Anyone have good things to say after putting a strut tower brace in their Cabrio? I've got strut tower mushrooming and am trying to decide between the M7 brace and the M7 strut tower plates. Is a brace worth the extra money? How does it improve the Cabrio?

 

Go for the M7 Strut Tower Brace. It helps to prevent strut tower mushrooming, and helps firm up the chassis up quite a bit. After installing the M7 STB, I noticed that the car maintained a tighter line through corners, and there's less flex when perform high-speed maneuvers.

The STB is an easy-to-justify upgrade, too. For less than twice the price of the Strut Tower Plates, you get both protection against mushrooming, AND less chassis flex. The MINI convertible is simply not as nimble as the hardtop off the line - it needs a bit more support, and the STB is a simple and relatively affordable solution.

 

There have been no scientific experiments done that prove any improvement in handling with a strut tower brace.

So, IMHO, No. It is just a bling thing.

In the cabrio they have already installed at least one additional stiffening brace that is not there in the coupe. It is a relatively small piece, but I am sure that BMW/MINI tested and proved it's effectivness. It connects the strut tower to the front frame with a small diameter (about the size of your little finger) rod that angles down and towards the center of the car from the strut tower.

I also believe that there are some other things that have been done to strengthen the frame. I just do not remember where I read that.

The reason that the cabrio is not as nimble off the line is because it is over 200lbs heavier and has nothing to do with the strut towers. Adding the STB will only add to the problem not solve it.

 

There may have not been any scientific proof that there is an improvement but you know it when you have put a GOOD one on. I've been thru this discussion since 02 and its been awhile since I had to go thru it again but what the hell im bored.Most of the criticism went away when the front strut tower brace became a stock item on the JCW challenge cars as most people in the know figure that they would not add " bling " to a challenge race car. In any event I have graphic proof on my car of before and after various strut tower braces . Both inner fender liners are worn away from driving my favorite roads before I found good bar. I've tested a total of 5 so far. Some work some don't .Bad bar I would rub, good bar I wouldn't . What can be easier than that? The Cabrio has two small tube braces in the engine compartment and a series of 4 bars at the back of the car underneath. That is about it for the differences between the two. Our USS product makes even a bigger difference on the cabrio by the way.
How about we make this more interesting Bilbo . 100 $ bucks says I can drive your car two times one with a bar and once without and be able tell without looking under the hood. You Game ?

Randy
m7 Tuning

 

I purchased the M7 STB for peace of mind against mushrooming strut towers. I figured it couldn't hurt to have some bling. Turns out I was wrong - there was a difference, and it's not simply a placebo effect. I have no quantitative proof that there is an improvement, but I do certainly feel the difference after bolting on the STB. Please bear in mind that when it comes to testing, I go in with a cynical and skeptical mindset - it takes quite a bit to convince me that a product is worthy of spending money on, and I scoff at marketing tactics.

As evident from the mods in my signature, I don't have much in terms of suspension upgrades, but my convertible handles better than any hardtop I've driven at the dealer with stock SS+ suspension.

MassMini: the best thing to do in this case, if you're not sure about whether or not the STB will make a difference, is to see if someone local to you has one and see if you could try it out for a bit. It's a 5-10 minute install. Then report your findings in this thread!

Finally, FWIW, I added the M7 USS and drove it for a few hundred miles before bolting on the STB. I wasn't completely blown away by the USS like everyone else, but once the STB was in, it all fell in place. It seems there may be a synergetic effect when both the STB and USS are utilized in conjunction (ie. the net gain of having both the STB and USS is greater than the benefit of each one alone).

 

Makes sense if you think about a cross-sectional view and what the braces are trying to do. One without the other is like a piece of channel - strong, but with both you have something more akin to a piece of square tube - very strong! I helped my son with a science experiment measuring similar bracing on a structure. Bracing that left one end of the structure open made the structure maybe 2x-3x stronger, but when you added that last piece to close the structure it became 10x-20x stronger.

 

I felt the difference when pulling out of the driveway with my '03 MCS (probably 25 feet from the install area in the garage). It's even better now that I have the summer tires on (s-heavies and runt flats) - it actually improves the feel even on the joke roads around here.
The addition of the STB tightens up the front end of the car dramatically. I like the idea of trying one locally, as it really is quick install. Just laying the strut plate on you car will tell you if you are already 'mushroomed'. I was.

Good luck!

 

MassMINI, will you be at the Dragon? If so, I'm sure someone will let you try an STB out. I'll even lend you mine off my car if you like so you can see how much it really helps.

 

I put one of the M7 strut braces on my tin topped MCS. Mainly for the peace of mind it gave me concerning mushrooms. The tin tops are pretty stiff to begin with, but on your convertibles there should be a noticeable improvement in stiffness of the cars structure.

 

Randy and Will @ M7:
Is there anything more to the M7 strut tower brace installation than simply bolting it on? I ask because some guy reported a specific procedure when a Mini dealer installed the JCW brace onto his MCS. The procedure involved bolting the brace on the drivers side, raising the car about 3 feet from the opposite side, and bolting the other end of the brace down with the auto raised.
Billie

 

good question id like to know also. im looking into the M7 stb also

 

The bottom line is that NO you do not have to jack the car up to install. The only real caution we have is to be sure you torque it ONLY to 25 ft lb. The mounting studs are only press fit in the strut tower and it doesn't take too much to twist them loose.
As for the need to lift one side my GUESS is that perhaps the car in question had a bit of mushrooming and the studs may have been out of alignment and by torquing the chassis a bit it might have made them line up . Again Its only a guess .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

The M7 brace will just bolt on no problem. If you have any mushrooming you need to beat it back now to get the brace on.

 

To beat them back into submission our local shop has a very specialized tool , sometimes known as a 2 by 4 .

Randy