Mason Engineering Front Strut Tower Brace?

[johanness]

Has anyone tried this on their M? Didn't find much through a search.
It looks beefy and the $ is right. Opinions?

Link--> http://store.bimmerworld.com/mason-e...ace-p1117.aspx

[GP20]

At that price, just get the OEM strut brace. OEM parts are typically known to be inferior to aftermarket counterparts. But in the case of the strut tower brace for the Z4/Z4M, OEM is the way to go. Looks a lot better and functions properly. None of that hinged B.S.

[mfanatic325]

This one looks kind of ugly imho, and the price is pretty steep. I opted to not go for the Strong Strut GB cuz the price was also still pretty steep even for a GB price

[ManoSpeed]

Just curious guys; what is the primary reason/advantage of getting a strut brace in the first place?

[johanness]

That GB for the Strong Strut isn't around anymore perhaps? Thought they had some fitment issues? Please advise.

I liked the Mason one because it looked meaty. Strut bars are for extra rigidity / helps tighten up with the corners.

[imz4n]

Mason Engineering Front Strut Tower Brace may not be the best looking one, however, you will not find a better functional part, IMHO. The welds are just that and he does not grind them down because you loose strength when you do that. If you want show, go somewhere else, if you want go, you are half way there.

[capvent]

I agree - I am trying to get John at Mason to make one for the z4. Will be in touch with details shortly

[jrich4411]

For those of us who will never track their roadsters, does a strut tower brace, OEM or not, make a difference?

[BAK613]

Originally Posted by jrich4411

For those of us who will never track their roadsters, does a strut tower brace, OEM or not, make a difference?

I purchased the Strong Strut (all 3 pieces) for my ZMR as part of the group buy. They will be arriving this Friday. I'll do the install next weekend and do a spirited ride on my favorite roads and post a report here.

I don't intend on Auto-Xing this car (yet), so why did I do it? From what I've read, there should be a noticeable handling improvement on less than perfect pavement.

Bruce

[Nhopkins1394]

The Strong Strut functions just fine. The look and workmanship is excellent. Yes, a bit pricey.
I don't track my 2006 Z4 3.0si but I can see the inherent weakness of the strut towers.
An open question is: Are the OEM struts equal in effectiveness? The strut mfr's say no. But then BMW did not build the car with a factory installed cross brace. Wondering why?

[Beedub]

strong strut is a nice piece........ just wondering, do you have to take off the strut bar everytime you top up with oil?? my oem bmw one doesnt cross over the oil cap, its a great price, loots awesome and is very functional, imo you dont need any more than the oem item, but i have to say the strong strut looks nicer, with the matching firewall bars.

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by Beedub

strong strut is a nice piece........ just wondering, do you have to take off the strut bar everytime you top up with oil?? my oem bmw one doesnt cross over the oil cap, its a great price, loots awesome and is very functional, imo you dont need any more than the oem item, but i have to say the strong strut looks nicer, with the matching firewall bars.

The bar (OEM or not) only covers the oil cap on an 3.0si. It's fine on other engines. BTW, does the idle control valve hose ever touch the OEM cross bar when going over bumps?

[esqu1re]

The m coupe probably doesn't need a strut bar unless you're going beyond 9/10ths. It's already one of the stiffest body structures. I don't think it'll matter what type of strut bar you buy as long as it's high quality and doesn't expand much due to heat. I went with OEM because it's the cheapest...and it's OEM.

[GP20]

Originally Posted by imz4n

Mason Engineering Front Strut Tower Brace may not be the best looking one, however, you will not find a better functional part, IMHO. The welds are just that and he does not grind them down because you loose strength when you do that. If you want show, go somewhere else, if you want go, you are half way there.

Strut braces like the OEM one or Dinan are designed to break upon a frontal collision so the kinetic energy doesn't transfer to your spines. I looked at the picture of the Mason strut brace, and that thing does look so robust that I don't see how it would ever break.

[JCz04Bimmer]

Originally Posted by esqu1re

The m coupe probably doesn't need a strut bar unless you're going beyond 9/10ths. It's already one of the stiffest body structures. I don't think it'll matter what type of strut bar you buy as long as it's high quality and doesn't expand much due to heat. I went with OEM because it's the cheapest...and it's OEM.

There other benefit of a strut is that on a car with a coilover suspension, dialed up stiff running with linear springs, the front strut mounts can deform over time. They bow upward. I've seen it happen on regularly tracked E46's. This is why I have it on my car.

[mfanatic325]

I think I'm going to go with an OEM piece. Cheapest and best fitting one money can buy. I think it'll be plenty for me, since I only do HPDE's.

[johanness]

Originally Posted by GP20

Strut braces like the OEM one or Dinan are designed to break upon a frontal collision so the kinetic energy doesn't transfer to your spines. I looked at the picture of the Mason strut brace, and that thing does look so robust that I don't see how it would ever break.

Wouldn't the bolt be the weak spot then at that point? In a collision, you'd think they'd shear clean off. Don't know, just asking.

[pbdm4k]

Strong Strut all the way.

I've had it for 3 years and have never looked back.
It honestly gave me a night and day difference that I could feel in the steering.

[pbdm4k]

Originally Posted by johanness

Wouldn't the bolt be the weak spot then at that point? In a collision, you'd think they'd shear clean off. Don't know, just asking.

It's made of aluminum.

It'll bend depending how you get hit.