I have a 2002 540 that I installed KW coilovers on about 1 year ago. A guy wants to buy my car, so he asked that I get it inspected. So I took it to the dealer, where I bought my car and the guy there said that the brace for the struts looks like it's bowed out. I don't really see what he's talking about, but he says that the bolts that hold it in place are not as straight as they should be. He says that with the shorter springs, lower profile tires, the suspension takes more pounding, so things like that can happen. Has anyone heard of this happening? Do people usually add support or add reinforcements when they shorten the suspension? After you add shorter springs, do you have to make any camber adjustments?

Thanks.

Damn first I heard that! My understanding is that you should use a strut brace and a heavyer sways when you lower and increase the rims size because of the greater force. What kinda strut bar was it?


theDogger

Well, it's not the strut bar, its the tower brace - the part of the frame that the struts secure to. I don't really see it, and I'm not going to sweat it. In case his words have any truth to them, I'll probably end up putting on a strut bar.

i know the part he's talking about. it should not bend, period. even if there is an increased force form normal driving, it would not be enough to bend it.

mine actually did break in half only because it had developed an undiagnosed stress fracture after an accident. [i found this out after a MATE grad student at my school did a fracture analysis on my old part. so, this is a possibility. has the car had any front end collisions that could put a huge stress on the suspension?

no collisions. I have hit a few potholes, but nothing at great speed and nothing to dent my wheels (19" with pretty low profile tires). So I think this service guys was on crack.

Originally posted by homerjsimpson
So I think this service guys was on crack.

crack, huh? i hear that happens sometimes :)