Does E46 M3 front strut brace fit a Z4 roadster?

mlt

Member
As the subject says, any ideas will a E46 M3 strut brace fit a 2003 3.0 Z4 roadster?

My friend has one and would sell it cheap but had no luck googling will it fit my car.
 
I'm not sure about the fitment but you also need to be concerned about hood/bonnet clearance. It won't do any good if it fits but it might make an ugly crease on the underside of the lovely Z4 hood. Good luck.
 
Ok worth a shot, guess I'll try to find the original BMW strut cheaper, or can someone recommend something decent?

I finally got the KONI's shocks installed (with the Eibach pro kit), changed all bushes etc. but the car still feels a bit off. I have the runflats which are horrible and Im going to change them soon, but there is something really weird in the driving feel. My brother has a 2006 Coupe 3.0si and it feels absolutely great compared to my roadster :( I'm running out of ideas how to improve my car without coilovers.

thanks for the info guys!
 
Have you had a 4 wheel alignment done after the suspension mods?

And what do you mean by the car feels off? Too stiff? Too soft? Too bouncy? And what damper settings did you go with?
 
GP20 said:
Have you had a 4 wheel alignment done after the suspension mods?
Actually the wheel alignment was done today and it made a big difference. The front was jammed so the steering wheel points is a bit to right but the alignments / tire wear are ok now. I'll change the track rods next time so I'll get the steering wheel straight too.

GP20 said:
And what do you mean by the car feels off? Too stiff? Too soft? Too bouncy? And what damper settings did you go with?
KONI's are set to almost softest. When I hit a bumb the it feels like the rear wiggles horizontally, the effect definitely decreased with the new shocks&bushes but it still feels a bit funny. Compared to my brothers coupe the car seems like like the body is less stiff (which it probably is as a convertible). I guess the eibach springs play a big part also because the car feels a bit bouncy, and "surface hard" because of the runflats.

I'll get a set of michelin PS2 after the winter and see if it's good enough, then I'll try replacing the antiroll bars and install a strut brace. If it still wont feel good I'll buy a coupe ;)

I do like the height though:
mz4_02.jpg
 
Just stiffen up the rebound settings. You paid for adjustable dampers and the whole idea is you can play with the settings until they reach or at least get close to your satisfaction. There's really no point spending on other modifications or making any changes before you try different damper settings.

I'd start from 1 turn from full soft both front and back, and then make adjustments accordingly. If the car's still bouncy, stiffen up the front rebound more. I had that set-up on my '04 3.0i. The Koni's do have a pretty wide adjustment range. The ride quality is capable of getting extremely jarring at close to full stiff which I don't recommend. With the Koni's, I think anything over 1.5 turns from full soft is overkill for regular street driving.
 
GP20 said:
Just stiffen up the rebound settings. You paid for adjustable dampers and the whole idea is you can play with the settings until they reach or at least get close to your satisfaction. There's really no point spending on other modifications or making any changes before you try different damper settings.
You are right, it's just too bad that the rear cannot be adjusted without removing the shocks (if im not wrong) and it's a pain in the ass operation in the roadster as the top mounts are behind the roof tray on the boot. Also I would have to redo the alignments. I'll adjust the rear the next time I have to do something bigger, it's not so bad now that I cant drive but it's not great either.

I've always had coilovers and semi-trackday setup but I havent driven track with the Z and I'll try to keep the settings comfortable this time. Two of my friends have the same pre-facelift 3.0 roadster and they both say the car is not very good for public roads so I'm not expecting too much. Still I love the car. :)
 
There's also the externally adjustable Koni shocks that can be adjusted from the top of the the shocks. Are you 100% sure the ones you have aren't extermally adjustable?

And neither strut brace nor anti-roll bar will help the bouncyness. Stiffen up the front rebound by a 1/4 turn increment and see if it helps.
 
GP20 said:
There's also the externally adjustable Koni shocks that can be adjusted from the top of the the shocks. Are you 100% sure the ones you have aren't extermally adjustable?
Only front had the adjustment on the top of the shock, rear shocks have to be, how do you say it, pressed in a clamp to be adjusted. I dont know how to explain it.

But I'll try a different setting the next time I remove the rear shocks, thanks for your advices!
 
Good evening MLT,

You had asked for a recommendation on a strut brace.

I've gone for the Dinan unit with the diagonals. A bit pricey. Looks sharp, especially with the "high speed" carbon fiber inserts. Yes, there is a "bling" factor involved here, I'll be the first to admit. And I have gotten a bit of static from friends. But it does look good against the Sapphire Black.

What counts is I like it and the wife thinks it came stock from the factory. :thumbsup:

Good luck with your search.

Cheers!

Mike K.
 
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