Can you put on a strut tower defender? and a front strut brace? or only one or the other? they both do different things? and install in same area? so how does this work? I was thinking of the JCW front strut brace... and now this cravenspeed strut defenders look interesting? is this a layering thing? "One for Flexing ..and the other to prevent Mushrooming? ???? Huh? what?
I don't understand this?
Can't I have both on my mini??????? tee-hee...thanks

 

You pretty much answered your own questions. Brace for flexing and defenders for mushrooming prevention. Not sure if you can mix match different manufacturers but you can go this route:

http://www.m7tuning.com/parts/produc...roducts_id=135

Has brace and reinforcement plates.

 

Have not seen issues of mushrooming in the R56 judging from the info posted in NAM and talking to the Mini technician.

 

Have you looked at the M7 product? You can have just the plates or add the bar at a latter time. See picture below.



Several more in my garage and gallery.

 

If you want strut tower mushrooming protection and a brace your 2 choices are the M7 strut brace, or the NM Engineering brace.

I've seen 1 R56 with mushrooming so far.

 

I put the brace on having owned a R53 x 2 and with lots of forum discussion on the R56 being built up this post makes me feel that my prevention was a good thing. Either way you go is your choice but you need to do something before they have to adjust the bend

 

mushrooming has not been the issue it was on 2nd gen cars as it was on the 1st gen cars. A STB is nice bling but offer very little performance value to 99% of Street MINI' IMHO.

 

Funny but this is exactly what the chief mechanic at my Mini dealership said as well. He is a member of of Mini club so I know him quite well.

 

Someone here on NAM did an interesting experiment on a strut brace. (Don't remember the brand though; can't find the post.)

While his car was set up for an alignment, he tightened the strut tower brace to varying degrees. The alignment was completely unaffected. Therefore, the MINI is so rigid that the additional bracing the bar provides is nill. At least that's how I understood it. (This was for 1st gen by the way.)

 

If you just put a STB on your MINI you might not see much of a difference which is believable but, if start adding more suspension parts to your MINI it will compound and help increase the rigidity of the suspension and chasis.

 

i hear camber plates do the same job (anti-mushrooming). Then you can put whatever strut bar you want.

That's what i did: added adjustable camber plates up front.

Don't have a strut brace, though. I don't believe in them especially those with "hinges". If anything, you need a solid bar.

 

I saw in a JCW write up (with pictures) that the stock shock towers are slotted (i.e. our 09+ JCW's have built in camber plates). I have not unbolted mine to check. But I bet someone out there has.

And don't get me started on those strut braces again. (keep your money in your pocket!)

 

Ok.. so Strut brace..the thingy that goes across the bay...is useless???
so don't get it? right?? now what is this Camber Plate?? does the 09 MCS have this Slotted shock towers too?? So should I get the STD? not the sturt brace?? thanks..

 

Because strut tower mushrooming is all but eliminated on the R56, and because the Strut Tower Bar offers little improvement, my opinion (and I *think* the general concensus) would be to save your money for something that offers a little more bang-for-the-buck. For instance, the JCW tuning kit would provide a significant, noticeable improvement in performance. New springs and dampers would offer significant, noticeable handling improvement... Etc.

I think you get the point. I'm not saying "don't buy the strut tower defenders/brace", just saying that if you may not be getting much for your money relative to other available mods.