Does anyone "plans" to make a front/rear Strut Bra

[Meintii]

Hey guys-

I just got a welder and Im trying to find some plans/ a material list to make both a front and rear strut brace. Front needs to have clearance for tii intake. Rear brace would be best to have to usual battery holder.

If anyone can hook me up with the above, that would be awesome! I would need to know the best type/size of tubing to use as well.

[roadhog0]

I plan on making one come Septemberish, It's gonna mimic one that is currently available, I'll keep you updated when I do!

[robspeed]

Hey guys-

I just got a welder and Im trying to find some plans/ a material list to make both a front and rear strut brace. Front needs to have clearance for tii intake. Rear brace would be best to have to usual battery holder.

If anyone can hook me up with the above, that would be awesome! I would need to know the best type/size of tubing to use as well.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,41/category_id,16/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,59/

This bar SHOULD sell for $200, but doesn't.

[ToddK]

Just weld some pipe across the rear struts with diagonal downtubes to the floor. Leave enough room above and between the tubes to mount the battery in the middle. You could use black gas pipe for the tubes since it isn't being used as a roll cage. It's only purpose is to stiffen up the rear towers. The main reason for not using gas pipe as roll cage tubing is the fact that it has a welded seam running the length of the pipe. In a heavy collision, that seam can split. Not something you want to see in a roll cage in racing crash, but for a strut brace, not an issue.

[ToddK]

Just weld some pipe across the rear struts with diagonal downtubes to the floor. Leave enough room above and between the tubes to mount the battery in the middle. You could use black gas pipe for the tubes since it isn't being used as a roll cage. It's only purpose is to stiffen up the rear towers. The main reason for not using gas pipe as roll cage tubing is the fact that it has a welded seam running the length of the pipe. In a heavy collision, that seam can split. Not something you want to see in a roll cage in racing crash, but for a strut brace, not an issue.

[TobyB]

and as it has trailing arms, such a brace is really only good

for weight distribution and having a nice place to put the battery

in back.

Since the firewall stiffens the spring perches pertty effektively.

t

[Meintii]

thanks Toby.

Ant ideas for the front? Can I use the same gas tubing?

[TobyB]

You sure could. I used a piece of 1x2 square tube that I had lying around.

If you like technical analyses, take a look over at e30m3 performance for

one that makes very good sense. The gist of it is that in cornering, you're

trying to prevent the struts from SEPARATING, so the strut bar should be

in tension.

I've cut apart several shells, and one of the strongest parts of the car is the

front inner spring perch/inner fender that supports the top of the strut.

Significantly heavier metal, it's well- triangulated by design, and quite heavy.

And attached to the firewall and subframe very securely.

So while a strut bar certainly may provide some extra support, it's probably

not going to transform a car. Those strut tops would have to move a

lot to really change handling noticably... and I've never seen any evidence

they really do.

That said, I run bars on 2 of our 3 cars... 'cause it looks cool!

heh

t

[Fishhead]

I bought 2 cheap ebay front strut braces for an E21 (I think) and modified then to work on the '02. I had read that the E21 bar (I think) could be easily modified to work on the '02.

My original plan was to make 2 braces and sell one, but the aluminum cross bar was very flimsy. I made a set of new tower mounts to fit the '02, new strut bar "risers/mounts", and used the 2 cross bars for the time being. The aluminum cross bars will eventually be replaced with a fabricated "Ladder" type of cross bar. Nothing on the unmodified strut brace would fit the '02 with out replacing parts with custom made parts.

I would have wasted less money if I had just built it from scratch instead, because the only parts I will be reusing from the Ebay bars will be the threaded eye ends.