I have been reading alot of old threads on this.
From what I read, all 1993 build years came with it or was it an option and only mounting holes were there?
I am trying to keep my car OEM, so Strut Bar is not an option.
Alex
P/N for the E31 X-brace is: 31111140614
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiß III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
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I did mount a x-brace on my 850 - 9/91. It was not without some difficulties though. First, the bolts (4) on the long ends that is supposed to be bolted under the a-pillar did not reach down to the chassi also there were no hole or thread for the bolts. I had to make studs with a thread for the bolt that I spot-welded. Other people have cut off the arms on the x-brace. The arms on the old sway-bar were to long. Not much but they did hit the control arm (13). I bought a new sway-bar from BMW for some $100 and the rubber bushings as well. You could just cut off the ends of the old sway-bar a couple of mm. All in all it made a great difference when driving the car, a little bit of a new-car feeling.
My 840 is 05/1993 too and it has a X-brace
X-brace is not an option but an evolution.
DSC02058.JPG
Last edited by NICO57; 01-24-2017 at 02:42 PM.
I got get under my car again tomorrow and see.....It must have it and I just missed it.
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Thanks you for the detailed reply. My other car is a 1991 and i might attempt to do this. I don't know I might just get a Strong Strut (strut bar) and call it a day. Much easier to install.
I don't believe that strut bar will work in the same way as a x-brace.
1 have a late 94 840ci but I don't remember seeing this from underneath. Should it be there?
X Brace is a lot of work but worth it! Strut Brace is easy, Doesn't compare to the X Brace for stiffening up the front but It does help, It also gives you something to lean on when working on the car, V12 manifolds don't like being leaned on the wrong way and the holes already in the SS brace make for perfect ratchet and screwdriver holders.
8eights, just got a quote for the X Brace.....not cheap. Strong Strut would be nice, but this particular car I am keeping everything BMW/OEM.
Tell me about it, I was laying on top of the engine last night getting that third near to impossible temp sensor out by the firewall.
Did you remove the external air filter assembly housing? You'll have a lot more room to work with when the housing is removed. It's fairly easy to remove if you haven't done it before.
Remove #1 and #4. The #3 comes out when #1 comes out.
http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E3...l_microfilter/
Just got a quote for the xbrace......pricy!!!
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The first two are easy. I did take cabin air filters assembly out, and had a Crow Wrench. The part that worried me was not drop the it, just hard to get to.......it didn't take long but definitely no easy.
Reviving this old thread. I had been looking for a while and finally managed to get my hands on a X-brace for my 91 850i (4/91), looking at Peake's post from 2017 looks like this isn't a direct bolt-on. Anyone else has any additional guidance?
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91 850i 6-speed, 2018 M550 - wife mobile, Lexus GX460 - Family mobile
I fitted an X-brace to my 91.
It is plug and play, just compare part numbers between the E31 with and without X-brace to check for additional parts needed (e.g. pay attention to bolt lengths)
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=31_0208
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=31_0222
In my case, I needed 2x 31111140576 adapters and assorted nuts and bolts.
I was also able to fit the rear heat shields, which luckily came with my X-brace.
It's a great opportunity 'while you're there' to inspect and refresh the whole of the front end, fitting Mooseheads etc.
You will also want to fit either the later front sway bar or the CSi part due to the difference in shape
Last edited by petejk; 05-06-2021 at 05:03 PM.
Anyone got a tip for where to look for an X-brace that ship worldwide or in Europe? Seems rather hard to find these days.
My project is slowly moving towards front end refurbishment and it would be nifty to find one soon.
Last edited by exalted; 05-08-2021 at 05:55 PM.
For an 91 you have a few choices, depends on the level of invasiveness you're willing to put up:
1. cut the extensions off the X-brace, bolt it in (most people's choice, still an improvement over the stock pre-'92 suspension)
2. make a spacer (basically a small steel bar) to go under the footwells and bolt the X-brace extensions to the floor
3. cut off and replace the footwell panels with post-'92 and everything will fit as designed. The panels were still available when I last checked.
I had option 3 in my mind and I have the brace and panels new from BMW on the shelf. However, I have just become a proud owner of a '94 with all that baked in. Tossing up whether to still go ahead with the '91
Last edited by affa; 05-12-2021 at 04:26 PM. Reason: wrong reply
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