Will a front Strut Brace do anything for the handling of a MCS Convertible?
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Probably. I've never driven one without but it's got to help with the stiffness of the body. I have one in my 06 JCW cabriolet and after BR Racing took my car out to bed the new brakes, they commented that they'd never driven a cabriolet that felt so "tight" and solid. Can't say for sure what all contributed to that, but I'm sure the brace helps.

 

do you have the JCW strut brace?

 

Save your money for a different MOD.

 

I would get a rear sway bar first. Strut brace would do very little for handling and you would barley notice improvement in chassis stiffness. I got JCW strut brace for bling factor and that tiny improvement it provides but it helps that I got it for $130.

 

What would the rear sway bar cost? It sounds like a good mod!

 

Remember, the cabriolet is a more flexible car, so the strut would likely make more of a difference than it would in a coupe.

 

That's very true. I want the sway bar and the strut brace!

 

Get them one at a time so you can feel the effects of the components individually.
Expect anwhere from $150 to $250, I like the H-Sport 25.5 bar, cause its like a solid 22mm but weighs only 5.5lbs.

 

i have the m7 brace and have had it off and on over the years. i have noticed no effect on handling whatsoever. i suspect the plates are protection against "mushrooming" though. i think the upper brace is mostly bling. now an adjustable rear sway bar and front lower strut bar make definite improvements that you will notice immediately

 

spot on

 

For chassis stiffness that you will notice, look at Mini Madness Lower Stress Bar. It bolts into the chassis and it makes a difference. $125.00

For sway bars, Eibach makes some very nice units. Have them on my car, a coupe, and I like them. A little pricey at $300.00 for Front & Rear.

 

Yeah I gotta have that lower stress bar! I am thinking that it would be a fairly simple bolt on mod.......right?

 

Straight bolt on.
About 15 mins. to do it.

 

To: ACCCE.

I have an 06 BBR Cabrio MCS. Didn't like the shaking and plowing in corners.

I have installed the following, all from Mini-Madness: 22mm anti-sway bar softest setting, Strut Bar, Strut plates (under the tower), bottom brace (not the bar), KONI FSD shocks. The car is now smooth and solid - no cowl shake. It goes where it is pointed in the corners. KONI FSDs cured the "banging" on the potholes and patchy pavement, while maintaining or maybe even improving adhesion to the road in the corners.

The KONI FSDs are actually stiffer than OEM and control body roll while allowing absorption of the high frequency bumps.

I am finally getting the 15% pulley, CAI and ECU remap (tune) to round out the mods, but for now, am keeping the stock exhaust for quietness. I know that I am leaving about 5-7 HP on the table by doing so.

 

A strut tower brace will slightly stiffen a cabrio up, but if you want better results check out our TSW X brace, that will make a bigger improvement.

 

I think anything that stiffens up a convert is probably money well spent. I put an M7 brace on my tin-top. I can feel no difference in stiffness, but I'm sure it helps some. How much, well who knows? It did help my keep strut towers from mushrooming. If you watch the marketplace here you will see used M7 braces being sold at good prices.

 

I did also install the Mini Madness bottom brace as well which goes in about the same place as the Way Motor Works Brace, and is a trapezoid shape. I felt a significant difference after that brace was installed. I already had the tower brace in place previously. You are correct that the bottom brace seems to do more than the tower brace, but they both work together and are better than either one separately.

Looks like a good brace, although I am not an engineer and wouldn't really know which one would work the best.

 

Also, I didn't install the brace. Mini Madness did as I live in the area. They do most of my work. I don't actually work on the car - just wash and wax, put in gas and drive. I don't even change the oil myself.

 

I have both the M7 Strut Tower Bar (STB) and their Under Strut System. I had the USS put on first and noticed a significant difference in the flex. I later added the STB, primarily for the reinforcement plates and got a slight bit of additional stiffening. I know people with the TSW X Brace and it is about the same amount of stiffening as the USS.