How do you like the madness? Any pros & cons? I am in the process of deciding soon.

 

[quote=THE ITCH;2099777]Gann
02-06 Bently manual call for controll arm bushing bracket torque to be 44 ft-lbs. Can be found on pg. 230-11 in that manual. This is a 10mm bolt that fastens to the chassis.
Steve


Control arm Bushing Carrier...M14, 122 ft lbs..

 

Modshack
It seems you are a little confused on what the attachment points are for the OMP or Madness lower brace. They utilize the 10mm bolts from the controll arm bushing bracket that fastens to the chassis not the subframe. You are confusing this with the 14mm bolts that attach the stabilizer bar anchor / controll arm bushing housing. There are four of the 14mm bolts that attach the housing, not two 10mm bolts that attach the bracket. The description for that can be found on page 310-16 of the Bently 02-06 manual.
Steve

[quote=Modshack;2100192]

 

ED955S
We still have winter up here and I will not have my car back on the road for a few more weeks.
Steve

 

Steve
How much room is there between the rear brace on the Madness bar and the exhaust header. I'm looking at this bar also but need to know if I'll have room for the RMW header on my car. Nice find on the Mason bars by the way.

 

Hey Astro,
Did you get the OMP brace put on?
If so,you like?
thanks

 

Larry
I just went out and took a look. The bar diameter is 1.150 and runs just behind and parallel to the sheet steel on the sub frame (hope that makes sense). I have not seen one of Jan's headers but I do not believe it would interfere.
My guess is that Mason is making the one for Madness. Choose your material and color.
Steve

 

Yes

 

Thanks Steve for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

For a good price of OMP products, check out www.driversedgeautosport.com
of Vancouver, BC.
$79 for lower brace
$129 for upper brace.
I got the lower brace today for C$ 88 (12% tax included).

 

a couple weeks down the line, i'd like to emphasize steve's point. there will be more understeer. i'm going to the stiffest setting on my 19mm rear sway bar to get rid of it.....as i still feel too much at middle setting.

i'm not surprised by this, we are stiffening up the front.....i just think you all should know what to expect. i'll post my impressions with the bar on a stiffer setting soon.

 

I have the OMP lower brace, I really like it. Combined with a strut tower bar it made a pretty big difference.

 

I may be ordering soon, but for now, it's still in thought.

 

I'm also tightening up my sway bar - same reason as oxtox - from the Medium to the hardest setting on my 22mm bar.

 

Mine is 19 mm at the stiffest setting is just perfect.

 

Still waiting for mine. They should be here real soon.

 

You will notice that the OMP is light but strong. Could it be made from an alloy?

 

well it's definitely more neutral at the stiffest setting of my 19mm bar! only went on a brief test ride after the change. had one very cool well controlled slide on one turn . have plenty of driving to do tomorrow, so i'll give some more detailed info then. i would definitely say that unless you like understeer you will need a rear sway bar in combo with the omp brace...and the 22mm may make the most sense.

 

Are the cabrio braces a good addition to the OMP lower brace and 19mm rear sway?

 

Absolutely. Try this thread, if you haven't seen it: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=100375

 

okay, several days later and i don't have anything else to add to my last report. i am more neutral.....but not quite in my happy place yet. i'm going to take to omp bar off and go back to my middle sway bar setting and compare. another option might be putting a bushing between the brace and the frame...things would be tighter vs. no bar, but not so tight (causing less understeer).

 

I think the ultimate solution is the addition of TSW camber plates :D

 

If you need a little more rear anti-sway bar stiffness you might try what John Petrich did here. It is very cheap. He is quite innovative and scientific in his approach to modding the Mini for track:

http://www.bmwpugetsound.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=36313

If you have no camber plates, though, and drive aggressively sometimes (track, autocross) you should get them as well. They will extend life of your front tires.

 

i'm pessimistic that this is going to get the car back to neutral...given that i have a 19mm bar at stiffest setting and still think there's some degree of understeer. def a good mod to try if you don't have the lower brace. i should add that i have a cabrio and that my experience may not apply to tin tops....but i think oldrick is a tintop guy and seems to be noticing similar.

enough guesswork on my part....i'll post back on my "bar off" experience soon. i have a feeling that for me this may come down to the stable feeling the bar provides vs. more neutral/tad of oversteer without it. i'm comming from an e-46 m3, so i have an oversteer bias!

camber plates would be cheaper than coilovers....which are probably my next move after i get some summer max perf. non run flat shoes....which i know are another important variable in this semi complex equation.

 

22mm bar with some endlinks on stiff setting would get you neutral...