steering and suspension Post Track Strut Shifting... Thoughts?

[gliding_serpent2]

Any thoughts on this movement post track weekend? No obvious lifting of the strut brace plate. Is this a move and tighten job... Or could this be more sinister (Bent bolts)?

Edited September 14, 2013 by gliding_serpent

[gliding_serpent2]

Also, i have fixed camber plates. Am i just fogetting that this is the correct post-plate positioning?

[lilmo]

"Before" pics available?

[ejbluth]

Was about to say something. Both pictures show opposing side, so hard to compare what has shifted.. Not that I could help anyways. I was just confused.

[gliding_serpent2]

This is the best before i can find at the moment. Looks offset also, but i do feel that things have moved

Edited September 14, 2013 by gliding_serpent

[gliding_serpent2]

Here are some IE shots. Looks like the offset is normal (assuming the top two cars also have the camber plates.

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002-suspension-steering/02stbtii.html

[dbmw2002]

Serpant Glider,  Kinda new to strut braces, camber racks and so on, how much seat of the pants difference does the strut brace make? Need additional extras to really feel it or would stock all else still beni?

 

 

BTW, You have a cool car, great to see her on the track.

Edited September 15, 2013 by dbmw2002

[gliding_serpent2]

Serpant Glider, Kinda new to strut braces, camber racks and so on, how much seat of the pants difference does the strut brace make? Need additional extras to really feel it or would stock all else still beni?

BTW, You have a cool car, great to see her on the track.

Thanks!

Seat of the pants is hard to say. Street driving, no obvious difference (except in my head). Never tracked the car pre brace, so i can not compare on the track.

That being said, stiffer springs and shocks and sway bar and plates and grippier tires all allow you to corner faster... Thus more stress on your car. The brace adds stiffness so that your car essentially bends less in cornering (allowing more rubber to stay on the road, adding more corner speed)

If big camber and springs are just to get a car a few mm's off the ground, i would argue that the brace just becomes show, kind of like the bike rack. It will not help a car get unstuck from a curb at the end of the driveway.

A final thought is that steel is stronger than alluminum (though heavier), and any striaght bar will be stronger than a curved one. Also remember that a curved aluminum brace is stronger than none at all, and no straight brace will fit a tii.

I think they are key to any true performance oriented suspension that is driven on the track.

Edited September 15, 2013 by gliding_serpent

[FB73tii]

I first put on a strut brace when I lived in Boston. Before the brace hitting a pothole with the front would go bang! With 400 lb front springs and Billy Sports I tried to avoid the potholes, but they did happen. After the strut brace the hit from a pothole was noticeably reduced, which I assume was from the shock being transferred from one side to the other and thus somewhat absorbed. If you autocross (and/or track) a 2002 without a strut brace you will see sheet metal tearing on the front cowling by the windshield, as well as where the radiator support meets the inner fender well. An uncaged 2002 body flexes quite a bit under stress and this repeated flexing tears up the sheet metal.

 

Fred '74tii & '69 (both with full cage)