front strut tower reinforcement plates? e46?

[Vanne]

hey guys, will the front strut tower reinforcement plates for the e46 fit our little car?

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-32...ates-pair.aspx

cheers

V.

edit: just looking closely at it now, will the camber plates do the job of the reinforcement plates? or will i still need reinforcement plates?

[BookerM3]

Have them installed on my car...

[inTgr8r]

Unless you are a pure track junky it's overkill.
I don't recall anyone posting here with failed towers.

I think that it helps that most of us have an STB, which helps.

I was running them, but recently removed them to gain more clearance for the damper shaft nut.

That said, for the cost they are cheap additional protection.
If I didn't need the top nut clearance I would have left them in

[Vanne]

Okay, thanks Ian, whats a. StB? (Sorry, noob here

I am also considering the turner camber kit in to have the middle of the camber plate as around -3 degrees neutral. Or is that a def no no?

[3002 tii]

Yes the fit and it's cheap insurance. If you have camber plates though your mag need to trim the lip / edge.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Vanne

Okay, thanks Ian, whats a. StB? (Sorry, noob here

I am also considering the turner camber kit in to have the middle of the camber plate as around -3 degrees neutral. Or is that a def no no?

STB = Strut towers brace, across the engine bay.
The ring on top adds some support for the towers.

I believe you have a custom one?

[Vanne]

yeah semi custom, for what its worth , i did buy the reinforcement plates, but depending on what the top of the KW's look like, we will just have to see..

edit: KW's came in and its going to be a waste, won't be using the reinforcement plates as the camber plates look like they will do exactly the same job.. *coulda spent that extra 50 bucks on booze*

Lol

[braindamage]

You should check how top edge of the camber plates is designed. Is the edge rounded off or not.

I had an E36 M3 and I was running coil overs with camber plates (a well known brand), that have the ring on top that show the adjustment. I did not use the reinforcement plates and over time the edge of ring crack the shock tower. Thankfully I caught it in time and the repair I needed was minor, thanks to a friend that is.

Just something to look for next time as $50 may save a lot of headache and repair $$$ a few years down the road.

[Beedub]

considering the KW top plate is much smaller/ solid with no bushings and exerts its forces in the centre of the strut tower ( stock spread it out over the whole mushroom) i think you should have put them in considering you had them, would have made zero difference to your install and spreads the loads back to the stock style full strut tower shaping.

On the KW install it doesnt make a single difference to how the setup install or effect the install or effect how you can adjust them theirs ONLY positives for our suspension setup.

The last post is exactly what i mean....

[Vanne]

Hmm ok, well the plates haven't come in yet, they are still in the mail.. so maybe ill still chuck them in.. that said, I probably won't be able to fit the STB if i chuck these plates in, my bolts only allow pretty much exactly what i have now..

And I've already changed the studs and nuts, so yeah, may have to make a choice between the reinforcement plates and the STB.

might add a pic

[Beedub]

kw sent me a much longer bolt that accommodated the plates and SB with ease.... their is no downside to fitting these just cheap insurance the solid kw plate is vey small and focus's load in the middle of the Strut tower. Between these 2 items I'm very happy and haven't run them for a day without them in place since the coilovers. The area is stressed otherwise we wouldnt see the diagonal braces snap at the welds.




Plate spreads the load across the whole Strut top as per the stock mount, you can see the KW solid TM is about 35% smaller

[Frank851]

Beedub:
What kind of Strut Tower Brace are you running on your car?

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Frank851

Beedub:
What kind of Strut Tower Brace are you running on your car?

Looks like the OEM piece

[Beedub]

OEM... all thats needed.