E36 strut tower reinforcement plates

[M42 Technik]

Hey guys,

I did a search and I know this topic has been asked numerous times. However, I would just like to know how to install it. This is not mounted on the top of the shock tower like a strut brace correct? It's mounted inside the top of the wheel well under the strut tower but ontop of the strut mount? If anyone has a diagram or could explain how I would go about properly installing these plates I would appreciate it a lot.

I have Bilstein SP struts and M3 swaybar endlinks attached to my struts. I have a '94 318. If I want to install these plates will I require a spring compressor tool? If so, I don't want to do it myself. Somebody told me to just jack up the car, unscrew the bolts and see if the strut will drop out. I'm worried the spring will come out. Please advise on the proper procedure. Also, should the inverted end of the plate face downwards towards the floor or upwards?

Thanks a bunch!

Bry

[M42 Technik]

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[10kken]

If you don't already have them, there are also gaskets that go with these. They sit between the strut hats and the reiforcement plates.

Installation should be pretty simple and should not require a spring compressor, since the strut hat is hel in place on the strut by a 22mm bolt. Unless you loosen that bolt the spring should not release.

Raise the hood and unscrew the 3 bolts that hold the strut to the tower. Then jack up that side of the car to let the strut assembly come out of the tower. You may also want to release the sway bar on that side. Insert the plate and gasket on top of the strut hat, then reinsert into the tower, tighten the holds to spec. Make sure that reinsert the bolts into the same holes in the tower that they came from.

[M42 Technik]

If you don't already have them, there are also gaskets that go with these. They sit between the strut hats and the reiforcement plates.

Installation should be pretty simple and should not require a spring compressor, since the strut hat is hel in place on the strut by a 22mm bolt. Unless you loosen that bolt the spring should not release.

Raise the hood and unscrew the 3 bolts that hold the strut to the tower. Then jack up that side of the car to let the strut assembly come out of the tower. You may also want to release the sway bar on that side. Insert the plate and gasket on top of the strut hat, then reinsert into the tower, tighten the holds to spec. Make sure that reinsert the bolts into the same holes in the tower that they came from.

Thanks, that was actually very helpful. Are the gaskets required? They just prevent dirt from getting inbetween the peices right?

I don't need to remove the 2 18mm bolts holding the strut at the bottom right? What are the torque specs for the strut nuts?

Thanks!

Bry

[JedzE36/5]

you should get the gaskets. they are not expensive at all anyways. you may not have to take the 2 bolts out but you will have to find that out when you do the install. i think it will be obviouse when you try and pull the assembly out.

[GQ_Style]

Does the undercoating cause any problems? Or does it just squish out?

[ClubSportCohort]

Mark 1 of the 3 bolts on each side with a touch of paint before you pull the strut down and it'll be really easy to put it back right. The gaskets are to prevent galvanic corrosion between two dissimilar metals held in contact. It's a good idea to have them. The strut upper mounting nuts take 16 ft-lbs, not very much. It looks like those plates install concave side down. How did you decide you needed them, btw? Do you have cracks?

[M42 Technik]

Mark 1 of the 3 bolts on each side with a touch of paint before you pull the strut down and it'll be really easy to put it back right. The gaskets are to prevent galvanic corrosion between two dissimilar metals held in contact. It's a good idea to have them. The strut upper mounting nuts take 16 ft-lbs, not very much. It looks like those plates install concave side down. How did you decide you needed them, btw? Do you have cracks?

Reinforcements never hurts the car. I figure since I've upgraded a lot of my suspension components I should get this upgrade. I've auto-x'd my car in the past. However, I wasn't too crazy about the wear on my suspension parts. I do track driving (lapping events) regularly now.

Can someone confirm which way the plates install?

Thanks for the info.

Bry

[Androulakis]

Hey man,

The plates install sticker side up, so the lip is pointing down. As far as the strut hat - IF you have m3 ones it matters which bolt goes where through the strut tower, If you don't they are perfectly symmetrical, and centered, so it makes no difference the orientation of the bolts.

You can probably cant get them in there without detaching the bottom bolts of the strut, dont forget that strut has to come down far enough for you to slide the plate over the hat and orient the screws, and I doubt there is enough room in the strut tower to slide that plate up and over the upper spring plate and the hat, however if you can, get the strut out that low, make sure you watch the flex on the brake line. I would take the wheel off, take the brake line with the grommet off of the top of the strut, and support the hub / spindle assembly with a small floor jack, the key being never let it support itself via the brake line.

If you do have to dissasemble the bottom bolts, use locktite blue when you put them back, and clean the threads with a tap (an old bolt with a groove cut in it works just as well). Make sure you torque everything back to spec.

I have the torque values in my bentely if you need them.

Take care,

George

[Balthazarr]

If you don't already have them, there are also gaskets that go with these. They sit between the strut hats and the reiforcement plates.



The gaskets go between the towers and the plates not the strut bearings and plates.

[M42 Technik]

Thank you for everyone's help. I installed it and it was a lot easier than I thought. Took me a total of about 40min.

I have the 91/10 style struts with tabs, so I'm still using the original strut hats, not M3. I jacked up each side and removed the wheels. basically what was holding the strut up last time was the M3 endlinks attached to the strut. I had to remove the wheels inorder to detach the endlink from the strut. I put the front up on jack stands and removed the 3 nuts holding the strut to the strut tower. I used a floor jack to support the rotor so the strut wouldn't be held by the brake lines as Androulakis mentioned. I had more than enough room to slip the reinforcement plate onto the strut mount without removing the bottom 2 bolts for the strut. I just lifted the strut back up using the floor jack which was supporting the rotor. I matched up the bolts and put everything back together accordingly. I'm very happy with the results. Although I know I probably won't "feel" any difference, I feel better just knowing they're there. Lots of pot holes around here :(

Thanks again guys.

Bry

[10kken]

The gaskets go between the towers and the plates not the strut bearings and plates.
I double checked that in the ETK and you're correct, the gasket goes on top of the plates. My bad.

[Balthazarr]

Since
Thek posted 13 minutes after I did and he said it took him 40 min to do the job,
I'm wondering where he put them?