I have just taken delivery of an E-Tech strut brace from BMHeaven (I should point out it took them over a month to deliver and I had to keep chasing them). I bought this one as it seemed to be the cheapest and I'm not going to have the car too much longer anyway (should have bought it sooner, I know!).
Anyway, the bolts that hold the bar to the mounting rings are quite loose. I know I can tighten them, but even then there would be some movement between the bolt and the main bar. Is this normal? Isn't this movement what the bar is supposed to prevent anyway?!?
Any thoughts from anyone? Has anyone else got the e-tech strut brace?
Ta muchly,
David.
Strut Brace Question
David, I fitted an E-tech alloy brace to my car a few months ago. It took a bit of wrestling to get the three holes to line up with the bolts on the suspension tower and then to be able to get the bar in and the bolt through. It'll be OK after you tighten the large bolt, any movement will be minimal. Don't overdo the three small nuts on the top of the towers. Better to torque them as per the fitting instructions and re-check them after a couple of hundred miles. Oh, and don't slam the bonnet after you have fitted it. It may not be as good a fit as you like and you could dent the bonnet. I had to slightly straighten mine so it fitted very close to the engine as initially the bonnet wouldn't close. Any probs send me a PM. Cheers, Andy.
We all have a photographic memory, just some don't take the lens cap off!
Does the E-Tech brace fit on the towers flatly or is it shaped to fit inside the contours too?
On the subject of strut braces, has any fitted a DINAN brace? There are some cheap OMP ones on E-Bay for around £70 but they don't look all that substantial and have bends in them which look like they would affect strength (the E-Tech, DINAN and Strong strut seem to be a thick, straight bar strut to strut). The DINAN one looks similar to the Strong Strut but I have only seen the Dinan for sale in the UK for £200 whereas the Strong Strut only appears to be available from the USA plus postage etc etc.
On the subject of strut braces, has any fitted a DINAN brace? There are some cheap OMP ones on E-Bay for around £70 but they don't look all that substantial and have bends in them which look like they would affect strength (the E-Tech, DINAN and Strong strut seem to be a thick, straight bar strut to strut). The DINAN one looks similar to the Strong Strut but I have only seen the Dinan for sale in the UK for £200 whereas the Strong Strut only appears to be available from the USA plus postage etc etc.
c_w The car is now much less prone to tramlining (following road repair lines etc etc) and is easier to steer where I want it to go, not where the road wants to take me. I don't get dash or steering wheel shudder. Cost £125.99.
We all have a photographic memory, just some don't take the lens cap off!
UK pricing which includes shipping I think is at http://www.strongstrut.com/
The exchange rate is about $1.80 to £1, so $425 (Strong Strut plus 'Installation Kit') would be around £235 - 240.
The exchange rate is about $1.80 to £1, so $425 (Strong Strut plus 'Installation Kit') would be around £235 - 240.
SEP 2003: Bought 2002 Z3 M Coupé Titanium Silver with Black Leather.
OCT 2003: Adjustable interior Rear View Mirror.
Early 2005: Front Strong Strut. Replaced all tyres with F1s. Added rear Strong Strut.
AUG 2005: EXDOS Mod
SEP 2006: Retrofit Cruise Control
OCT 2003: Adjustable interior Rear View Mirror.
Early 2005: Front Strong Strut. Replaced all tyres with F1s. Added rear Strong Strut.
AUG 2005: EXDOS Mod
SEP 2006: Retrofit Cruise Control
strong-strut price
The Competition-Lightweight is $395 delivered. $45 of that is shipping and we absorb $25 of the $40 compared to US prices. There is a big difference in the performance of strut braces. There is hardly any product that someone can't produce in an inferior manner and sell for less money. The question is whether a person wants products like that on their BMW.c_w wrote:I believe the Strong Strut is nearly $400 delivered, which is around £300?
Andy, when you say it has tightened up the front end; has the steering wheel shudder/dash shudder gone or been reduced?
installation kit is an option, you can use OEM fasteners
martlet wrote:UK pricing which includes shipping I think is at http://www.strongstrut.com/
The exchange rate is about $1.80 to £1, so $425 (Strong Strut plus 'Installation Kit') would be around £235 - 240.
