Someone please explain to me how the M7 strut plates help in stopping "mushrooming". A plate under the area makes sense, but a plate on top? How is that not allowing the tower to be pushed up?

 

 

But if you think about it, its not trying to bend the 1/2" plate, its sitting on top of whats bending. If the 1/2" plate was on the bottom, or sandwiched the 1/16" sheetmetal, that would make sense.

 

 

How dare you question this product? Just send in your money and you won't be hurt. :impatient

 

Kyle,

Think of it this way: Punch a hole in drwall, then try to punch a hole in drywall with a stud behind it. Similar principle.

 

 

Put a piece of paper on top of a mattress and punch it. Notice how the paper deforms?

Now try the same thing with the paper on a concrete floor

The goal isn't to prevent the force from acting on the top of the strut tower, it's just to make the force required to deform the metal higher than any force normally experienced in that area. A hard enough slam will still rip the sheet metal (with plate attached) right off the car. It'll just come off flatter than without the reinforcement plates

 

ok I understand what you are getting at. But with that same arguement, a stud is attached at the top and bottom of a wall. These plates are just a floating plate. If you attached a 6"x6" piece of stud (reinforcement plate) behind a piece of sheet rock and punch it, it wont help. It will still be attached, but pushed up. A stud in a wall is attached to another sorce to give it strength, alone it does nothing. As for the concrete floor, same idea. The reinforced plate is not attached in any manor that will stop it from being pushed up.

 

Actually not true since these plates are bolted to the top of the strut with the studs coming through the strut tower. So they are not just a "floating plate" like the metal was glued to the top of the existing strut tower surface.

If you don't think they work, don't buy them. But after seeing how they work, and seeing mushrooming firsthand on other Minis, I won't own this generation of Mini without them.

 

I understand the mechanics of how they are mounted. But just because its bolted to the top doesnt mean the sheet metal wont push up in a doomed fashion with the plate on top.

 

Look at it like this, when the struts mushroom, studs do not just move vertically, they tend to fan outward as well. By having a thick piece of metal bolted to the top you not only prevent the upward motion of mushrooming but also the deformation of how the studs sit in the strut tower.

Standard strut ||
Mushroomed strut \ /

 

 

I just think a bottom plate (camber plate, or other) in conjunction with this product would make a whole lot more sense.

 

 

If you live near bad roads, get them. Take it from me, I have hammered my towers back down once already.

 

well i just ordered some a while back and recieved them in the mail today. still have yet to install them but i find it ALMOST common sense that it'll help it not to mushroom. maybe not the FULL 100% but pretty darn close.
if the srp's dont make sense. just go with the camber plates and not the srp's. not bashing on you. but just making it simple.

 

They work because you are spreading the load through more material to help resist stretching the metal. This comes from clamping pressure over a larger surface area with the "thin" tower top sandwiched betwen the tophat and the thicker plate.

 

BTW M7's are not available until mid September - back order. Ask me how I know...

 

Is it because you called M7?

 

You might try Way Motor Works. They have them in custom colors (made especially for them by M7) so they should have them in stock.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/MINI/M7...3/Default.aspx

 

 

Thank you guys.

I called Fastmini and they had it. Called them on Monday and got it on Thursday in B'ham Al. Just installed it. It took me 15', it fitted perfect. Now the hood liner is wet with about 50# of "stuff" on top of the hood to smash the liner. Will test tomorrow - cant't wait!

 

I have the m7 srp and think they are great but in hind sight I should have paid a little extra an gotten strut tower brace. that is only 199.00 and does the same thing the srp's do and also helps keep the front end from flexing. Maybe I can sell the srp's for 90.00 shipped and put that money towards the stb.

 

There was a thread somewhere, cant find it now, but the guy wetted his liner but also used hairspray, he said it kept the liner in a perfect molded shape. I'll get around to trying this one day for my car . Just some info to share .