tires and wheels Front Strut Brace - Can you notice a difference?

[bmcallister]

I have a tii.

IE stage ones, cut 1/2" in front

Bilstein Sports

Urethane bushings

IE 25mm sway bars front/rear

15x7 wheels with 195/55 tires

5/8 fixed camber plates front

I've been told to (and have always planned to do so) put a front strut brace in. I just ordered mine from IE. I'm putting the brace in no matter what (because just IMAGINING I clip the apex that much more accurately makes me feel good :-) !!!!).

But, my question is has anybody truly noticed a difference with the brace in?

I imagine beefing up rigidity, especially with a stiff suspension, should help keep the suspension geometry "true" when under cornering load and possible allow for better car control.

But that is theory... I'm curious if anybody can speak to a noticeable difference.

Thanks,

Bryan

[Delia]

The poor old 2002 unit construction body does a lot of flexing even in stock form, so stiff shocks, big tires, big swaybars and other popular modifications only makes it flex all the more.

A front shock tower brace will help, but only to maintain the distance between the the two uppermost points of the front struts and do little to "triangulate" them to the cowl or to the ends of the front stubframes.

Real structural integrity comes from a full rollcage including a front hoop and/or chassis "seam welding." Old cars like the 2002 become "flexible-fliers" from rust and metal fatigue, too.

Back in the day race drivers like Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt relied much more on their seat-of-the-pants instincts rather than their equipment .

Foyt, whose car was crashed out of the Daytona 24 hour race was given an impromptu drive in a Porsche 935. After he was buckled in and about to set out onto the track, he asked, "Is this a four or a five speed?"

D

[JackF]

I was talking with Ray Korman when the turbo was at his place and we were talking about his racing experience with some of the earlier BMW's. I don't recall which model but that particular class prohibited bracing. He said that after every race they would have to pull the front in as it would be at least an inch out of wack.

[KFunk]

I've went back and forth with the FAQ/02again strut bar on my car, and I really can't tell much difference at autocrosses. I've got a '74 with Bilstein sports, poly bushings, sways, H&Rs, 13x8 R-tires, etc. Honestly the car has always felt rock solid to me, even when goin thru the gravel pits off course at high speed. I believe the roundies have less bracing throughout than my big bumper squarie, though.

For comparison, I really could tell a huge difference when I added the front shock tower brace, lower end brace, and 4-point rollbar on my miata. That was well worth it there and improved cornering feel quite a bit.

[c.d.iesel]

..... YES

[flybmw02]

I never thought they work very well until I welded mounts in and made a light weight square tube bar and the bolt holes have welded suport tube in them. Its a lot of work but its worth it.

John

[Guest Anonymous]

YES!!!!!

[Guest Anonymous]

YES!!!!!

[M3M3]

the key to making a strut bar effective is to make it rigid like the pic a couple replys up, and the TEP bar. you need zero flex or joints in the bar or the connection to the strut towers. a bar with hiem joints or just a bolt will hold the towers the same distance apart, but will not prevent the trapazoid created by the subframe, the towers and the bar from flexing. only by making the strut bar completely rigid ( and preferably connected to the firewall, will you both hold the towers apart and increase the torsional stiffness of the front of the car.

[bluedevils]

I don't know about 2002/tii, but I had one in my old E39 with sport suspension and it made a huge difference. It was made by Strong Strut, and I asked them to make one for my tii, they said it was not cost effective for the 02 market. Price was about $500 4-5 years ago, worth every penny. It was the best strut money can buy. They may make one for you.

[ceylove]

I've been wondering same question. Here's my favorite strut bar photo.

Herbert Reiter's Factory tii Rally car-featured in Bimmer 04/05.

[schwarz75]

Yes, it will help.

[TobyB]

...no, you won't 'feel' it...

I've run with and without, on a rusty track rat, and there is no subjective

difference.

http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3performance/myths/Strutbar_Theory/strut_bar_theory.htm

if you want someone else's analysis.

But if you've ever cut the nose of a 2002 apart, the thing is hell- for- stout

in several torsional modes. I'd guess that the section from the front firewall

forward has almost as much metal in it as the entire rest of the shell.

It's the only place where you find truly thick sheetmetal.

And then there's the nose panel, that despite having a huge rad

hole in it, still has a lot of resistance to twist in shear.

So the car might twist around the door openings, but the rectangular,

triangulated box that is the nose isn't going to flex enough so that

you can feel it. (I'd define that as enough flex to cost you a half- degree

of camber)

t