Quote:
Originally Posted by MatthewDFW
I have a CF strut brace which came installed on my 135i.
On close inspection, the strut does indeed appear to be a very tight fit, just about as close to actual contact with the air box as possible. Admittedly, this is hard to see from the angle of this photo...
Although I had not planned on taking grand leaps through potholes, anxiety over cracking the strut will probably keep me on my toes a bit more. At the risk of stating the obvious, I noted that the CF portion of the strut does not extend fully to both ends; instead, you have metal (presumably aluminum) flat tips at each end where the double bolts clamp the strut into the engine compartment. I cannot attest to whether this improves - or compromises - the durability of the strut as a whole, but I'm sure it's necessary since CF is so darned easy to shatter (only a madman would go near it with a bolt!).
For what it's worth, I've driven 135s with and without the brace; for me at least, the stiffness is noticable (inclined S-curves and hard cornering). One admission: Until last post, I had no idea an all-aluminum version was available! Doh! |
Be very careful, all I can say. The dealership that you bought that Projekt 1 from did those installs on their own terms. If it cracks and causes damage to your engine bay, I say the dealership is responsible. BMW highly recommends against installation of the BMW Performance strut brace on anything other than the 128i and 328i (also the E46's are ok as well). Just my personal opinion