I spent a long time looking for non-hinged front and rear strut braces so I thought I'd post this for those who need them.

Non-hinged strut braces
FRONT : Sparco
http://www.bimmerworld.com/html/sparco-front-strut-tower-bar---steel.htm

REAR : Wiechers
http://auto-mark.com/e36parts.html

vinax

Rogue has a CF, non-hinged strut brace that looks interesting--supposedly, CF won't deform when hot and is plenty stiff
I think aluminum is better than steel with respect to thermal expansion

Rogue has a CF, non-hinged strut brace that looks interesting--supposedly, CF won't deform when hot and is plenty stiff
I think aluminum is better than steel with respect to thermal expansion

I dont think the braces will be subject to as much heat as to cause a problem. The Wiechers front strut bar looks amazing (and strong) too but I had already bought the Sparco - just look at the picture in the above link.

no doubt, the Sparco is a sweet looking piece--enjoy

na bro the cf one is garbage, and is way overpriced, id go for the steel one. If you plan for the bar to actualy do something then i would def go for the steel. The aluminum is not as strong, and feels very cheap in ur hands. The steel wont get that hot that it will contract, and shrink do to the heat, ur front hood it steel does it expand? on a nano level u can, but its no more than a few nano meters.


id go for the steel if your looking for a performance increase, and go for CF if your looking for looks. The hinge idea is stupid too, because u want the strutbars to be at the same level, not one higher than the other, so for racing, or on tracks it does absoultely nothing. but it is ur choice.

na bro the cf one is garbage, and is way overpriced, id go for the steel one. If you plan for the bar to actualy do something then i would def go for the steel. The aluminum is not as strong, and feels very cheap in ur hands. The steel wont get that hot that it will contract, and shrink do to the heat, ur front hood it steel does it expand? on a nano level u can, but its no more than a few nano meters.


id go for the steel if your looking for a performance increase, and go for CF if your looking for looks. The hinge idea is stupid too, because u want the strutbars to be at the same level, not one higher than the other, so for racing, or on tracks it does absoultely nothing. but it is ur choice.

:confused WTF are you talking about?? The Rogue CF piece is quality and the OP said he is getting a NON-hinged piece. Do you actually think that the motor produces enough heat to actually affect a strut bar or a hood :help

vinax, the sparco one is pretty flimsy. Honestly, strut braces don't make that much of a difference in auto-x. Spend the money on seat time or tires.

Jim Mason of Mason Chassis Engineering constantly sells his solid from and rear bars for various model 3's on ebay for a fair price. Available in a brushed aluminum or powder coated steel construction.

Example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270020487682&category=33591

vinax, the sparco one is pretty flimsy. Honestly, strut braces don't make that much of a difference in auto-x. Spend the money on seat time or tires.

Too late, i already bought the following
1) LTW X-brace (so many people recommended this mod) BOUGHT
2) Sparco Front Bar (there were some good reviews about this one) BOUGHT
3) Weichers Rear Bar (only almunium non-hinged one i could find) - Should i get the rear bar or not? If nothing it should reduce the stress on the rear strut towers which on the E36 are prone to failure (apparently)

Vinax
1. The Xbrace makes more of a difference than any strut bar. It is a good, cheap mod.
2. Once you get the Sparco bar, you will see what I am talking about
3. Not worth it. Don't you have the GC rear shock mounts? If not, the rear reinforcements are $30 for a pair.

Vinax
3. Not worth it. Don't you have the GC rear shock mounts? If not, the rear reinforcements are $30 for a pair.

I thought that reinforcements and the mounts are two different things. The reinforcement need to be welded in. And the mount is just that - a mount.

Anyway how difficult should the installation of either one be??

I have Strong Strut front and rear bars which did wonders in tightening up the cowl shake and general flex of my car, but I have a convertible. Parts weren't cheap, but they did work.

What about JT Designs. They make both front and rear.

BTW when metal gets hot it expands, not contracts. With the heat under the hood it will expand somewhat but it will be extremely miniscule.

Strong strut all the way. I've had my hands on just about every brand of strut bar and for the money, the strong-strut bar is hands down the best.

I thought that reinforcements and the mounts are two different things. The reinforcement need to be welded in. And the mount is just that - a mount.

Anyway how difficult should the installation of either one be??

