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Home » Products » Suspension » Strut and Stress Bars  
cabriobraces.jpg
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OEM Cabrio Cross Braces
Reviews Views Date of last review
4 15378 2/7/2011
spacer
Recommended By Average Price Average Rating
100% of reviewers $40.00 8.3
cabriobraces.jpg


Description: Looking for more rigidity in your R53 chassis?? When MINI launched the cabrio they needed to add some strengthening to make up for the missing roof. Their solution was these braces. So if you AutoX or track your MINI and need to firm up the front end, here is an OEM solution that will help strengthen and tie your strut mounts back to the rest of the chassis and remove some flex. The engineers at MINI found they would stiffen the chassis on the Cabrio.

Includes 1 left brace
1 right brace
8 screws to install
Keywords: OEM Cabrio Cross Braces
Web site: http://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-cab...oss-brace.html


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ZippyNH
6th Gear

Registered: September 2009
Location: Southern NH
Posts: 4178
Review Date: 11/27/2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Less dash rattles, more stable handling, very low cost...also they look like should have been installed at the factory!!
Cons: Seem to help some people more than others!! Changes are subtle...not a magic bullet...but still worth it IMO

This $45 OEM part, designed for the Cabrio's only, happens to fits the standard R-53. After installing it, the effects, while somewhat subtle, are noticeable, and IMO warrant spending the money and the time on install.
After installing them, my rattles(the only ones I had were from my dash) are in a word GONE!! A set of railroad tracks, a bunch of manhole covers and a few rough stretches of road I drove over are all blessedly silent.... Overall I am impressed.
But not only did this part quiet my dash rattles, but it also made my handling and steering more precise. While it is hard to quantify, it seems to be on the order of adding a strut brace. Full throttle launches also seem to be more straight (but it is tough to tell since I have snow tires on now). As a 100% street driver I can say the changes are subtle...but noticeable. While installing them is not like "holy crap"...it is like...hmmm..that is better...more precise....more accurate!! It is just enough to say....wow...why was this not installed from the factory!!
Your mileage may vary, but for only $45 or so and an hours time or less, it is a great mod IMO.
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JCWMiniNewb
1st Gear

Registered: June 2010
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 25
Review Date: 7/10/2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Inexpensive, Easy to Install
Cons: None

After purchasing my MCS w/ JCW tuning kit, I was looking for simple and inexpensive mod to do myself. This looked easy to install on my own while not breaking the bank.

Installation wasn't without a hitch, but it's not the fault of the product. Removing a rubber screw on the driver-side required replacement due to being old, and was tough to remove, but once this was taken out the install was quick. If someone has done this mod before, I can't see it taking more than 5 minutes to do.

I immediately noticed the creaks and groans in the front of the car from typical driving disappeared. I mean completely gone. Just for this result, the mod was worth the $45 paid.

I can't really feel a difference in handling, but I wasn't expecting a huge difference in my daily driving experience. If there is a difference, it's so subtle it's hardly worth mentioning in a review.

I wasn't too thrilled with the stupid sticker on the passenger-side brace, but it's not a deal breaker. The two braces and 8 screws weight approximately 1 pound combined, which is much less than expected.

I can't recommend these for handling improvement, because quite frankly I can't feel it. Perhaps a driver more in-tune with his ride will feel the difference better than I can. But they are definitely worth the money for the elimination of cabin sounds.
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JBC4317
3rd Gear

Registered: June 2010
Location: Hot-n-Sunny Central CA
Posts: 167
Review Date: 11/3/2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 0 

 
Pros:
Cons:

I installed these a couple weeks back without incident. They were easy to install in the existing bolt holes. Too early to tell if they are going to make a difference. To cover the cost, I guess I'll go without a beer purchase for a week or so...
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Checkmate_2006
4th Gear

Registered: December 2010
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 385
Review Date: 2/7/2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $40.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: ease of installation, cost, availabilty
Cons: no noticeable difference

Though I haven't noticed a difference personally, I figure there must be a reason they are installed from the factory on the R52. Any little bit helps to stiffen the frame, and though I have not experienced a change in handling, I am satisfied they are serving a purpose. Plus for $40 I couldn't go wrong.
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