I want to install the M7 strut tower brace on my wife's '05 MCS and am interested in hearing from others who have same.

1) It is not clear to me from the website but what exactly is included? It appears there are three pieces. The plates which attach to the top of the strut towers and the cross brace between the two. If so, how do those strut plates differ from the Strut Tower Reinforcement Plates sold separately on the M7 site?

2) Does the entire setup attach atop the exisiting bolts on the strut tower or is removal of them first required? Again, the site is not clear on this.

3) I recall seeing reference to hood clearance issues in relation to this mod. Anyone have any beta on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

William

 

Answers from my experience:
1) Yes, 3 parts" a) left mounting plate, b) right mounting plate, and c) cross brace. Plates with brace and without brace are just about the same. Plates for no brace have same additional milling to make them look cooler.

2) Remove 3 nuts from studs atop each tower. Lower plate over studs. Thread nuts onto studs. Torque is 25 ft lb.

3) Some people have minor clearance problems. They say hood in rear raises 3/8 to 1/4 inch. I see no space or gap with my new 2006 MCS. Many posts exists about this topic. Run search. Some people soak hood liner with water and close bonnet to compress liner.

 

I put an M7 bar on a couple of weeks ago.
1) The plates that come w/ the bar are basically the same as the reinforcement plates.
2) It uses the strut tower bolts. Just take off the nuts (dont jack the car up), put on the bar plates, reinstall nuts. Very easy.
3) I've got a very minor amount of hood bulge in the center rear of the hood. So far it's not bothering me so I haven't yet tried the "soak and slam" remedy taled about in other threads.

BTW: I had a nice case of passenger side mushrooming - that's what caused me to get the bar.

 

I've got driver's side mushrooming. What was your course of fixxing the mushrooming? I had my car at my dealer and they said they have never seen it! But then the tech. checked other '04 cars in the shop and 2 of 3 cars had it!

I've ordered the M7 strut brace since it was not much more than just the reinforcement plates as my long term solution to prevent this in the future (once I fix the existing mushrooming).

 

HAL, I see you're new to NAM. You'll find that many of your questions/concerns about your MINI have already been discussed and are well documented. As for the m7 STB clearance "issues", do a search for "soak and slam." I installed mine about a month ago and now have no bulge whatsoever.

 

I got driver side mushrooming as well which is why I got the M7 strut brace.

I had to jack up the car on the driver side and apply a 2x4 and a BFH to flatten out the section that had mushroomed. Kinda scary but the section flattened out enough after a few hits so the strut tower plate sat nice and flat like it did on the passenger side.

Wish I had gotten the strut tower brace before I got the mushrooming though.

 

What he said.

Again.

 

Out of ignorance, is using the 'plates' and the 'bar' possible? Or is that just overkill, and the 'bar' is enough?

 

The mounts for the strut tower brace are actually what we used to model our Strut Reinforcment Plates ( SRP ) . In essance when you by the M7 Strut Tower Brace you are also buying the SRP'S . Randy M7 Tuning

 

Makes perfect sense! Thanks!

 

I just installed my m7 brace (black) and the fit and finish is just beautiful. I do have the hood bulge, but I'll try the soak and slam later. But it fit great, bolted right down (I presume a tiny amount of mushrooming, I couldn't fit the SRP's for some reason, but these plates torqued down nice), and looks beautiful. Including the allen keys for assembly is a great touch. Now they can stay in the car in case I need to take pieces off.

Beautiful product! To the boys at m7 - thanks!

Edit: The increased stiffness in the front end is very noticable, I like it!

 

I wonder how it compares with just stiffening the under chassis. I was considering the lower structure bar, and just adding the 'plates' on the towers for more reliability.

 

I haven't seen or had a ride in a mini with the USS, so can't comment. I hear its phenomenal for the convertible though.

 

It is indeed great for the convertible. I already had a rear sway installed and the handling was good, but I didn't "get it" about why there was so much hype and hoopla about MINI handling. I just figured that most owners were coming from larger, less agile cars, whereas I had previously driven a Honda CRX (smaller than MINI!) for over 10 years. The M7 USS really brought everything together. The convertible's body flex had been causing a bit of a delayed response to everything. With the M7 USS, performing a lane change happens right now where previously I had to feel my way through it.

 

Installed my M7 STB this weekend. The bonnet wouldn't even close (2005 MCS). I removed the bonnet liner and soaked it both sides and reinstalled. Bonnet closed but 3/8" bulge only fell to 1/4". I finally cut out some of the liner (partially, not complete thickness) and the bonnet closes flush! I will post some photos of this mod later this week.
cheers,

 

That is strange that your bonnet wouldn't close.

I have an 05 as well and the bonnet closed normally without any issues. I notice how some people have had issues and I am curious as to why.

I wonder what is different under my bonnet from yours?

 

I knew it wasn't going to close before I got the STB! I looked at the gaskets that seal the CAI to the bonnet liner and realized that if they contact the liner, then the STB, which *must* be higher than the seals, would obviously interfer with the bonnet. Lo and behold, it did! Also the large 10/12mm cap screws that join the bar to the plates sit much higher than the shock mount, so they too were an obvious candidate to interference.
Of course, if your bonnet closes fine without interference, you are one lucky person! It's just that mine didn't...but now it does

 

Why not just get the JCW strut brace as I am sure that must fit being an OEM part?

 

I'm sure the JCW fits without modification...but the whole idea of modifying your car with after-market products is to do the beta testing for the manufacturer, surely? Why not spend massive dollars to buy stuff, find out it doesn't fit exactly, spend hours modifying the modification, and then convince yourself it works *way* better than anything OEM or Works?
The M7 STB is totally beautiful, as said above. I don't care if it works--I just couldn't go to another MINI club meeting without having one under the bonnet (I'm not the first club member to get one, just the second, darn it. Still, I'm always chasing that guy...)
I'm beyond Craptastic!

 

Good One!

 

idoc,
from what i have seen of the pics of the JCW strut brace, it does not cover the top of the strut tower as nearly as well as the M7 product...now, will it make any difference in decreasing the mushrooming problem? I am not sure, and actually i plan on initially buying the strut reinforcement plates vs the brace, unless i am sure that I will not have to slam and soak excessively.