E46 M3 Strut Brace.....definitive answer??

[Steve_R1979]

Hi all,

Been a while since I've been about, had my head turned by an R1150GS, but now winter is here I'm back to playing with the M.

I've seen various threads in various places saying that you cannot fit an E46 M3 brace to a Z4M
I've also seen various threads in various places saying that you can fit an E46 M3 brace to a Z4M

So which is it???

Anybody know?!

Thanks!!

Steve

 

[TomK]

I have one fitted. Easy job, just requires shimming slightly.

 

[Steve_R1979]

Would you mind elaborating at all???

Are we talking a washer here and there or something more involved????

Thanks

 

[Franzino]

Fits perfectly with all the OEM bolts… Nothing extra needed!

 

[srhutch]

I have one fitted. Easy job, just requires shimming slightly.

I've got one fro a E46 CSL. Didn't need to shim, but had to take a few mm off the camber pin.

Details of the fit here http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60704#p896208

 

[Steve_R1979]

Thank everyone.

 

[XMetal]

The question is why would you want to fit one from the E46M3 when BMW made a specific brace for the Z4M - part # 51710305114?

 

[Beedub]

The question is why would you want to fit one from the E46M3 when BMW made a specific brace for the Z4M - part # 51710305114?

+1

 

[TomK]

I guess because they can be had for about £100 rather than the 300 or so for a z4 one when they are pretty much identical.

 

[Anonymous]

Do they make that much difference?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[srhutch]

TBH I didn't know mine was from a E46 until I came to fit it and checked the part numbers. But other than the camber pin it works a treat.

 

[Steve_R1979]

The question is why would you want to fit one from the E46M3 when BMW made a specific brace for the Z4M - part # 51710305114?

+1

As TomK said, why spend £300 for a Z4 item when the E46 part does the same job for 1/3rd of the price

 

[Darren M]

Do they make that much difference?

The debate is out on that but I rate them as cosmetic.
The strut towers are already braced back to the bulkhead too.
Going back to my E30 M3 days, with a more flexi chassis than we have in the Z4's, many deemed them as cosmetic. In fact from memory I think the race cars had the strut towers welded back towards the bulkhead (similar to how the Z4 is albeit bolted in place) - not across the tops. I did fit one to an E30 M3 that had covered 120k miles of unknown usage and it fitted perfectly - I was kinda expecting to have to massage it into place (possibly with help from a jack), due to all those forces on the strut towers over the life of the car but nope. : ).

 

[TomK]

Would you mind elaborating at all???

Are we talking a washer here and there or something more involved????

Thanks

Apologies, that was incorrect. No issues as fitting as standard, couple of washers to shim the center part was required for the CSL airbox I now recall.
Also I quite like the fact that it is black rather than the z4 item silver finish Looks more 'standard' to me. Edit: Assuming 'looks' are important here :roll: