Aftermarket strut brace

J

jackboy

Member
Hi,

I posted a question in problems about a cracked strut brace mount but not sure if there is much traffic in there.

Does anybody use an aftermarket strut brace that bolts on? from my reading a few ppl have added an m sport cross brace as well as keeping the original but i'm thinking of getting a triangular one to by pass use of the poor design of the 04-06 cars with the welded bracket that's prone to cracking.

Any thoughts would be welcomed.

Thanks
 
Bolted on Wiechers strut brace on mine with no issues. It's the aluminium M version but fits just fine on non-M. Chosen as it bends round the oil filler cap.
 
Depending on the chassis that you have, I have the 2004 3.0i model. My factory strut bar that was mounted on the welds from factory also cracked. I'm sure the previous owner welded my passenger side but the driver side was never welded and it eventually cracked. I didn't bother to weld the strut bar back on. I removed the factory strut bars and bought a 3 point (triangle as you say) strut bar and it mounts right on. Before you do, you should know that the mounting close to the window has a alarm sensor which you will need to delete or relocate. Other than that, a solid 3 point strut bar would be the way to go so you'll never have to re-weld the factory strut bars. You should also reinforce the strut tower while you're at it if you haven't. These strut towers on our chassis tend to mushroom and that costs a fortune to fix. Hope this helps :thumbsup:
 
I've not long had a Wiechers strut brace on my 2.5si, bolts straight on. Six nuts off of the towers and then on with the brace and the same nuts back on. Torque setting is 35 Nm. Can't help with a 3 point brace as I didn't really look into going down that route.

I went with the normal version for my car (not the M like Steve) misses the oil cap, many other makes will leave you cursing when you go to get the cap off and realise you can't.
:thumbsup:
 
Also, don't forget that strut braces are a mod for insurance - some don't charge (Admiral didn't for me) but some might see it as a performance enhancement....
 
You can modify your pins or the strut brace from an E46 M3 to fit to if that's any help.

Cheaper than other options and readily available :thumbsup:
 
I have the 3 point ultra racing. I think its the only 3 point brace on the market. I've relocated the bonnetswitch.

You can also repair the original mounting points for the diagonal braces with welding in the improved facelift inserts (which bmw sells separate).
But it is important that you dont drive the car without the diagonal braces. (BMW says that thats seriously compromising the strenght of the car in their repair manuals)
 
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