I ordered my M7s directly from M7tuning.com and I think that was a mistake as far as delivery speed... It took over a month to get them. I suggest you check stock locally before ordering directly from M7. They were very courteous so I have no other complaints... it's just that I had to wait for the plates to be manufactured! After I placed the order I heard that my local MINI dealer had them in stock! Being an honorable person I stuck it out and waited for M7 (and kept my fingers crossed that my towers wouldn't mushroom). They didn't. Whew.

 

after u put the strut in, how tight should u tighted the nut ifi am using a torque wrench?

 

I was told 24 lb/ft or 33 nm

 

I torqued to 25 ft lbs.

 

You said you read a bunch so you may have read the thread my post(s) are in https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...8-post394.html

Basically I had read up on this before I even had my car so it's got M7 plates on top and Ireland fixed camber plates on the underside. I needed the negative camber boost and there's not a bend in sight on the towers.. car had about 24k now, and this recent winter was right up there in road pothole suckiness....

Enjoy

 

thxs for the tip

after i put it in... i cant seem to take it off... its very tight fitting..

 

Thanks for all the help from everyone. I ended up placing an order on the Madness plates because i too feel that they look a little better for the purpose of the plates since they have a bigger surface area than the Cravenspeed ones.

We'll see what happens. If I set the tourque to 25ft will that be enough to bend the strut towers back into place?!

 

I just ordered the Madness plates also!

I found a torque spec of 35 Nm which is equal to 26 ftlb. I got this from the JCW Strut Brace installation instructions. Should be good.

 

No need for them as the camber plates actually do the same thing only better!

 

Today I went to Coopersport (they actually had a local shipping site) and got the m7 strut tower brace with the reinforcement plates. I looked at a FEW sites that carry different options. I looked at the m7 site and there dealers. The reinforcement plates alone were 140? ish..+ shipping + exchange + customs blah blah blah....end result is for the difference in price to the complete kit with stress bar was a NO brainer!!! Got the kit m7 makes locally today and at a GREAT price (sorry confidential).

Installed in the driveway today in about 20 minutes (cleaned tower where they mount from some rust proofing). After I took it for a test ride. It has made a difference and feels more taught in the front end and steering around large radius turns seems more stable. I know this as YESTERDAY (Sunday) was with the SOMC on the Rattler (little junior northern cousin of Dragon). Sandy roads, raining, lots of pot holes, frost bumps!!! and puddles. Car was OK but seemed somewhat loose during this event. This morning I noticed a slight off camber of one of my driver bolts (was exactly perpendicular prior). So I was concerned that it was time to do something now before it got worse, or required more drastic measures.

The reason I did not go with the under the tower reinforcement is simple law of physics. Some will argue this point, but basics hold true.

For every action there is an equel and opposite reaction. Now in this case there is also a force that if overcome will cause this effect we all know of.

The top plate help to aleviate that force. Now the under plate will distribute the force yes, but will not stop it. The top plate will help to reverse the forces. Not remove them, but help in fighting them. Add the stress bar to combat flexing in the top of the tower and it's a pretty stought piece.

Again not to argue with anyone here, just my .02 cents on this and what I have done.

I hope NO one ever has any mushrooming, but in the First Gen, without some assistance with the way our roads are I think eventually everyone will have this issue pop up (sorry no PUN intended).

Regards

Scott.

 

And another kool-aid drinker.........
Glad you like them.

 

Well since I was planning on putting in a stress bar, and for the price, it works well. ALSO since this bar can have the center section removed to do other work it also seemed like a decent design for that purpose instead of having to remove the entire bar if needed like most other stress bars I've seen and for less $$.

As far as your kool-aid reference, since you don't know me, I'll just chaulk that up to ignorance. Also it's in poor taste as I know to what you are referring.

 

It wasn't "Kool-Aid" it was "Flavor-Aid".
Grape, as I recall.........


Jim

 

LOL


many, many posts, threads, data shows that these strut bars do very little if anything to improve performance.

But like I said.....glad you like yours.

 

??? If your happy with your decision that’s great! The M7’s appear to offer enough additional strength to help with this problem and you got a strut brace out of it too. Excellent, I haven’t read of anyone having a problem after using them.



However your use of the laws of physics to say they are the better solution is faulty. A bottom mounted plate, such as those from madness, will reduce the psi by distributing the force across the entire top of the tower. With the top mounted plates, the contact area is just the top of the strut mount. Same force, smaller area.

 

I second myles2go on the physics of lower vs upper plates...

Lower plates absorb the impact more evenly while the screwed-on, top-mounted plates take most of the impact at the bolts/nuts and distribute it across the plate. From users' feedback, both designs work but one's got Bling and convenience while the other requires more elbow grease but costs less.

Me... I'm all about effectiveness and cost-efficiency.... CHEAP !!!

 

First, yes the forces on the bottom are distributed across the surface area. But the top mount is also exurting a force in the opposite direction to the upward force. As for more bling that was not the intention of this, it was to help solve/aleviate 2 things. 1 the potential for mushrooming on top plate of the strut tower, and 2 make the towers more rigid to help with flexing common in many vehicles today.

As for the more elbow grease, I for one am not afraid of doing things that way. In this case, cheap is not actually accurate. If I had removed my springs and put in the under plate as suggested, once I returned everything to the way it was, even IF I marked exactly where the bolts were, it would be potentially out of alignment. Then I would have to have it aligned in order to ensure what I just did, didn't make the problem (or potential) worse. Since I only removed 6 nuts, did not move the vehicle at all from level at rest, this potential is almost but eliminated. This is not to say that I would not have to have it done later, but that is when I do suspension work and replace my tires, which I plan to so some wear is not an issue now.

But I understand your point of view, just don't think it IS the cheaper way or better one. Best senario is to have both, and in future may make some plates to do this. Bolting a plate on top and bottom would be the best solution which I may do as time permits.

Regards

Scott.

 

There's no need to disassemble the strut assembly to install the under-tower plates. As for alignment, 1/8" raise in ride height is minor and probably doesn't require a new alignment (unless you're really picky about it). Undulations over the smoothest road surface will affect wheel camber in the same way.

 

Good to know.

 

And the towers of the MINI are so close to the firewall that the brace is not needed to prevent movement.

 

Oh ok if you say so.

 

My MM plates came in yesterday. Just need to get a break from the bad weather to install them.

 

Let me know how the install goes. I'm still waiting for mine to arrive.

 

What I did, not sure how correct this is, was jacked the car up and hit it. I took a block of wood and a rubber mallet and used the m7 SB plates as a guide. I got it tightened down and had it aligned, and it seems to be fixed...

 

......and it's not just me. Lots of racers say they don't do a thing for the MINI.