I'm taking about the reinforcements for the rear shock mounts. The GC rear shock mounts have them as part of the mount. The ones that need to be welded are the rear subframe reinforcements.

Jim Mason of Mason Chassis Engineering constantly sells his solid from and rear bars for various model 3's on ebay for a fair price. Available in a brushed aluminum or powder coated steel construction.

Example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270020487682&category=33591

i have his set of aluminum front and rear....he now makes an adjustable front like the one that came on the ltw's. his first name is john i believe not jim. i wont be able to do him justice. his knowledge and experience are, from people i have delt with, second to none. if someone is intrested in finding out more give the man a call.

na bro the cf one is garbage, and is way overpriced, id go for the steel one. If you plan for the bar to actualy do something then i would def go for the steel. The aluminum is not as strong, and feels very cheap in ur hands. The steel wont get that hot that it will contract, and shrink do to the heat, ur front hood it steel does it expand? on a nano level u can, but its no more than a few nano meters.


id go for the steel if your looking for a performance increase, and go for CF if your looking for looks. The hinge idea is stupid too, because u want the strutbars to be at the same level, not one higher than the other, so for racing, or on tracks it does absoultely nothing. but it is ur choice.

Do you have any clue what you ar talking about? Since when does steel contract when it gets hot? :rolleyes

The bar is there to resist compression and tension created by the relative movement of one shock tower to another, and steel, aluminum or CF if designed properly will all do the job. A hinged bar will do this just as well as a fixed one.

A hinged bar will do this just as well as a fixed one.

i won't subscribe to this

i won't subscribe to this

Whether a bar is pinned at both ends or fixed at both ends does not affect its ability to support tensile or compressive loads. It's end conditions will change the load it buckles at, but whens the last time someone did that? A pinned bar will not support any moments however.

If you dont believe me, well, you are wrong :stickoutt, and I could refer you to some textbooks or classes in the subject.

can you direct me to any of these sources that can be found on the internet. but when i think hinged i think they would allow movement. movement to me would mean that, at least during that small margin of time the truts towers are moving, it's not being as effective keeping the car flat. so will you acknowledge that hinged bars do move, but based apon the sources you have read this movement is so minor to justify that a non-hinged bar is superiour.

can you direct me to any of these sources that can be found on the internet. but when i think hinged i think they would allow movement. movement to me would mean that, at least during that small margin of time the truts towers are moving, it's not being as effective keeping the car flat. so will you acknowledge that hinged bars do move, but based apon the sources you have read this movement is so minor to justify that a non-hinged bar is superiour.

I dont like internet sources, because, well, they suck 99% of the time. I shouldnt really have to support something like this, its basic engineering stuff taught in ME/CE or anything related to those.

Anyways, I dont think you are getting it. I'm talking about forces along the longitudinal axis of the bar (if you want to think about it that way), these are forces that will put the bar in tension or compression. It doesnt matter how the ends of the bar are supported, the reactions and analysis are the same.

A hinged/pinned bar cannot support moments created by forces at the end of the bar normal to the longitudinal axis, it will simply rotate. A fixed strut bar that long and that small, made out of steel, aluminum, or CF will deflect long before it does anything significant to add to the chassis stiffness.

A hinged bar can be easier to install, and just as effective (or just as ineffective) as a fixed bar. It really doesn't matter which way you go with either, but to say a hinged bar does nothing is simply wrong.

thank you for your diplomatic post.

http://auto-mark.com/strutbars.html

This sums it up nicely.

http://e30m3performance.com/myths/Strutbar_Theory/strut_bar_theory.htm

Some good strut bar theory

thank you for the links

I'm talking about forces along the longitudinal axis of the bar (if you want to think about it that way), these are forces that will put the bar in tension or compression. It doesnt matter how the ends of the bar are supported, the reactions and analysis are the same.

A hinged/pinned bar cannot support moments created by forces at the end of the bar normal to the longitudinal axis, it will simply rotate. A fixed strut bar that long and that small, made out of steel, aluminum, or CF will deflect long before it does anything significant to add to the chassis stiffness.

A hinged bar can be easier to install, and just as effective (or just as ineffective) as a fixed bar. It really doesn't matter which way you go with either, but to say a hinged bar does nothing is simply wrong.
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