Strut Braces Worth It?

[Lorenzo]

A dude on the alt.autos.bmw newsgroup, C.R. Krieger, who sounds like an arrogant SOB, claims that the effect of strut braces cannot be felt by the average driver on the street.

So what's the deal...can you guys tell the difference...is it worth $200+?

Thanks!

 

[Big Daddy]

I am not sure what the "average driver" is? I have them on my M roadster and my 318is. They made a world of difference on both. The roadster needed the added stiffness due to it being a convertible, and the 318is is like a train, tight, stiff and glued to the ground.

 

[Ghost]

... like a train, tight, stiff and glued to the ground.

I agree, after I put one on my 535i it felt the same way.

 

[andreyiv]

I'm now interested in that. What about the cheap ones on ebay, do you think they will bent/stretch or do a good job? If the piece is strong enough, and fits right, it should be just as good as the expensive ones, right? They are made of aluminum so that leaves me wondering. Did anyone try the cheap ebay ones? Any comments at all? Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Big Daddy]

I have a Dinan aluminum/carbon fiber on my M roadster and two on the 318is, front and rear. I have seen cheap ones and they "looked" good, but I have heard about people that bought cheap ones and they could not get them to fit. Then I have seen cheap ones that did fit and worked well. Just be sure they are aluminum, welded well, and have some type of adjustment at the mounting points.

 

[Ghost]

I agree with Big Daddy. In addition remember you get what you pay for, it’s made out of aluminum so it will obviously be light, but make sure it will be able to handle the stress for which it is made, i.e. not very thin or small. I’ve read the rectangular design is among the best(Dinan), then the double cylinder followed by the single cylinder. I bought my RD stress bar from bavauto they also have other ones that they make.

 

[andreyiv]

That's what I thought too (won't fit or not strong enough). I just looked over bavauto and in the description for all front stress bars, it says, not for cars with ASC (traction control). How is traction control related to stress bars? I'm confused. Since I have ASC, I guess I'm not getting the front one. Big Daddy, when you installed the rear stress bar on your 318is, did you notice any difference or did you install the front and rear at the same time? Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Tom]

I have the same one Dan has and I can say there is a noticeable difference after the install.

 

[Big Daddy]

I installed the front and rear on the 318is at the same time. It made a big difference, the car felt solid after the install. I will admit that I then had the Dinan Stage II suspension installed on the 318is and she became tight, stiff and solid. The car feels literally like a train on tracks.

 

[andreyiv]

That sounds great for the money. Any comments on bavauto saying you can't use the front strut brace in vehicles with ASC?

 

[Big Daddy]

I have no idea why you could not. I had a front brace on my 97 Z3 2.8, it had ASC and never had a problem.

 

[Bryan330i]

My only regret with my car is that I did not get the Dinan S or S1 package. Being that mine is a lease the only time to do this is from the dealer at the time of original sale and it would have not made a real big difference in lease expense. If I decide to keep the car I will go this route for sure, or if I need a bigger car, perhaps a 5, I think I would look at adding this to the purchase.

 

[VANCE]

i think it is b/c the ASC module is in the way...not 100% on that though

 

[andreyiv]

That's what I thought too.

 

[andreyiv]

Correct me if I'm wrong but ASC only came to E36s in '95 and it became standard starting from '96. I got this picture from ebay, that's a 1993 325i

, the next picture is of a 328i I found in the gallery

.

I don't see any difference when it comes to where the strut brace would go. I guess it's something else then. I guess we'll neve know [fake].

 

[andreyiv]

It's becoming even more interesting. I found this Sparco strut bar on ebay and it says, will fit cars with traction control. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2456743865&category=33591 With all this confusion I think I'll pass with the strut bar for now.

 

[Ghost]

I called bav and they said that it wouldn’t fit the ’95 because the ASC box is in the way. BMW moved the box in ’96 that’s why it fits them. They also said that people have created brackets and moved the box lower to accommodate the bar. If you don’t want to do that I would look into a Dinan, or maybe AC. They are more expensive but I think that they are also well built. Even if you buy a different car you can transfer it (probably why I don’t have one) or if you get one with a different chassis you could still get a good price by selling it on ebay. It’s not like they wear out. Either way good luck.

 

[jcblaschke]

There is a slight differnece between the high price ones and the lower price ones, is the technique/stength in the material and manufacturing process. No matter if you buy the cheap ones, or expensive there will be a difference, noticable or not. I think for the money it is one of the best upgrades to a car.

 

[andreyiv]

Thanks a lot for all that great info guys. I'll think about it, maybe I can find a good used one on ebay or save up a little and get one of the expensive ones.

 

[carcus]

Would be good on my convert for added stability, guess for regular city driving in traffic, not worth it, but most STB's are not that expensive. Now, if you Auto-X or have some nice twisties, would be great.