Bent Strut Tower! Grrr!

fancyfl1ght · 01-16-2011, 04:13 PM

Any try the Vorshlag Camber/Caster plate? Do they provide support underneath the strut tower? If they do are they compatible with the M3 strut brace?

nordique14 · 01-17-2011, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fancyfl1ght

Any try the Vorshlag Camber/Caster plate? Do they provide support underneath the strut tower? If they do are they compatible with the M3 strut brace?

The E36 crowd reported mushrooming towers with and without camber plates. When I put camber plates on my old E36 I put in the reinforcement plates at the same time. I think they would be a good idea for you since you already have stretched the metal and you should give the towers as much strengthening as you can.

fancyfl1ght · 01-17-2011, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordique14

The E36 crowd reported mushrooming towers with and without camber plates. When I put camber plates on my old E36 I put in the reinforcement plates at the same time. I think they would be a good idea for you since you already have stretched the metal and you should give the towers as much strengthening as you can.

The custom shop indicated that camber plates even combined with a strut brace would not help that much and that a reinforcement plate is required.

No go on the Turner reinforcement plate. It needs to be welded in place and will make a mess of the top portion of the strut tower.

A custom curved reinforcement plate is being made to distribute the load better better. I am having it installed on both strut towers.

I will post pics of the plate and the shop doing the work so that other can benefit here.

It is definitely better than doing a cut and weld of the strut tower for now.

nordique14 · 01-17-2011, 06:12 PM

For the E36, BMW had reinforcement plates that were cheap that were just pushed in place once you dropped the strut assembly. No welding required. Very easy to install. IIRC, they were about $15 or so. I hope they come up with something like that for our cars if this becomes a chronic problem.

Post up pics when you get everything sorted out.

onefastman · 01-17-2011, 08:55 PM

please do!

HP Autosport · 01-18-2011, 11:31 PM

Our strut tower brace kit is a modified version of the M3 brace(the bracket on the firewall has been modified), with the full strut tower ring to help spread the load, it may or may not have prevented what happened to your strut tower.

You will feel the front end of the car is much tighter with more road feed back and better steering response with the additional of the M3 style strut tower brace, especially on a convertible.

01-16-2011, 04:13 PM	#23
fancyfl1ght Lieutenant 64 Rep 478 Posts Drives: 2016 BMW 228i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Pasadena CA iTrader: (1)	Any try the Vorshlag Camber/Caster plate? Do they provide support underneath the strut tower? If they do are they compatible with the M3 strut brace? __________________ Alpine White BMW 228i (Stripper Special with Lighting Package as the ONLY option), HD-LINK IW06B-N23 Backup Camera & HDMI Input, Technic ASD Removal Harness (Wire Nut Mod), Technic Hifi Harness, Focal FDP 6.900, Hertz Energy ECX 100.5.
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01-17-2011, 06:12 PM	#26
nordique14 Major 53 Rep 1,477 Posts Drives: SGM 135i 'vert Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sharks Territory iTrader: (5)	For the E36, BMW had reinforcement plates that were cheap that were just pushed in place once you dropped the strut assembly. No welding required. Very easy to install. IIRC, they were about $15 or so. I hope they come up with something like that for our cars if this becomes a chronic problem. Post up pics when you get everything sorted out.
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01-17-2011, 08:55 PM	#27
onefastman Major General 159 Rep 5,689 Posts Drives: 2009 135i 2011 e92m dct Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Earth iTrader: (15)	please do! __________________ Legal Disclaimer: Anything I or anyone else says about my vehicle on this website(1addicts.com or any affiliated or nonaffiliated sites), pertaining to modifications, is only to gain acceptance from my/our peers, and does not actually represent anything actually existing on my car, and thus, cannot be held against me in any issues, i.e. warranty claims, that may arise.
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01-18-2011, 11:31 PM	#28
HP Autosport Supreme Allied Commander 3842 Rep 54,353 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Santa Barbara, AP, Brembo, GIAC, Koni, Ohlins, Performance Friction, www.hpautosport.com iTrader: (36)	Our strut tower brace kit is a modified version of the M3 brace(the bracket on the firewall has been modified), with the full strut tower ring to help spread the load, it may or may not have prevented what happened to your strut tower. You will feel the front end of the car is much tighter with more road feed back and better steering response with the additional of the M3 style strut tower brace, especially on a convertible.
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