I have a 2003 MCS JCW with 47k and front strut has mushroomed (and collapsed, so the dealer says). Mini says the trouble is not covered in the Manuf Warranty since it is not a defect. My question is, how does this happen with regular driving? Yea there are areas of construction in town with uneven asphalt transitions, but should that cause the mushroom effect?

Since not a warranty item I'm in the market for suspension that is AutoCross eligible should I go that route when the warranty expires. Also, what gear prevents the future mushrooming? What opinions are out there?

 

this is an extensively discussed subject. a search will give you plenty of answers

 

I've never heard of a strut...mushrooming. That's a new one for me. Sorry to hear that it had to happen to your Mini.

 

M7 has a few products to help prevent/minimize mushrooming...

http://www.customminishop.com/product/m7-srp.htm

http://www.customminishop.com/product/m7-stb.htm

I just installed the strut brace at MOTD... Very happy with the difference in front end performance, as well as the peace of mind re: mushrooming.

I was talking to the Custom Mini Shop guys at their MOTD tent. They mentioned that this could potentially save big $$ on future repairs. After hearing your story , I guess I'm sold...

-Ed

 

It might be better to say that M7 has a product which they claim to help prevent/minimize mushrooming.

Personally, I believe that proper reinforcement would have to be placed BENEATH the strut tower and not on top of it. Also, I would be concerned to have my struts mounted onto my car using nuts that are not fully engaged on the stud, considering how this arrangement compromises the strength of the stud/nut connection.

My feeling is that this piece gives the same placebo affect peace of mind one would get knowing that their engine bay was illuminated by the cool blue LED's of an M7 Plasma Booster. . . .

 

Good point...
Well, it's my understanding that there is already a plate under the sheet metal of the car frame. Isn't that what mushrooms out? I think (after looking at it closely post-install) that the M7 part "sandwiches" the body sheetmetal between itself and the plate below. But, I could be wrong...

Well, this could well be true. In my case, I wanted the strut brace anyway. The reinforcement claim swayed me to the M7 part instead of another brand. But pricing wasn't that different anyway (at least at MOTD)...

-Ed

 

The plate below that you're referring to is the top of the strut, which is what's pushing against the tower. There is no addittional reinforcement underneath to my knowledge. If there was, we wouldn't need M7's reinforcement.

 

The idea is to sandwhich the metal thus providing you a bit more support. Stuff like this does work (they do it in aviation all the time).

I don't think that it will "prevent" it, but it will definetly make it harder to happen.

 

The sandwich idea is great, but what's happening here is the strut mount is bending, and takes the tower with it. Consensus from shops in this area is the runflats are the #1 cause of this issue.

The preferred solution is the replace the strut mount with a more solid camber plate (fixed or adjustable) thus eliminating the weak component. Camber plate doesn't bend therefore the tower doesn't bend.

This is a weakenss that has plages BMW for years. E36 mounts bent, and in the M3 they actually added a reinforcment plate to correct the issue (but not on the other E36). I've been told by a BMW serivce manager the E46 has markings on the front strut mount to gauge the amount it bends - beyond a certain point they replace (not covered by warranty, it's driver error)

Again solution replace the weak part with a strong part, camber plate.

 

it is indeed, and you know what else has been debated at great length already? M7's reinforcement plates and their efficacy. Guys, please just let it drop, everyone has their own opinion on this, and nobody will ever agree. . .

 

CMS has installed more than 100 sets of M7 SRP plates and STBs and not one person has reported additional mushrooming or nut/bolt failures. We see some of these cars on a regular basis and can only believe that these M7 products work as advertised.

Steve

 

My wife and I both have 2006 MCS convertibles, with the same options and the same wheels and tires. We drive on the same streets and our driving styles are similar.

With her car, we didn't install the M7 plates until the car had about 6500 miles on it. By that point, the passenger tower was mushroomed enough that the plate wouldn't even fit over the studs - I had to do the "hammer/block of wood" routine in order to install the plates.

Later, when we got my car, I put the M7 plates on the night I brought the car home from the dealership. At 7500 miles, I replaced the M7 plates with their Strut Tower Brace, and there had been *no* deflection of the strut towers at all - the endplates for the STB dropped right over the studs and laid perfectly flat on the towers.

I realize this is nothing more than one more anecdotal data point, but with two virtually-identical MINIs in the same household, I think it's interesting.