Re: strong-strut price
I think it is you that I have e-mailed with some questions!azz3man wrote:The Competition-Lightweight is $395 delivered. $45 of that is shipping and we absorb $25 of the $40 compared to US prices. There is a big difference in the performance of strut braces. There is hardly any product that someone can't produce in an inferior manner and sell for less money. The question is whether a person wants products like that on their BMW.c_w wrote:I believe the Strong Strut is nearly $400 delivered, which is around £300?
Andy, when you say it has tightened up the front end; has the steering wheel shudder/dash shudder gone or been reduced?
My main gripe about the Z3 is t he steering wheel shudder and the dash shake; the slight scuttle shake I can feel through the seats I can accept with it beind an open top car, but the steering shake can sometimes resonate on what looks like a smooth road. Does the Strong Strut eliminate this shake?
Exchange rate is 1.8USD to 1GBP so $430 for a steel strut and small fitting kit would be £240 delivered?
Re: strong-strut price
c_w wrote:I think it is you that I have e-mailed with some questions!azz3man wrote:The Competition-Lightweight is $395 delivered. $45 of that is shipping and we absorb $25 of the $40 compared to US prices. There is a big difference in the performance of strut braces. There is hardly any product that someone can't produce in an inferior manner and sell for less money. The question is whether a person wants products like that on their BMW.c_w wrote:I believe the Strong Strut is nearly $400 delivered, which is around £300?
Andy, when you say it has tightened up the front end; has the steering wheel shudder/dash shudder gone or been reduced?
My main gripe about the Z3 is t he steering wheel shudder and the dash shake; the slight scuttle shake I can feel through the seats I can accept with it beind an open top car, but the steering shake can sometimes resonate on what looks like a smooth road. Does the Strong Strut eliminate this shake?
CW.......Our policy is to conduct our business in "good conscience", and not knowing the exact cause of your front end shaking, we cannot state the Strong-Strut will cure it. However, if the cause is the common and well known typical scuttle shake that is inherent in these cars, the Strong-Strut will go a long toward toward correcting it. Another variable is the fact that these cars come from the factory in various states of rigidity, we have seen very "tight" ones and very "lose" ones. Mileage is also a factor and everything else being equal, the higher milage cars ,if driven without strut tower support, tend to be loser than low milage examples. If you have not already done it, we suggest you have a qualified technician check the front end fittings and steering system in order to restore it to factory new specs.
Exchange rate is 1.8USD to 1GBP so $430 for a steel strut and small fitting kit would be £240 delivered?
The car has 90,000miles on it but is only just over 4 years old so I can probably assume it's spent most of it's life on motorways which I hope is better for it than being driven similar miles on a/b-roads., certainly the interior suggests it has been (ie it's hardly worn 
).
A friend has a same age Z3 2.8 but with half the mileage; I will try and get a back to back test over the same road and compare them.
).A friend has a same age Z3 2.8 but with half the mileage; I will try and get a back to back test over the same road and compare them.
Some of the issues raised here are inherent to the stiffness of the Z3 shell. Unfortunately to a degree it is dynamically flawed .. and only the Coupe really offers a stiff shell... ZM a bit better and post-01 cars even better still.
However as a way to increase stiffness in the sheel.. I can recommend Strong Strut's products whole heartidly.. excellent stuff... I think the fact they run their own MR demo car helps them design their products to suit the Zee3.
Companies such as Dinan did have a MR demo car but they have not continued to devleope their products and have most likely sold off the Mr years ago...
CA Auotech have started to design carbon strut braces and they may be open to developing a Z3 one. MK Motorsport and a couple of other companeis are doing the same.
However as a way to increase stiffness in the sheel.. I can recommend Strong Strut's products whole heartidly.. excellent stuff... I think the fact they run their own MR demo car helps them design their products to suit the Zee3.
Companies such as Dinan did have a MR demo car but they have not continued to devleope their products and have most likely sold off the Mr years ago...
CA Auotech have started to design carbon strut braces and they may be open to developing a Z3 one. MK Motorsport and a couple of other companeis are doing the same.
