Author Topic: Front Strut Bars  (Read 19358 times)

longms

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Front Strut Bars
« Reply #30 on: January 18, 2010, 09:31:05 PM »
Quote from: Matt-B;83109
I have a e30 m42 and I have this bar

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E30-320-325-328-84-91-Front-Strut-Bar-Strut-Bars_W0QQitemZ390124873895QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item5ad54128a7


fits m42 no problem, goes right behind intake.....


How does this do in comparison to the sparco bar? Is there anyway to really tell if one is better than the other? I too am looking to get one sometime but am trying to save a few bucks at the same time.
\'91 318is Alpine II- | HR Sport/B-Sport | Poly RTAB/Motor Mount/Tranny Mount/Diff Mount | Treehouse FCAB | IE Sways | 19# Injectors | SSR Comps | Hawk Pads | Fog Delete | Magnaflow Exhaust | Z3 SSK |

3bvert

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« Reply #31 on: January 19, 2010, 11:52:11 AM »
the one I got, was told , is a replica of the hartiage bar, I dont know hwo true that is. it is also a copy of the one that bav auto sells
on another forum others have said they use the same one
it was 45 shipped

aftr driving with it on fro a few days, I ma very happy. wiht one exception
it does stiffent the car up, and you will feel even more of the road bumps
makes me wonder, just how much flexing the car was doing and sbsorbing

it got rid of most of my cowl shake and dashboard rattles  ( 91 vert )

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/87-91...Q5fAccessories

Fair!

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Front Strut Bars
« Reply #32 on: February 10, 2010, 10:40:40 AM »
Quote from: Matt-B;83109
I have a e30 m42 and I have this bar

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E30-320-325-328-84-91-Front-Strut-Bar-Strut-Bars_W0QQitemZ390124873895QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item5ad54128a7


fits m42 no problem, goes right behind intake.....

That "1.75 pound" flimsy, hinged strut bar is sad. Pretty much any brace sold exclusively on eBay is worthless. Just look at the flanged ends - it barely covers half of the top of the strut tower. Pathetic. That's half the reason to even add a strut brace - to cover and reinforce the weak strut tower sheet metal.



Remember:
  • Hinges = bad
  • Partial flanges = bad
  • Single bar brace = fairly ineffective

Lake test that eBay stuff. :D The rest of you folks, don't buy cheap-o eBay strut bars

ps: I've got no dog in this hunt. We don't sell strut braces anymore.
Terry Fair - Vorshlag Motorsports - http://www.vorshlag.com

longms

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« Reply #33 on: February 11, 2010, 01:25:32 PM »
So are you saying that the one shown above is an example of a good bar? There are no hinges and they cover the entire top of the shock tower sheet metal???
\'91 318is Alpine II- | HR Sport/B-Sport | Poly RTAB/Motor Mount/Tranny Mount/Diff Mount | Treehouse FCAB | IE Sways | 19# Injectors | SSR Comps | Hawk Pads | Fog Delete | Magnaflow Exhaust | Z3 SSK |

91 e30m42

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« Reply #34 on: October 03, 2011, 06:49:46 PM »
masonengineering.net    will give you guys all what you want from front and rear strut towers to front and lower braces im going to order all of their top and bottom braces
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     metric mechanic m42, carbon cold air shield with k&n filter, jb racing 9lb flywheel, 16x7.5 front 19x9 rear, mark D 91 octane chip, 8000k hid head lights and fogs

romkasponka

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« Reply #35 on: October 04, 2011, 03:41:19 AM »
Quote from: longms;85079
Do you have any pictures of this X brace installed?


It's not X-brace, it's Omega brace.
E30 318is M42
E36 318is M44

xxlbimmer

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« Reply #36 on: October 05, 2011, 08:40:54 PM »
Why would you need a rear strut bar? 1) they are not struts 2) they are not a load bearing area 3) springs are underneath the frame rails
Doesn't seem like a real need on an E30

91 e30m42

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« Reply #37 on: October 06, 2011, 01:06:27 PM »
Quote from: xxlbimmer;107204
Why would you need a rear strut bar? 1) they are not struts 2) they are not a load bearing area 3) springs are underneath the frame rails
Doesn't seem like a real need on an E30

for the same reasons you want thicker sway bars to evenly distribute the weight during hard cornering and have better handling.. if you haven't notice on lowered cars you can almost feel and sometimes hear the frame slightly twist when going up a drive way or over speed bumps. now going on a spirited drive hitting the canyons on a fast speed those hard corners can almost give the same "twisting" effect when the weight transfers from side to side... the rear brace bars also commonly called rear strut bars will equalized the weight to both sides as for what the front strut bars are made to do as well.. also yes springs are on the frame rails but the shocks or dampers are connected to where the bar will be connected as well as the front also connects to the strut where the shock is housed....youre right this particular part is unneeded in most E30's but for the few of us would take benefit in this item to further reduce body roll...
« Last Edit: October 06, 2011, 01:10:26 PM by 91 e30m42 »
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romkasponka

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« Reply #38 on: October 06, 2011, 04:04:39 PM »
IMHO strut bars are made to strengthen body, to avoid camber loss and body cracking. Rear strut bar IMHO is useless because there is no camber affecting load and the weakest point in rear shocks are top mounts. If top mounts are with spherical bearings and/or suspension with coil-over shocks strut bar would be good idea to strengthen body to avoid cracking.

P.S. Strut bars must be as straight as possible and x-brace mus be X-brace, but not omega (you loose triangulation in this case).
« Last Edit: October 06, 2011, 04:10:04 PM by romkasponka »
E30 318is M42
E36 318is M44

91 e30m42

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« Reply #39 on: October 06, 2011, 04:56:29 PM »
Quote from: romkasponka;107227
IMHO strut bars are made to strengthen body, to avoid camber loss and body cracking. Rear strut bar IMHO is useless because there is no camber affecting load and the weakest point in rear shocks are top mounts. If top mounts are with spherical bearings and/or suspension with coil-over shocks strut bar would be good idea to strengthen body to avoid cracking.

P.S. Strut bars must be as straight as possible and x-brace mus be X-brace, but not omega (you loose triangulation in this case).


agreed....
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
     metric mechanic m42, carbon cold air shield with k&n filter, jb racing 9lb flywheel, 16x7.5 front 19x9 rear, mark D 91 octane chip, 8000k hid head lights and fogs