Lower Chassis Brace/Tiebar?

[RAAMaudio]

I think if this does any good you will need to be on race tires to really know for sure or the super sticky, near race tire summer only fastest autocross tires.

I have has some pretty serious stuff over the years so very much appreciate the stiffening of a chassis but only if it is a known issue, proven, engineered for racing and not marketing.....the strut towers in this car are very stout and mounted directly to the firewall, we have a free build in STB already

If you have not done so take a look with the cowl cover off, this is the most solid FWD, McStrut car I have ever seen, even the rear shock towers are braced to the back of the body.

I might test something a bit different, a piece cut from an extra part I have, modified a bit, one side of the two in this picture as it was a brace for an xbar door setup.

The E36 M3 Strut towers were very weak compared to the ST and absolutely needed an STB until you do something like this)

I actually had to go buy a hydralic spreader to push the towers back into place a bit as tweaked from the previous owner just doing autocrosses a lot.

 

[TheAndrew]

My E46 suffered from a soft front end. Even a cheap-o STB made a difference upon leaving my gravel driveway.

But why, oh why, are the struts so noisy on these STs? Clunk, bang, knock, over most imperfections.

 

[BlueBomber]

I think this will make a bigger difference in handling than a upper shock tower brace.

 

[RAAMaudio]

By the E46, somewhat on the E36, BMW started going to big, to heavy, to soft, to far away from what made them BMW....but most buyers are not really enthusiasts, M buyers far more than others and a few other examples but most buy for prestige so I guess they went for that bigger market.....

One thing I have learned and it is obvious many still know, you just cannot beat a light weight, small, well setup car for pure fun. I built some much bigger, never super heavy, high powered, fat tired, etc....but they were simply to much car....I had more fun in my 510 Datsun days, years I should say, going much slower but all out, all the time.....and got away with it, mostly

The ST is one such car, going a bit nuts on mine as it will be my only toy car now, still keeping it civil and reliable, I can hardly wait to get it back on the road, lots of roads, lots of tracks)

STB, I do not feel there is a need but there might be enough for a car well setup and on race tires. I might build a temp one to test it out to be sure, as I have a 5 way adjustable sway bar to test.

Rear Shock tower bar, I do not see a reason there again except if running coilovers then I would use one. If no coilovers then possibly need one with race tires.

I have looked over upgrades to the rear axle mounts at the chassis, not needed, the only thing I have done is stiffen up the spring perches to axle but it was because I made sway bar mounts there but now not likely going to run a rear sway as the much stiffer springs are taking care of that.

My take on putting on car mods, if it does not make your car faster, it makes is slower, 99.99% of the time.

If makes it slower but adds safety, a feature you like, you just want it, that is cool but parts that look like performance parts but do nothing are just not something I care to have, no matter how cool the look but
I do like style of course and dial in what I can but subtle ways as much as possible and nothing that slows me down unless it makes a different aspect of the car something I need from it.

 

[BlueBomber]

I REALLY like the difference in rear end feel the Steeda "rear sway bar stiffener" gives the car.... really inaccurate name, it's a brace that fits inside the U-channel of the rear dead axle/torsion beam or whatever - two holes used exist and the hardware used is nice, but then for the remaining two holes (really four holes, in one side of beam, out other for a bolt to go thru... damn hard to drill through)... man that was a bear. BUT it was well under $200, the quality is nice, instructions are very specific, came packaged well and the car feels like it's three wheeling a WHOLE lot less so the car feels much more composed when I throw it around a street corner.

 

[iso100]

I had a bar like that years ago on my 1993 Passat. I had to drill 8 holes and holy crap was it hard.

 

[BlueBomber]

It was so difficult it took me probably 6 hours over two days. Drilling each hole through took probably an hour each of actual drill time. REALLY exhausting.

 

[iso100]

To make it worse it started creaking after a few months and I was crushing the U channel trying to get rid of the squeak. My friend finally welded it into the car for me. Grin.

 

[re-rx7]

By the E46, somewhat on the E36, BMW started going to big, to heavy, to soft, to far away from what made them BMW....but most buyers are not really enthusiasts, M buyers far more than others and a few other examples but most buy for prestige so I guess they went for that bigger market.....

One thing I have learned and it is obvious many still know, you just cannot beat a light weight, small, well setup car for pure fun. I built some much bigger, never super heavy, high powered, fat tired, etc....but they were simply to much car....I had more fun in my 510 Datsun days, years I should say, going much slower but all out, all the time.....and got away with it, mostly

The ST is one such car, going a bit nuts on mine as it will be my only toy car now, still keeping it civil and reliable, I can hardly wait to get it back on the road, lots of roads, lots of tracks)

STB, I do not feel there is a need but there might be enough for a car well setup and on race tires. I might build a temp one to test it out to be sure, as I have a 5 way adjustable sway bar to test.

Rear Shock tower bar, I do not see a reason there again except if running coilovers then I would use one. If no coilovers then possibly need one with race tires.

I have looked over upgrades to the rear axle mounts at the chassis, not needed, the only thing I have done is stiffen up the spring perches to axle but it was because I made sway bar mounts there but now not likely going to run a rear sway as the much stiffer springs are taking care of that.

My take on putting on car mods, if it does not make your car faster, it makes is slower, 99.99% of the time.

If makes it slower but adds safety, a feature you like, you just want it, that is cool but parts that look like performance parts but do nothing are just not something I care to have, no matter how cool the look but
I do like style of course and dial in what I can but subtle ways as much as possible and nothing that slows me down unless it makes a different aspect of the car something I need from it.

Excellent post. I agree with this philosphy 100% as its the same as mine LOL