Has anyone got an aluminium Wiechers sport strut brace fitted? (pic below) I'm just curious whether there is any downside to the double tube design vs a solid bar.. cheers Ash
Has to be better than the single tube ones like I had fitted to my last zed; I have a Strongstrut on my ///M which if your budget will stretch are regarded as the best.
@Aceman Budget won't stretch that far unfortunately. I would like an e-tech bar but they appear to only be available on eBay from time to time Ash
I think his is all you need to know about struts on the Z3 https://zroadster.org/articles/basic-bmw-z3-suspension-modifications-by-mike-fishwick.41/ I can't comment on how effective they are yet Ash
I will give you my own personal experience of strut braces and the need for them... When I bought my first Z3 5 years ago, I joined a forum and got reading up on things that bothered me about my Zed. One of the things I things I found out matched the symptoms of something I noticed - scuttle shake and general waywardness in corners. So, armed with my new found knowledge and plenty of encouragement when I posted up my symptoms, I bought and fitted one. Well that was a revelation because it did cure most of the issues, and the car was tighter in the corners and less 'wobbly' in general. About 6 months later my insurance was due and I struggled to find one easily that accepted it as a modification. It was also booked in for an inspection II service, so I asked the garage to take it off an put it in the boot for now. The car was serviced and I was told it needed a new front shock which was weeping, a lower control joint and another bush I can't remember. As I drove home that evening I was amazed to find the car drove better than it ever had, including after fitting the strut brace initially. So I learnt an important lesson that day, that before looking to improve your car you should check some of the basic things first. All I had done was mask a a serious issue. I'm not saying that strut braces don't work, just that you should make sure that there isn't another issue lurking which makes you think you need one That is all. Rant over!
Not a rant in my book, makes a lot of sense to insure all is well with the suspension and maybe then go for the bar if you still feel it needs support. I can see where just putting the support in would mask unattended to problems and give a false sense of security. JIM
Their need is the same as a 6. But the throttle body prevents most bars from going straight across over the engine. So all the 4-cyl bars are bent in a bow shape that goes behind the throttle body. They look as limber as a crossbow, being arched in two dimensions: http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/cart/227218 http://www.cosmoracing.com/productinfo.asp?cid=241&pid=1276 I had Strong Strut machine the underside of their 6-bar to fit my 4: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/vintagefortytwo/BMW Z3 Related/Strut Bar/SS192_zps992d7f62.jpg
I do agree on this. First have a good check that all the rest is ok. Nevertheless I do think that when, after rectifying the issues you had, you would again add the brace, it would make the car even better handling in corners. I have the wiechers metal strut brace (also 2 tubes) and it fits perfectly on my 2.8. Regards, Koen
I am fairly sure that there aren't any issues underlying, I got a mechanic who does work in his spare time to fit new front dampeners and he usually points out anything past its best. Jim, If you are taking the Z out for some spirited driving then I think you would benefit from a strut. Probably best get a pair of these first though Ash
It was just a general rant. It was more for new owners finding this thread wondering whether a brace will fix their 15 year old car from handling badly.
Jim, I have one fitted, it is the weichers, I bought it from orangetuning.de, very good company in Germsny, friendly and always willing to talk on items. Right, first things first, make sure your suspension and all ball joints are within normal parameters these bars can mask problems, so sort these before fitting them. Second, scuttle shake, the fitting of these ties the front end together and reduces the scuttle shake, ideally you really need a rear brace, on the 1.9 I fitted the chrome roll hoops which were joined together, I did this before fitting the front strut brace and this really removed the scuttle shake. I removed these and out in oem roll bars, scuttle shake returned, fitting of front strut brace reduced the effect, stiffer ARB's reduced it further. Hope this helps Jim Rich
The car just went through our vehicle safety where everything suspension wise is checked to make sure everything is correct with no wear soi'm confident that all's well under the car. My friend knew I wanted him to pay particular attention to all the bushes, etc and all I needed were new tires and a brake light bulb. Thanks for the info. JIM
There is no difference in warranting between a 4 and a 6. The strut bar stiffens both equally. There is a small reduction in cowl shake over railroad tracks, etc. As for handling, there is no difference for me because I am a gentle driver. For a bar to improve handling, enough cornering stress must be imposed to try to bend the top of a strut tower outward. I think only tracked cars see that.
