BMW Performance Strut Brace - DIY?

[MatthewDFW]

Originally Posted by KeithLM

I checked the car out at Classic and the tires are the stock tires. I hope you negotiated down that price, because $4k for swapping wheels is a bit much unless they gave you the original equipment. $4k is about full retail from BMW for the wheels and tires, but the wheels alone are around $1300 from others.

Yes, the final deal was (hotly) negotiated. They also made up for a lot by being unexpectedly generous with my trade-in (old Boxster). I do agree with you about wheels/tires on the car. I'm indifferent to the installed wheels (seen lots better posted on this forum), and the tires themselves are nothing special. Even so, I'm well pleased with the car, and enjoy driving it very, very much.

Funny thing, within a week of the purchase, they did the same treatment to a 335i (calling it - duh - the Projekt 3), and it really does not look good at all. IMO, the body frame of the 335 is just a shade too large for the tii treatment (which just looks best on a compact coupe like the 135i).

Again, just my opinon... What they've created now actually looks less like a tii and more like a Camaro dressed up as Oklahoma highway patrol. It's hard to imagine a car enthusiast giving it a second look. But, I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

If you get a chance to get out to Classic, you should definitely look around for the car. They eventually moved it out of the showroom; as of yesterday afternoon, it's parked next to the wall where you pull into the service area.

[AchtungF80]

Any pics of your 'projekt 1' ? Besides the old eBay auction?

[ChrisK]

Can we please stay on topic?

[MatthewDFW]

Originally Posted by AchtungE30

Any pics of your 'projekt 1' ? Besides the old eBay auction?

On the way. But I will post elsewhere (photo forum).

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Can we please stay on topic?

Yes. Will watch current CF strut brace for cracks. As long as it's on BMW's nickel, I'd be willing to replace. But not when warranty is done. By then, perhaps, BMW will have available a CF strut fitted just for the 135 (with better clearance over air box); if so, I'll look into it.

[S54dan]

Hopefully you won't notice cracks in your strut brace. It should be on the dealership's dime as well, not BMW's. BMW doesn't approve that install and the dealer did it on their own terms, IMO bad move.

Off topic a bit (sorry chris!): the wheel & tire package is meant for the 128i. The performance wheels come with the stock tires found on the 135i. The reason for the nifty price tag is because they come mounted, balanced, including tire pressure sensors, and ready to install as soon as received.

[karma8]

Well i've done this a few times but all on japanese cars....first u set yr baby on a flat ground...open the hood take out the bolts, install the brace, hand tight the bolts, then u jack up both side of the car until both wheels are off ground, then at last u install the center strut, hand tight it...and set yr baby down...go for a test drive if every feel tight and safe....then go ahead and make 90 degree turns at 50mph....DONE!

[pousa13]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Look at your engine bay. Their is a strut brace that connects both strut towers and it runs under the wiper area.

It's not pretty, but does the job.

-

that´s not completely correct
there is in deed a strut brace but it doesn´t connect the strut towers. If you look at the pictures you can see that the two braces are facing right to the middle of the car. you can also find this construction in the Z4, E90 and almost every actual BMW.

[ChrisK]

The functionality is exactly the same. My illustration was not meant to be an exploded view diagram of the engine compartment. Only the most recent BMW's have bracing. My Z3, MZ3, and the e46 3er didn't have that bracing. I added a strut brace.

:smile:

Originally Posted by pousa13

that´s not completely correct
there is in deed a strut brace but it doesn´t connect the strut towers. If you look at the pictures you can see that the two braces are facing right to the middle of the car. you can also find this construction in the Z4, E90 and almost every actual BMW.

[pousa13]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

My illustration was not meant to be an exploded view diagram of the engine compartment.:smile:

ok sorry then I got it wrong, don´t wanted to act like a teacher

[ChrisK]

You didn't. I should have found and posted the diagram that you did.

:drinking:


Good find btw.

[CoolToolGuy]

Originally Posted by pousa13

that´s not completely correct
there is in deed a strut brace but it doesn´t connect the strut towers. If you look at the pictures you can see that the two braces are facing right to the middle of the car. you can also find this construction in the Z4, E90 and almost every actual BMW.

That does provide a signiicant level of bracing to the body, but it does not stop the strut towers from "twisting" towards each other with the stock brace providing a hinge point. The tower-to-tower strut brace finishes the job! :wink:

So it looks like the aluminum (aluminium to the brits) strut brace is the way to go unless BMW announces a cold air intake real soon. . .

Have Fun,
Rick

[UR2SLOW1]

I was at my dealer a few weeks ago to have the Aluminum one installed on my 135i and they popped the hood and looked at things: Verdict is that it does not fit. Has anyone installed one on the 135i ?

[MatthewDFW]

At the risk of stating the obvious... It's starting to look like BMW just didn't intend for strut braces to be fitted onto the 135i - at least not easily. How else can we explain everything that seems to work comfortably in the 128 engine compartment, but must be shoe-horned into the 135's...?

The problem does indeed seem to be lack of clearance between the air box and the hood. Not meaning to blaspheme the engineers at BMW - who really deserve great praise for such a terrific car design - BUT it looks like they might be guilty of two oversights...

1. Not enough allowance in engine compartment to accomodate straightforward installations of available strut braces.

2. No strut braces designed specifically for the 135i model.

If we shrug this off as a "Year One" oversight, it is reasonable to assume that BMW might've addressed both issues in model year '09. That said, I do wonder if anyone driving an '09 is in a position to note whether their engine compartment has a bit more "headroom" where a strut brace might go.

[ADA///M]

I dont have my 135 yet, but its just an airbox.

This should not crack a CF brace.

Most airbox's are some sort of plastic and are also mounted with some sort of rubber. It would have to be some serious flexing to get it to crack. The airbox probably moves more than the brace actually flexes. So the airbox getting pushed up shouldnt be cracking brace IMHO....

But I could be wrong.

I'd even bet the airbox cracks first...unless the brace is just that shitty.

[gyrfalcon]

Originally Posted by ADA///M

I dont have my 135 yet, but its just an airbox.

This should not crack a CF brace.

Most airbox's are some sort of plastic and are also mounted with some sort of rubber. It would have to be some serious flexing to get it to crack. The airbox probably moves more than the brace actually flexes. So the airbox getting pushed up shouldnt be cracking brace IMHO....

But I could be wrong.

I'd even bet the airbox cracks first...unless the brace is just that shitty.

This is what I was thinking. Wouldn't the worst that could happen be the bottom of the brace getting scratched or scuffed by the airbox rubbing on it?:iono:

[jtaylor3]

So is there a DIY for installing this or not?

[AB M2C]

DIY: take off strut tower bolts, put on brace, torque down bolts.

[brocklanders]

I have an aluminum brace left over from my e90 325, I don't think it fits. Has anyone put one of them on a 135?

[Roland135i]

Yup, i did. I had it on my 2006 E92 325i, and too k it of when I sold it.

here it is on my 135i:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ps6673f0f6.jpg

It fits when you lower one of the AC "filling pipes" (right name)?

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...psc0e1ce2e.jpg

Just click it out of it's holder and fasten it a little bit lower with a ty-rap, so it can always be clicked back when strut brace is removed.

The only other thing i had to do is put a little rubber pad between the strut brace and the air filter. It sometimes touches it, resulting in a vibration wich you can hear through the car.

It definitively absorbes some forces, because the aluminium finish has tiny cracks. Or maybe it could be the heat from the engine bay?