Strut brace

[R60BBA]

Can people tell any difference in every day driving, or this a mod that becomes appatent just on track days? Does the strut bar still allow for increased camber by removing the steuts' alignment pins and push the struts inboard?

I can’t comment on the Z4M.

But my E46 M3 is a pre-facelift and so didn’t come with the strut brace from factory.

However I’ve driven facelift M3s with the brace and did not notice any significant difference in handling.

If you want to sharpen up your front end, you’re probably better off investing in a good quality coilover kit. Since installing my KWs I noticed a big difference in turn-in and the overall balance/flatness of the car.

[mr wilks]

Can people tell any difference in every day driving, or this a mod that becomes appatent just on track days? Does the strut bar still allow for increased camber by removing the steuts' alignment pins and push the struts inboard?

Ive had them on roadsters & coupes , unless you plan to push your car to the max then they offer little more than eye candy for when the bonnet is up
You really cannot tell sub 90mph even pushing into the bends , these cars were set up pretty well from the factory with no need for one otherwise it would be in there already .
As said above there is more to be gained from upgrading the stock suspension

[MrPT]

Doubt I'd be able to tell the difference as a driver, but I know that my struts towers are in a slightly different place when the car is jacked up vs when it's on the ground. That's enough for me.

[RedUn]

Hello RedUn, thanks for explaining. I was only asking because I have already removed the pins in mine and I would like to be able to keep it that way should I decide to go for the front strut bar (still sitting in the fence on that one). I haven’t felt the need for doing any tracking as the tyre wear and steering feel remain the same as before apart from the marginally but albeit welcomed reduced understeer when pushing round corners. It makes sense to think that removing the pins would alter the toe, but it’s probably minimal difference (?)
Thanks again

Yes it will be fine, the bar is adjustable to take up the difference in top mount position.

Yes it's fine to leave like that just check the tyres often incase they start to scrub, I have my original geo print out somewhere that'll give toe with the camber pins pulled but I can't seem to find it!

Edit to add, above comments are spot on about changing the suspension, obviously there's a huge cost difference but for sure the strut brace will add extra strength to the top mounts if you do change the suspension at a later date. Overall its a nice easy mod that's future proof.

[Beedub]

im really pleased with the strut brace and i feel it offers some strut top reinforcement with the hard suspension i run......

[Simon 3.2M]

There some to be some aluminium “framed” ones on eBay that seem a reasonable alternative?

[RedUn]

For the M? I seem to remember some block access to the oil filter

[Argenta]

This M3 one is aluminium too, very light.

Doubt I'd be able to tell the difference as a driver, but I know that my struts towers are in a slightly different place when the car is jacked up vs when it's on the ground. That's enough for me.

Spot on! As an engineer I just enjoy the pure fact that it stiffens up the front end, even if I’d never feel it.

[srhutch]

For the M? I seem to remember some block access to the oil filter

Only aware of this on the non ///M N52 engines.

[RedUn]

For the M? I seem to remember some block access to the oil filter

Only aware of this on the non ///M N52 engines.

Yeah I think that's right, I'm easily confused

[nickw6666]

With regard to whether there is a noticeable difference after fitting a strut brace, I read a really interesting post from someone on zpost who said the following;

'BMW engineers gave the Z4M a trianglated brace for the shock towers by tying in the fender rail and the firewall with the diagonal brace. Far superior to a bent bar going over the engine. So a strut bar will do nothing"
So which one is better? They're for underhood bling. Which one do you like the look of?

So the view here was that a strut brace was not needed and would not provide any benefit. The post can be found at the following link https://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1440719

Thoughts?

[mmm-five]

BMW also considered Contisport M3 tyres suitable for the Z4M as they’d been fine on the M3.
But they never seemed to work as well on the Z4.

They also signed off the terrible suspension.

Shows they don’t know everything.

[Argenta]

'BMW engineers gave the Z4M a trianglated brace for the shock towers by tying in the fender rail and the firewall with the diagonal brace. Far superior to a bent bar going over the engine. So a strut bar will do nothing"
So which one is better? They're for underhood bling. Which one do you like the look of?

Thoughts?

Well, this dude is not an engineer - clearly.
IF you brace an area that was previously PLAIN AIR - you WILL have an effect. It's just a question of how much & if you will notice it as a driver.

Don't listen to fools.

[R60BBA]

'BMW engineers gave the Z4M a trianglated brace for the shock towers by tying in the fender rail and the firewall with the diagonal brace. Far superior to a bent bar going over the engine. So a strut bar will do nothing"
So which one is better? They're for underhood bling. Which one do you like the look of?

Thoughts?

Well, this dude is not an engineer - clearly.
IF you brace an area that was previously PLAIN AIR - you WILL have an effect. It's just a question of how much & if you will notice it as a driver.

Don't listen to fools.

Thing is though, what is the point in paying money for something you will not notice?

It’s not like it the brace is a piece of art like the one that is in the S55 engine bays...

[Argenta]

No-one is forcing you. Matter of taste and personal ideas.