Installed the M7 Monster Strut Bar. I reversed the typical install method of the actual strut bar to leave me room to fit the final version of the CAI.



Definitely a solid piece that has improved turn-in greatly. More than I expected to be honest. You can definitely feel the back end wanting to swing around the front inside tire while turning in a nice controlled manner. It really keeps the towers in place and the front planted.

A rear sway bar will really tighten it all up and coilovers should perfect it!

Thanks for a great product M7!

 

Forgive my ignorance, but is there any disadvantage to having a strut bar?

Maybe it's just me looking for stuff to buy, but I'm interested even though I don't know too much about these things. I'm not an offroader, and I don't think even think I drive my R60 THAT hard (maybe I'm babying it too much), but I do enjoy driving, whether its on city streets, freeways or canyons.

So besides cost, am I going to lose out on anything when I have this installed?

 

Literally nothing to lose other than a few bucks. Tightens up the front end, helps turn in and looks cool. This and a rear sway bar would be a great combo as a simple improvement in handling.

 

from my understanding, you'll really notice the difference when you drive the car hard, but what about casual driving around town? Does it make the Mini even stiffer or any drawbacks like that?

 

Yes, it makes the front end stiffer. That's the purpose of a strut bar.

But don't compare that to springs, where you will feel the effect of the springs at all times.

Strut bars basically have zero negative effects when installed properly.

 

Strut tower bars are a great mod for cars that need some extra chassis stiffness. Based on the opinion above, it seems the CM benefits from the extra support, so it would be good to start with before suspension. Getting the chassis flex to a minimum will improve the feel, whether on factory or modified suspension. My MK3 Supra was said to not benefit, but my Integra definitely did.

On some cars it can make maintenance slightly more difficult, as it may block or restrict access to areas of the engine near the bar. In the case of the CM it doesn't appear to be an issue.

I'd say go for it, but bear in mind that this isn't a night-and-day mod in itself. You'll notice a difference more at the limit in a turn. If you plan to do more suspension, this is a great start

 

S4SF,

Thanks for the insight!

I'm so torn on whether or not to buy this.

What it really comes down to for me, is to make my ride a little more enjoyable. I wouldn't say I really drive my CM that hard, and by no means do I really push it. On most days, I just commute down the Peninsula and drive it around the city. Even taking turns on the city blocks is pretty fun for me. Occasionally, I'll take the drive to Stinson Beach along the 1 and push it a little bit on the curvy twists of the 1, or take it for a spin on Paradise Drive near Sausalito, but thats maybe like 2 or 3 times a year.

Do you think it will make my normal commute ride even more rigid? I don't plan on modding my car any further besides easy bolt on upgrades.

Knowing that, do you think this upgrade is still worth it for me?

thanks!!

 

Glad to be of help!

It won't compromise the ride at all. I'm not planning on doing suspension on my CM, since I have another car that I use for its light weight and handling characteristics. On that other car, however, I had front and rear strut braces to complement the suspension. It helped a lot with predicting what the car wanted to do, because that particular chassis flexed a lot. The reason I don't have them on anymore is rear storage (hatchback) and my front bar somehow doesn't fit after I removed it for maintenance recently.

If you were doing auto-x or track days I'd definitely recommend it. Another reason for which I'd recommend the bar is if you feel the chassis flex when you traverse over uneven pavement, such as driveways or any area that places all four wheels at a different height while you roll over it. If you can't hear or feel the flex, you probably won't notice a difference while driving with the bar.