R50/53 Strut tower braces for convertibles
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,965
Likes: 393
From: In the here and now, for now.
5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 795
Likes: 122
From: SoCal
Tombstone -
Something to think seriously about, that it if you want to "actually" help strengthen the tower from "mushrooming", DO NOT use the plates that are bolted onto the "top" of the shock tower (visible).
The type that are used between the shock mounting plate (the ones that can't be seen) and the tower are a MUCH better design. They actually, more evenly spread the forces from hard hits from hitting pot holes, tire stops, rocks, etc. The ones bolted on top help to keep the three studs mostly straight up and down, but don't do as much as they "could" as if they were on the underside of the strut.
High school physics, 101.
As for the tower struts... Again dynamics and physics wise, get a "straight" bar, like the BMW, JCW bar. It's straight for a VERY good reason. There a few on the market, search them out. Bars with bends are just paper weights. Again, you can verify this talking to any Junior Collage Mechanical Engineering or Physic's teacher. A bar with a bend in it, is ACTUALLY a spring. A straight bar is MUCH more resistant to collapse than a bar with ANY...sort of bend in it.
When I bought my 05 JCW, it had a tower strut bar. It had a small bend, one at each end. That bar has now been removed and I replaced it with a straight bar.
One more thing, but it's a little more involved. Bar kits that have "oval" mounting holes, end up acting much like a bar with a bend in it ! You can and should make shims, or spacers to close up the space left by the room in the oval hole. I also did this to my car..!
This is called a "friction" joint. Friction joints will easily slip when forced. But a spacer to fill the hole prevents this slip and makes the joint many, MANY times stronger.
Mike
Something to think seriously about, that it if you want to "actually" help strengthen the tower from "mushrooming", DO NOT use the plates that are bolted onto the "top" of the shock tower (visible).
The type that are used between the shock mounting plate (the ones that can't be seen) and the tower are a MUCH better design. They actually, more evenly spread the forces from hard hits from hitting pot holes, tire stops, rocks, etc. The ones bolted on top help to keep the three studs mostly straight up and down, but don't do as much as they "could" as if they were on the underside of the strut.
High school physics, 101.
As for the tower struts... Again dynamics and physics wise, get a "straight" bar, like the BMW, JCW bar. It's straight for a VERY good reason. There a few on the market, search them out. Bars with bends are just paper weights. Again, you can verify this talking to any Junior Collage Mechanical Engineering or Physic's teacher. A bar with a bend in it, is ACTUALLY a spring. A straight bar is MUCH more resistant to collapse than a bar with ANY...sort of bend in it.
When I bought my 05 JCW, it had a tower strut bar. It had a small bend, one at each end. That bar has now been removed and I replaced it with a straight bar.
One more thing, but it's a little more involved. Bar kits that have "oval" mounting holes, end up acting much like a bar with a bend in it ! You can and should make shims, or spacers to close up the space left by the room in the oval hole. I also did this to my car..!
This is called a "friction" joint. Friction joints will easily slip when forced. But a spacer to fill the hole prevents this slip and makes the joint many, MANY times stronger.
Mike
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 484
From: Atlanta, GA
Tombstone -
Something to think seriously about, that it if you want to "actually" help strengthen the tower from "mushrooming", DO NOT use the plates that are bolted onto the "top" of the shock tower (visible).
The type that are used between the shock mounting plate (the ones that can't be seen) and the tower are a MUCH better design. They actually, more evenly spread the forces from hard hits from hitting pot holes, tire stops, rocks, etc. The ones bolted on top help to keep the three studs mostly straight up and down, but don't do as much as they "could" as if they were on the underside of the strut.
High school physics, 101.
As for the tower struts... Again dynamics and physics wise, get a "straight" bar, like the BMW, JCW bar. It's straight for a VERY good reason. There a few on the market, search them out. Bars with bends are just paper weights. Again, you can verify this talking to any Junior Collage Mechanical Engineering or Physic's teacher. A bar with a bend in it, is ACTUALLY a spring. A straight bar is MUCH more resistant to collapse than a bar with ANY...sort of bend in it.
When I bought my 05 JCW, it had a tower strut bar. It had a small bend, one at each end. That bar has now been removed and I replaced it with a straight bar.
One more thing, but it's a little more involved. Bar kits that have "oval" mounting holes, end up acting much like a bar with a bend in it ! You can and should make shims, or spacers to close up the space left by the room in the oval hole. I also did this to my car..!
This is called a "friction" joint. Friction joints will easily slip when forced. But a spacer to fill the hole prevents this slip and makes the joint many, MANY times stronger.
Mike
Something to think seriously about, that it if you want to "actually" help strengthen the tower from "mushrooming", DO NOT use the plates that are bolted onto the "top" of the shock tower (visible).
The type that are used between the shock mounting plate (the ones that can't be seen) and the tower are a MUCH better design. They actually, more evenly spread the forces from hard hits from hitting pot holes, tire stops, rocks, etc. The ones bolted on top help to keep the three studs mostly straight up and down, but don't do as much as they "could" as if they were on the underside of the strut.
High school physics, 101.
As for the tower struts... Again dynamics and physics wise, get a "straight" bar, like the BMW, JCW bar. It's straight for a VERY good reason. There a few on the market, search them out. Bars with bends are just paper weights. Again, you can verify this talking to any Junior Collage Mechanical Engineering or Physic's teacher. A bar with a bend in it, is ACTUALLY a spring. A straight bar is MUCH more resistant to collapse than a bar with ANY...sort of bend in it.
When I bought my 05 JCW, it had a tower strut bar. It had a small bend, one at each end. That bar has now been removed and I replaced it with a straight bar.
One more thing, but it's a little more involved. Bar kits that have "oval" mounting holes, end up acting much like a bar with a bend in it ! You can and should make shims, or spacers to close up the space left by the room in the oval hole. I also did this to my car..!
This is called a "friction" joint. Friction joints will easily slip when forced. But a spacer to fill the hole prevents this slip and makes the joint many, MANY times stronger.
Mike
edit: These.
Last edited by deepgrey; Dec 25, 2021 at 05:04 PM.
5th Gear
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 697
Likes: 247
From: Vashon, WA
I am.
I installed these last among the many chassis-stiffening mods I have listed in my signature. They didn't make a discernable difference at that point, but might be more noticeable on a less modded car.
What is it you are trying to achieve?
I installed these last among the many chassis-stiffening mods I have listed in my signature. They didn't make a discernable difference at that point, but might be more noticeable on a less modded car.
What is it you are trying to achieve?
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Ladyvalea
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