STRUT BRACE ?

martinb1966 said:
feels much better thanks toplad
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so you agree it's noticeable then ? im tempted as I'm very used to mine and any small change is welcome if it's positive.
 
yes andy feels much more positive in bends roundabouts etc i would recommend one and easy peasy to fit cant believe bmw wanted a £100 pound for 10 nuts ! he must be some mechanic !
 
bp1z4m said:
my car had a strut brace already on when i bought it. i thought it was standard equipment ??
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Strut to firewall braces are standard factory equipment, but strut to strut braces are not standard.
 
Strut to firewall is what makes the difference, strut to strut does not - it`s more for show I believe.

I`ve seen full on race cars with strut to firewall bracing but not strut to strut
 
Strut to strut is supposed to stop inward/outward flexing of the struts. I find it hard to believe that this part of the shell would move so much that you could feel it but hey - I'm no vehicle design engineer.

Other than the extra weight, I don't see it would do any harm.
 
Paul, that`s standard.

For the topic, I think if BMW put the investment and effort in for the strut to firewall bracing in the Z4`s, if strut to strut really made a difference I think they would have fitted such a brace also. I agree that fitting one won`t do any harm though but I think the BMW setup is already the ultimate.
 
Darren, you should really try before dismissing it, it makes a difference if you drive as BMW M division intended :driving:
 
Re the bmw strutbrace/just fitted one a week or so ago,(see my post on here),and it improves turn in/handling in corners,roundabouts,etc,considerably.
the car feels much better ,with flatter stance in bends;wish i had done it ages ago(i have a 2005 3.0i se roadster/which iv had since the start of 2007).
u can get the bmw brace for 235 less at least 10 percent discnt from the dealer,if u are a carclub member/mine cost me £211. well worth it :D
As for the bolts,on the suspnsn towers,they need to be torqued(with a proper trq wrench) to 25 lb/foot!
now looking forward to fitting non runflats :rofl:
 
Tried one before on an old M (less stiff than the Z4 M) and that didn`t make a difference. I know some real hardcore track dayers who also reckon they`re a waste of time - even more so the rear braces that you can get - and even more so on modern stiff cars like the Z4 M.

I think it`s a psychological thing, with one fitted and after spending the money people feel a difference.......
 
I didn't notice any 'advantageous' changes when I had the strut brace on for a fortnight.

I just found the front end skipped more on bumpy corners and induced slightly more understeer.

Although I am one of the few who also disliked the ride/handling of the 19" wheels so much that I got rid of them :wink:

But as we said in another thread it's down to personal preference and driving style as to whether or not you'll get any benefit. If the strut brace/wheels give you more confidence then you might feel that the car is driving differently - even though it's your confidence giving you the extra performance, not the strut brace/wheels.
 
I think a strut to strut brace may add more of an advantage to roadsters that are lacking some of the structural rigidity that a coupe offers with having the affixed roof. It seems like the people that notice a real difference with the strut to strut brace are roadster drivers, most coupe owners say it doesn't make much of a difference. That's just been my observation anyways.
 
Darren M said:
Paul, that`s standard.

For the topic, I think if BMW put the investment and effort in for the strut to firewall bracing in the Z4`s, if strut to strut really made a difference I think they would have fitted such a brace also. I agree that fitting one won`t do any harm though but I think the BMW setup is already the ultimate.
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Remember that the E46 M3 initially came without a strut brace before later becoming standard fitment so BMW don't always get it right first time.
Personally I think the strut brace made a noticeable difference on my Z4MC, the front end felt considerably more composed and controlled during cornering. And no, that wasn't a placebo effect. For £200 it's worth doing.
 
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