Which are the best? I plan on autocrossing a 2006 Cooper S I just purchased and the towers are not shockingly mushroomed. So, definitely need to hop on it. I plan on running in street class, so I probably can't run an upper cross member or support.

Also, what is the final word, pound back flat or let the support pull the metal back in place?

 

I went with IE camber plates. Not only do they strengthen your strut towers, but you also get an extra degree of negative camber...making the car handle a little better. Oh, and I would pound them back flat before putting the new plates on.

https://www.waymotorworks.com/irelan...e-r50-r53.html

 

I doubt he can run camber plates in the street class.

Definitely pound them back flat first. I have the M7 plates. They work. I’m sure the other offerings from the likes of CravenSpeed and WMW work just as well. I’ve also heard good things about the under tower indurators from CravenSpeed, but I have no experience with them myself.

 

How would they ever know? Do they measure alignment specs on cars that compete in that class? Just wondering.....

 

You can just look at the strut tops. The IE fixed camber plates are obviously different than stock.

 

Aren't top mount plates on and off real easy? For an event, unbolt, remove plate and re torque to 25# then replace later. Just wonderin'.

 

I'm running those same Ireland engineering camber plates on my car and unless you know exactly what you're looking for as far as R53 front strut mounts go, no one's ever going to know. They look just like stock ones....the only difference is that the plate itself is a little bit thicker, but you would never know because it's underneath the strut mount itself.. you can't even tell by looking at it.

Just saying.....

 

something something cheating something something not playing by the ruleset something.

 

I don't know the rules for that class.....but if an extra 1.25 degrees of camber is breaking the rules, then don't do it.

 

The struts aren’t centered in the towers with those plates. Dead giveaway if you’ve ever looked at a first gen. Plus, I expect you’d be missing the caps, and the upper bearing is a Z3 one, IIRC.

 

Most R53 fanatics don't know that and couldn't tell the difference....and you think your average track inspector would? No way.

But....I guess if you are worried about it, don't buy them.

 

Upper or top supports will help about 50%. Not really sheet metal "bulge", or bending protection
A "true" mechanical support NEEDS to come from the same place as the load... that is UNDER the sheet metal. As shown, there (or were) a couple of people making them

See here - https://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coo...-g-forces.html

Would be a good idea to put a radius (or chamfer) on the upper edges where these will rest on the inside of the tower. n Then a coat of paint so the bare metal doesn't rust so quickly/

Mike

 

IE Camber plates support from underneath 👍

 

Yep...have those in my car. Have the Ireland Engineering (helps to spell the whole word) bars in the back also.
I had bought the plates that I noted above to install. Then when I found the front wheels were 0° camber (unloaded), I decided to go for the adjustable plates. Kill two birds with one stone...as they say..!

Mike

 

Yeah, I can't go with the Camber Plates. Unlikely anyone would notice, but if they did and protested I would be DQ'd. Appreciate the responses. Looks like I'll need to source a good block of wood to get these back flat before putting the plates in.

Dstreet you can change one bar, add adjustable shocks (no coilovers), have a cat-back, +/- 1" diameter wheels and offset can differ by no more tha 5 mm, and 200 TW tires is the max. Everything else pretty much needs to be stock. Heck, the car came with cross drilled rotors that will throw me out of class.

 

I am running our ECS plates for some time now. Easy to install and has the correct finished nuts. Thats my R52 with them.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part...001717ecs01~a/

 

Ordered a set from Madness Motorworks. The guy emailed me and said it would be a couple weeks, and asked if that was okay. I said it is OK if they get here by the 19th because i want to install them that weekend and I have an Autocross event the following weekend on the 28th. He said he understood. Today, they still have not shipped. So, I cancelled the order. Now he's acting like he didn't understand what I meant by "If you can have them to me by the 19th, then thats ok, if not, I need to order them elsewhere." You know how to never get my business again, that's how you do it. He actually said "he would have them on Friday, whats the big deal, its just 2 more days." The big deal is I need them on my car by Saturday so I can race on Sunday. And you are not me, so them being with you does ME no good. What an idiot.

Went to Cravenspeed, got a pair on the way, 2 day shipped. I have their cell phone holder, which is really nice, attaches to the back of the tachometer.

The Bridgestone RE-71Rs are being discontinued so to avoid possibly having mismatched tires if something happened to one of them, I went with the Falken Zzenis RT660s. Also have new motor mounts on the way. Going to swap them in as well. Then just need to replace the brake fluid, throw on the new tires, magnets, and rock and roll!!

 

Love how they look (contrasting black/orange) on your R52.
What I like best is; the simplicity. Install looks clean and easy.
Glad I caught this older thread in time - I was just about to pull the trigger on the CS variant.
Not that the CS is less desirable...Just too many bits and pieces for my likes..

BTW: It would be nice if you re-did the installation video to cover start to finish. Maybe on a day that didn't call for rain?
Edit: Ooops! - My mistake. It appears someone else (not ECS) created/posted the vid.

 

BTW: @ECSTuning , do you have a part # for extra nuts for these strut tower plates?

 

Following

 

Hello,

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part.../001717ecs03a/ we only have a couple of them in right now as they other were consumed in our built kits on shelf.


Thanks for the support

 

Thanks!!!
Any idea how often you stock them??

 

We have like 9 in stock right now. More on way from the supplier as they have to be machined. Not a standard nut.