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      05-21-2016, 11:52 PM   #1
Varinn
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Well, shit.

Seems luck is not on my side.

Shop has been having a hard time getting my alignment in spec since installing the Bilstein B12 kit, never an issue before but immediately after installing the new struts I'm getting wildly different camber from side to side. It's out by 0.75 degrees and even having one strut maxed fully inboard on the slotted hole and the other fully outward it's still out by 0.25 degrees. They are suspecting it's related to the Bimmerworld camber shims so they suggested I pull them out.

Got home, while inspecting I found this crack in my strut tower starting. This was a couple weeks ago, I got a little annoyed and took a break from the Z4 to drive the e30 or ride the Duke around.

Glad I caught it early though and it's time to see about getting it fixed, might be able to re-weld, re-paint, and place some reinforcement plates underneath with an oem brace on top. Then I can finally try and sort out the camber issues...
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Last edited by Varinn; 05-22-2016 at 12:01 AM..
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      05-22-2016, 10:44 AM   #2
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Drill a hole in each end of the crack and weld it all together again, hardest part would be to get the paint as good as it was before.
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      05-22-2016, 12:06 PM   #3
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That is exactly the plan, but I won't be doing it myself because of a lack of experience on thin metal. The paint is my biggest concern (and likely the biggest cost of it all)
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      05-22-2016, 03:36 PM   #4
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to anyone not running plates and SB with aftermarket suspension.... please add these, CHEAP insurance and will more the add enough protection for the area...

sorry to see this OP
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      05-22-2016, 11:00 PM   #5
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I kind of suspect it isn't all the fault of the new struts, the Bilsteins aren't even that stiff at all and were on the car for a total of 100km of gentle street use (and I have fairly smooth roads around here) when I found this. I am running factory strut mounts as well. I honestly think the reinforcement is worth it even for stock setups.
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      05-23-2016, 10:34 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beedub
to anyone not running plates and SB with aftermarket suspension.... please add these, CHEAP insurance and will more the add enough protection for the area...

sorry to see this OP
Sorry about your strut tower Varinn. Don't mean to hijack this thread, but Beedub would you explain what you mean by "running plates and SB" for cheap insurance? Thanks in advance for your response.
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      05-23-2016, 11:47 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DEG View Post
Sorry about your strut tower Varinn. Don't mean to hijack this thread, but Beedub would you explain what you mean by "running plates and SB" for cheap insurance? Thanks in advance for your response.
He's talking about the strut tower brace that goes across the top side, and you can install e46 reinforcement plates that go between the tower and the strut on the bottom of the tower.



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      05-23-2016, 12:00 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Varinn
Quote:
Originally Posted by DEG View Post
Sorry about your strut tower Varinn. Don't mean to hijack this thread, but Beedub would you explain what you mean by "running plates and SB" for cheap insurance? Thanks in advance for your response.
He's talking about the strut tower brace that goes across the top side, and you can install e46 reinforcement plates that go between the tower and the strut on the bottom of the tower.

[IMG]https://cdn.nexternal.com/vacmotors/...-E46%20Web.JPG[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/102nscj.jpg[/IMG]
Thanks Varinn for the explanation and the great pics. I'm already using an OEM strut tower, but didn't know about adding e46 reinforcement plates. I wonder how important it is to add the plates in addition to the strut tower...
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      05-23-2016, 12:39 PM   #9
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Why is your camber pin retaining hole so mashed up?
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      05-23-2016, 02:02 PM   #10
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My best guess is the shop tried using it as a lazy way to adjust the camber by loosening the nuts and putting a punch into the hole where the pin used to thread in (to wedge it into a different position)

The pins had been removed for a prior alignment and the holes were intact before this most recent visit.
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      05-23-2016, 02:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK View Post
Why is your camber pin retaining hole so mashed up?
good point, car hasn't had a knock at any point has it?? this is not a common issue you see on the z4s but inline with the mashed camber pin hole / paint cracking in diff areas it appears to me the area has been subject to some stress....
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      05-23-2016, 02:41 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Varinn View Post
My best guess is the shop tried using it as a lazy way to adjust the camber by loosening the nuts and putting a punch into the hole where the pin used to thread in (to wedge it into a different position)

The pins had been removed for a prior alignment and the holes were intact before this most recent visit.
Ok, the reason I asked is that a mashed up hole like that (in my imagination at least) could also be a result of the nuts/bolts from the top mounts not properly torqued/tight so driving around for a period with a loose top mount. That could also put strange forces on the chassis (alternating in continously strain-no strain on those points creating fatique)
So check that those bolts are always tight (thats important for most bolts on the car ).
That part of the chassis is obviously under continous alternating loads, as you also sometimes read of ratteling complaints and it then turns out that the nut on the strutbar (the one from the chassisleg to the bulkhead) has come loose for no reason.

