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Thread: noob ?....Front strut bar on an E36 M3. Do they improve things?

  1. #1
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    noob ?....Front strut bar on an E36 M3. Do they improve things?

    I know a front strut tower brace alone doesnt do much. I autocrossed for years in street touring class in front wheel drive cars, and learned after a while that the brace I was using contributed a bit to understeer, so i stopped using one. What qualities do they tend to induce on an M3?

  2. #2
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    The E36 is Macpherson up front and shock/coil spring in the rear. The front doesn't gain a lot of camber with suspension compression. Under hard cornering, the body will roll more than the suspension geometry is gaining camber. This limits the contact patch. This is not as much of an issue in the rear due to the different setup.

    Adding a front sway will lessen the body roll up front, which is a bit more optimal with respect to the front camber curve. Depending on the bar, it may make the car feel a little unbalanced with respect to how it rolls in corners. But it helps dial out understeer noticeably. A bar will do more on stock suspension than it will on a lowered car with stiffer springs. But it makes a difference in any case.
    Last edited by fiveightandten; 01-14-2012 at 11:22 PM.
    -Nick

  3. #3
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    I just lost a long, detailed post but for me strut braces boil down to this...

    If you buy a quality unit with end plates that contour to the strut tower, I think they help add verticle protection from mushrooming due to stiff springs/shocks and heavy impacts.


    I haven't noticed any difference in steering response, etc. when I added my bar. Either on the street or on the track. That said, I won't take it off



  4. #4
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    284,

    What bar is that? Looks like the oem bar but it doesnt have the bmw or m logos.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by tekviper View Post
    284,

    What bar is that? Looks like the oem bar but it doesnt have the bmw or m logos.
    Rally Road
    http://www.rallyroad.net/content/ral...trut-tower-bar
    -Nick

  6. #6
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    it is not the rallyroad. his has ramps leading up to the bar standoff. unless there are different versions of the rallyroad.

  7. #7
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    It's a Ralley Road bar.

  8. #8
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    when did you buy it? the version on the website is different that what you have. do you see the standoff that the center link bolts to, yours have swept ramps that support the block. the one on the rallyroad site doesn't have those. also the hardware is black not silver.

  9. #9
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    Is 100 for an AA bar a decent deal?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by tekviper View Post
    when did you buy it? the version on the website is different that what you have. do you see the standoff that the center link bolts to, yours have swept ramps that support the block. the one on the rallyroad site doesn't have those. also the hardware is black not silver.
    Maybe 2 years ago. EDIT: Mine is steel, and the adjusters are stainless. It's an early version, when he wasn't making aluminum for the general public. The downside is it's 2 lbs heavier,, but I'm not driving a stripped out car, so piss on it..

    Quote Originally Posted by VVT4ME View Post
    Is 100 for an AA bar a decent deal?
    If its the one with HUGE contoured plated and the bar that has two bolts that hold the bar down on each side it's a good deal. If you still have ASC make sure you get one that will clear it. Also, if you have adjustable Koni's or camber plates you'll not be able to adjust them without removing the bar.
    Last edited by 284Shooter; 01-17-2012 at 07:59 AM.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiveightandten View Post
    The E36 is Macpherson up front and shock/coil spring in the rear. The front doesn't gain a lot of camber with suspension compression. Under hard cornering, the body will roll more than the suspension geometry is gaining camber. This limits the contact patch. This is not as much of an issue in the rear due to the different setup.

    Adding a front sway will lessen the body roll up front, which is a bit more optimal with respect to the front camber curve. Depending on the bar, it may make the car feel a little unbalanced with respect to how it rolls in corners. But it helps dial out understeer noticeably. A bar will do more on stock suspension than it will on a lowered car with stiffer springs. But it makes a difference in any case.
    Thats a great explanation of the wrong bar,lol.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by 325bob View Post
    Thats a great explanation of the wrong bar,lol.

    Haha I was thinking the exact same thing.

    For OP, no, you're not really gonna feel much difference with just a strut brace. I think even when working in concert with other components you're still not gonna feel much of a difference.
    BMW CCA Member 440285 - Golden Gate Chapter

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikasaur View Post
    Haha I was thinking the exact same thing.

    For OP, no, you're not really gonna feel much difference with just a strut brace. I think even when working in concert with other components you're still not gonna feel much of a difference.
    I think Grassroots Motorsports did a test of this, by testing a stock car (a Subaru I think) and the same car with a strut bar. Time wise, it didn't make a single difference, while the other modifications helped oh so slightly.

  14. #14
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    Engine Jewelry! It won't make a difference. It only makes the car faster when you pop the hood and show it off to your friends

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  15. #15
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    The extra ~5lbs added high up and forward in the car would probably even cancel out any benefit it does provide.

    But it sure does look pretty when you pop the hood to try and use telekinesis to quiet those damn tappets between AX runs!
    BMW CCA Member 440285 - Golden Gate Chapter

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  16. #16
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    Haha! Nice.

    I call it a front slut bar, because that's all it's good for.

    Level8Drummer

    Driving instructor for: BMWCCA, PCA, SCCA, Chin Motorsports, and Hooked on Driving.

  17. #17
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    In time on a heavily tracked car it would help the towers from creeping in towards each other for hard corners, over time. It would help at the track along w other mods, in a dd it would make no difference.

  18. #18
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    I have an extra strut bar that's a little dirty but nice chrome finish to them if anyone is looking to get their hands on one - will sell cheap just to offset some of the cost of her replacement - and I'll cover shipping depending on where you are (in the US...). PM and I'll snap a few photos.


    1995 BMW M3/2/5 - Alpine White - Vaders - Stage II Maxsil Pistons, Chipped, 24# Injectors, MagnaFlow Exhaust, and heated door locks!

  19. #19
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    Wow, I must be super sensitive or it is the placebo effect ,but everytime I put one on a car I notice a huge difference in steering feel !

  20. #20
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    The X-brace underneath on the E36 makes more of a difference.

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