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Interested in helping me install some strut tower defenders on an R53 in NYC?
Just bought an R53 and both towers are deformed so I bought STDs and UTIs from cravenspeed to sandwich it back in shape like on my other R53. I don't have jacks or anything out in NYC so before I buy anything to do it myself just checking to see if anyone is interested in helping, seems kind of simple to take it to a shop but maybe I will try that if I don't get any bites. Just wondering if a home gamer wants to do it or help me do it for some money or beer.
There are youtube videos with all sorts of helpful demos on fixing/adjusting about everything on these li'l guys.
Here's a start. Your do need to level out the frame furst. I installed the M7 plates m'self. The only strict element is torque on the nuts at 25#.
The video shows under the tower plates but the ones shown in the two links below might be easier to install.
Doing both over and under is the best way to fix the mushrooming! That being said, you could do just the “top only” pretty easily with minimum tools. Then decide if you need the under ones. Good luck!
(just a disclaimer, I did the over and IE Fixed Camber plates, which are basically an under too! Never have had any issues with over 100k miles and over 10k of those on the Dragon !)
Originally Posted by GrantG
Just bought an R53 and both towers are deformed so I bought STDs and UTIs from cravenspeed to sandwich it back in shape like on my other R53. I don't have jacks or anything out in NYC so before I buy anything to do it myself just checking to see if anyone is interested in helping, seems kind of simple to take it to a shop but maybe I will try that if I don't get any bites. Just wondering if a home gamer wants to do it or help me do it for some money or beer.
Doing both over and under is the best way to fix the mushrooming! That being said, you could do just the “top only” pretty easily with minimum tools. Then decide if you need the under ones. Good luck!
(just a disclaimer, I did the over and IE Fixed Camber plates, which are basically an under too! Never have had any issues with over 100k miles and over 10k of those on the Dragon !)
I have another R53 that I have done both over and under on in Iowa. This "new" R53 will live in NYC for when I'm out here for work. The driver side tower is pretty bad, so I think I'll need both but maybe I'll start with just the tops like you said.
NYC you will need both as I have been their in the MINI and the roads can be pretty bad, I was dodging man hole covers all the time. I am going to get the HT ones if i go back into the big city soon.
Finally got around to fixing this. Did new powerflex everything in the front end, ball joints, new control arms, and painted the subframe black again. New England rust is a real thing. Subframe ready to go back in. Subframe painted and starting to reassemble. This is the before of the driver side tower. Had to beat the **** out of it to get my reinforcement plates to line up. Brushed off all the loose rust before painting with a rust inhibitor (hopefully it works)
