one that dosn't sit so low.
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maybe we should talk to jon volk
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rs4pro3's bar looks like it is bent. Definitely lower on the drivers side. The E36 probably has a little more structural thickness where the brace bolts to the rails at the rear. The E30 may not as it wasn't designed for mounting stress in that area. Unibodies usually have inner and/or outer double wall sections or thicker sheet metal in stressed areas. Anybody know what the E30 has there?
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Looks like this would be a great mod for me and my OE sport springs.
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Resurrecting an old thread here, but Mason Engineering is now making and E30 specific x-brace. I didn't see it on his website the last time I looked but http://www.carrindustries.com has them. I don't have on on my car yet, but the E36 one made a huge difference on my 318ti. Assuming these are made as well as the strut tower bars I bought from him it should be a nice piece.
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nice upgrade! does this fit the E30 318is ?
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nice upgrade! does this fit the E30 318is ?
yes
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I have one in my car. It came with it. Being a convertible and whatnot......