I've been reading about the mushrooming on strut towers that can occur if/when I hit a pot-hole. This really concerns me as I've just ordered an R56 with Sport Package that comes with sport suspension and 17" wheels. The roads in Toronto are getting worse each year and frankly I have a feeling that sooner or later my car will show signs of this mushrooming.

I've noticed that there are braces that can be ordered and installed on the strut towers to reinforce them. Is this recommended for installation ASAP after I take delivery or can these be installed if/when the damage has been done (as a repair)?

The reviews on one of the products featured in NAM indicates that some of the insulation has to be removed from the underside of the bonnet to prevent it from bulging. Is the case for all such products or do some have a lower profile than others? If so, are they any weaker?

Your thoughts...?

i'm just starting to hear about this issue and, like you, are concerned. i have a JCW R56 w/ 18s on the hyper sport suspension. with what you've read and, hopefully, with what people write here...would the JCW strut brace be included as a solution for this? if so, i'm definitely ordering it b/c the north nj roads are much like the ones up in toronto (i know b/c i lived in don mills for a year).

Is that problem still prevalent with the R56? I kinda figured they would have tried to solve the problem already.
My passenger side blew out over the course of a couple of months. It made it up to about a 75-80% tear before I finally got the replacement part. ('02 MCS w/sport suspension, and 17" runflats...caught it prior to any mushrooming). Had 36,000 miles on it before it started to go.
Talking to people on here, there are many differing opinions as to the best solution. Some say just replacing the offending part, others swear on the strut tower brace, others use beefed up strut tower reinforcement plates. I do know that at least on the R52s, some of the strut tower braces can cause some interference with the hood closing without some modification to say your airbox. I am not sure with the R56, as the hood has more clearance between it and the engine now, right?
I guess it is time for the R56 people to chime in, as they would have more experience with the newer car.

camber plates will do the trick, but are installed below the strut tower. Just did a set of IE fixed camber plates on my R53. If you ever get a chance to look at the factory top strut guide (the plate that holds the bushing/bearing) out of the car, you will see how thin the metal plate is compared to a fixed or adjustable plate.

This is a pretty fair discussion of the topic: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ht=mushrooming