Luckily this damage is still fixable fairly easy.
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Last edited by GuidoK; 05-23-2016 at 02:47 PM..
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      05-23-2016, 11:19 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beedub View Post
good point, car hasn't had a knock at any point has it?? this is not a common issue you see on the z4s but inline with the mashed camber pin hole / paint cracking in diff areas it appears to me the area has been subject to some stress....
No hits, car is accident free. Original fenders, bumpers, etc. Both camber pins were pulled by myself to dial in negative camber when I started doing autocross, that hole was a-ok prior to this last alignment as far as I am aware. The nuts were never loose either, typically torqued to spec every few events. I'm pretty confident it was a lazy tech that did it
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      05-24-2016, 10:05 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK View Post
Ok, the reason I asked is that a mashed up hole like that (in my imagination at least) could also be a result of the nuts/bolts from the top mounts not properly torqued/tight so driving around for a period with a loose top mount. That could also put strange forces on the chassis (alternating in continously strain-no strain on those points creating fatique)
So check that those bolts are always tight (thats important for most bolts on the car ).
That part of the chassis is obviously under continous alternating loads, as you also sometimes read of ratteling complaints and it then turns out that the nut on the strutbar (the one from the chassisleg to the bulkhead) has come loose for no reason.

Luckily this damage is still fixable fairly easy.
True that, I check things on the car very frequently but the only reason I noticed the crack while it was still this small was because I was paying extra special attention to my strut tops after the alignment issue. In the end I'm glad I caught it while it was still small, before it turned into this



Sadly I didn't notice if it was there before the new suspension or not, with the short mileage I've had the Bilsteins on the car I almost suspect this came from the stock suspension being used at autocross.
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      05-28-2016, 03:35 AM   #15
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Fark!!! that last pic, is probably exactly what Byron is talking about… frickkin still gotta put my plates in…
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      05-28-2016, 08:41 AM   #16
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Varinn
Were you running a STB?
From your pic it looks like you were not.

IMO the top side ring of the STB does more to reinforce that area than installing the under plates alone.
The thick STB ring ceates a rigid sandwich that minimizes the sheet metal flex which causes these stress fractures.
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      05-28-2016, 12:22 PM   #17
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Ian, so in your opinion, reinforcement plates underneath not required if running an stb?
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      05-28-2016, 12:32 PM   #18
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Vanne, I know of several tracked cars (several years) that have the STB and no under plate.
None of them have the stress fracture issue.
In general it's far less common on our chassis than some other BMWs

That said, it never hurts to have that little bit of extra protection.

I have a set that I don't have installed at the moment and am debating wether I will put them back in.
Part of my issue is the top nut on the damper shaft.
If I put the plate back in the nut will line up with the lip of the strut tower opening. =less camber adjustment.

If you have no such clearance issues, I would add the under plates.
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      05-28-2016, 04:20 PM   #19
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Issue I have is if I put the plates in, ill loose my stb or ill need to buy longer studs again.. :-(
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      05-28-2016, 05:40 PM   #20
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JMO, but I would not lose the STB.
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      05-29-2016, 01:02 PM   #21
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So the studs arent long enough to run the STB and the plates together? What mounts are you guys running? I kept the oem top mounts for comfort purposes

Also no brace or bottom plates before, I had been tossing and turning on wether to get it or not...
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      05-30-2016, 12:21 PM   #22
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i run both the plates and the SB and have prenty of stud... I'm VERY VERY happy to be running both, I'm pretty certain ill never see this issue between those 2 items, the SB i would guess would be more than enough, but the plates spread the load evenly, even more important with smaller solid top mounts imo,
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