Strut tower covers

[MrMaico]

Thanks to rikdee for the info in this thread....

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?401-Engine-Porn-courtesy-of-the-Don...-Aka-quot-Marcus-quot

I received my set in the mail yesterday. Looks a whole lot better than the unfinished look of not having any type of cover over the bolts and strut bearings.

http://mrmaico.smugmug.com/Cars/BMW-ZHP-misc/IMG0706/1147023981_hDBvh-L.jpg

http://mrmaico.smugmug.com/Cars/BMW-ZHP-misc/IMG0708/1147024023_9bAUL-L.jpg

He mentioned a price of $15 a set but that was actually $15 each. I paid a little less at $13.11 a piece. Maybe a little expensive for what you're getting but WTH. It's a nice alternative for those of us without a strutbar.

I also got one of these but haven't done the install yet. Might get around to it today though since we're having a heat wave......it's a balmy 27F at 8 am! http://mrmaico.smugmug.com/Cars/Gifs1/jkam/1113594490_qiKnJ-L.gif

http://mrmaico.smugmug.com/Cars/BMW-ZHP-misc/CSLBrake16/1112510102_tRjbj-L.jpg

Barry

[danewilson77]

So....how do they secure to the top of the strut tower? Do they just "snap" in?

Looks good.

[MrMaico]

Yup, they just have a snug fit over the bolt heads. They have a different shape on two of the bolt cover part of them compared to the other one but I have no idea what for, unless it's for something on a different model maybe. Plus they say "BMW Motorsport" on them, good for AT LEAST 10 more HP.:biggrin

[rikdee]

Yup, they just have a snug fit over the bolt heads. They have a different shape on two of the bolt cover part of them compared to the other one but I have no idea what for, unless it's for something on a different model maybe.


Those small slots were electrical cable guides for underhood parts (speed control IIRC).

[MrMaico]

Those small slots were electrical cable guides for underhood parts (speed control IIRC).

Thanks.....that's kinda what I figured they were for.

[pyreguy]

Excellent! I have been kicking around the idea of a strut brace for a sharp engine bay, but I may go this route instead. Pics either way.

[rikdee]

Excellent! I have been kicking around the idea of a strut brace for a sharp engine bay, but I may go this route instead. Pics either way.

Smart choice...

[danewilson77]

Smart choice...

Idk....I think the added strut tower protection is worth gettin full blown strut bar...imho.

Those do look pretty good and would provide some foreign material exclusion regarding the bearings though.

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[mimalmo]

I use the OEM M3 strut bar to dress those up. :)

[danewilson77]

Pics pls....

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[mimalmo]

I don't have any pics of under the hood right now. Maybe this weekend if it warms up a bit...

[danewilson77]

Thanks....no hurry...sounds good.

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[adb1028]

I never understood strut bars. Is it all for looks? Or do they have some sort of benefit?

[danewilson77]

You didn't read the thread.

They are mainly for looks....but the do provide for some stiffening (depending on what you get) in the front chassis, and they do prevent (biggest benefit) mushrooming of the strut towers....whew!

[az3579]

I thought I covered this in another thread... lol

Dane,
Define mushrooming... ??

[danewilson77]

You did....as I eluded to....

Mushrooming just = bending or deformed I believe. Just a common term people throw out there.

Post #5
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294931
http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/tower1.jpg

[adb1028]

I read, this thread didn't say anything about actual benefits besides looks so I figured I would ask.

The look is damn nice, but I couldn't justify the $300 just for visual under the hood. I would definetly go for it if it provided more of a performance gain though

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Alex, drive as aggressively as you can. Then you might be able to justify it. Otherwise, just eye candy.

[mimalmo]

Functional on the E46 M3 but eye candy on our cars?

[az3579]

Dane,
That should be not be happening with regular street driving. What were they doing with that car, rallying it or something??? :eyetwitch

[Tampa330i]

I read, this thread didn't say anything about actual benefits besides looks so I figured I would ask.

The look is damn nice, but I couldn't justify the $300 just for visual under the hood. I would definetly go for it if it provided more of a performance gain though

I found a good write-up on strut bars while I was looking at them a few days ago: http://www.rogueengineering.com/rogue/StrutB/RE_CF_STB.html

This actually discusses mushrooming, and defines it as:
"These generally occurs if the vehicle hits large potholes, causing the suspension to compress completely, and then damaging the rim. However, its not only the rim that takes the hit, but the shock tower as well. Over time, if left unprotected, it can cause expensive sheet metal damage."

[danewilson77]

Don't know.....I just googled for "E46 strut tower mushrooming"

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Functional on the E46 M3 but eye candy on our cars?

It's functional. It's just that, because I do not drive the car aggressively, I'll never have to worry about what the strut brace is intended to do. It's benefit is negligible for me. It's bling under the hood for me. Get on the track, though, and it's functional.

[MrMaico]

Another way, and I believe, a better way to prevent mushrooming is with these.....

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=51717036781

You won't get the tower stabilizing (side to side) with these but you'll get more strength having a reinforcement underneath the strut tower than with a bar mounted on the topside. BUT, it's more work to install these than it is a bar. I'm not sure if it's possible to just unbolt the strut mount and pull the whole assembly down far enough to slip these in or if you'll have to at least unbolt the swaybar. If you can just slip them in without unbolting anything else then it's really not much more work. Dane or anyone know? No doubt though, a strut bar, and especially that carbon fiber BMW Motorsport one sure looks cool.

Barry

[danewilson77]

I don't think these would be any better...imho.....and I don't think you would ever be able to slip these underneath....

I think these go on top....don't they?

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[MrMaico]

They definitely go underneath. I found a DIY on installing them. I have no doubt that having these underneath will do a better job of preventing mushrooming than a strut bar would. Just think about it....they mushroom up, a strut bar really isn't going to prevent that from happening. It'll help but it can't prevent it as well as a reinforcement from underneath. You'd end up seeing a gap around the outer edges of your strut bar mount.

http://www.bmw330ci.net/projects/struttower.php

[kayger12]

They definitely go underneath. I found a DIY on installing them. I have no doubt that having these underneath will do a better job of preventing mushrooming than a strut bar would. Just think about it....they mushroom up, a strut bar really isn't going to prevent that from happening. It'll help but it can't prevent it as well as a reinforcement from underneath. You'd end up seeing a gap around the outer edges of your strut bar mount.

http://www.bmw330ci.net/projects/struttower.php

Makes a lot of sense. Good link. Thanks!

[danewilson77]

They definitely go underneath. I found a DIY on installing them. I have no doubt that having these underneath will do a better job of preventing mushrooming than a strut bar would. Just think about it....they mushroom up, a strut bar really isn't going to prevent that from happening. It'll help but it can't prevent it as well as a reinforcement from underneath. You'd end up seeing a gap around the outer edges of your strut bar mount.

http://www.bmw330ci.net/projects/struttower.php

I'll buy that.....but....

There's always a but......

If you currently have no mushrooming, I think either will prevent mushrooming from occurring in a dd.

I agree though the re-enforcement from underneath would be beefier though.

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[MrMaico]

I'll buy that.....but....

There's always a but......

If you currently have no mushrooming, I think either will prevent mushrooming from occurring in a dd.

I agree though the re-enforcement from underneath would be beefier though.

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I would think that would be safe to say.

This is another reason I'll more than likely never be lowering my car. With a lower/stiffer suspension there is more potential of bottoming out and mushrooming the towers. You never know when you might come across that one mega-pothole that is unavoidable.

[SC4ME]

I used a different approach.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll47/SC4ME/angel%20eyes/102_2720.jpg