[TargaM2]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

see I’m stuck on whether I need them since I don’t track and only really drive my car as a daily. I like to do pulls here and there but never really get to push the car hard unless on the highways. I’m never really tight cornering so I’m not sure whethet it would be a waste or not.

Probably not of great benefit then, I’d say spend your money elsewhere.
I noticed you mentioned drag racing, have you done the driveshaft carrier upgrade ?, I have one of them at home waiting to go on & would expect this would be beneficial to what you do with your car. Maybe take look at this… https://youtu.be/6p2ASxic2II

[F87source]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

yea I saw that in a YouTube video. I wanted to just do the front but think it’ll be weird to only do the front and not the rear. Would you agree with that ?

Yeah, I think if you're gonna do it then you gotta do them both so the car will be balanced.

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by F87source

Yeah, I think if you're gonna do it then you gotta do them both so the car will be balanced.

yea I actually found a guy parting out his F80 and selling both for $600 in the F80 membership forum. hopefully he gets back to me about them

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

Probably not of great benefit then, I’d say spend your money elsewhere.
I noticed you mentioned drag racing, have you done the driveshaft carrier upgrade ?, I have one of them at home waiting to go on & would expect this would be beneficial to what you do with your car. Maybe take look at this… https://youtu.be/6p2ASxic2II

I actually saw that video awhile back. I feel like for the money and labor, that part is not worth it. Especially since my car is low milage. I doubt I would see significant change. I view it more so as a preventative maintenance part.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

yea I actually found a guy parting out his F80 and selling both for $600 in the F80 membership forum. hopefully he gets back to me about them

Nice! Good luck!

But tbh the price isn't what worries me, it's the install.

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by F87source

Nice! Good luck!

But tbh the price isn't what worries me, it's the install.

maybe I shall just do the front then

[DanG]

How about this carbon strut bar? https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...-carbon-fiber/

[TargaM2]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

I actually saw that video awhile back. I feel like for the money and labor, that part is not worth it. Especially since my car is low milage. I doubt I would see significant change. I view it more so as a preventative maintenance part.

That was the point. If your drag racing your car your hammering the driveline with all the hard launches, thus this is a good upgrade for that type of usage.

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

That was the point. If your drag racing your car your hammering the driveline with all the hard launches, thus this is a good upgrade for that type of usage.

I don’t drag race though that’s the thing. In fact, I never launched my car I do street pulls but nothing competitive.

[TargaM2]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

I don’t drag race though that’s the thing. In fact, I never launched my car I do street pulls but nothing competitive.

Oh I thought I read you were drag racing your car, sorry my mistake, too many threads. 😄

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

Oh I thought I read you were drag racing your car, sorry my mistake, too many threads. 😄

nah haha just a street car that I can have fun with. it’s my fast daily basically. I’m slowly working on aestethics for shows but always willing to add some performance parts if they are going to make a huge difference

[Me2]

I have the afe brace. I like the solid feel n weight of it. The only thing is it sits tight to the engine cover and will leave a permanent scored mark across the cover where it touches when engine is under load. Also, if doing regular plug maintenance...it will need to be removed each time. Giving the circumstances, I removed my engine cover for ease of plug changes. Overall, I'm happy with the brace and can feel a difference.

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by Me2

I have the afe brace. I like the solid feel n weight of it. The only thing is it sits tight to the engine cover and will leave a permanent scored mark across the cover where it touches when engine is under load. Also, if doing regular plug maintenance...it will need to be removed each time. Giving the circumstances, I removed my engine cover for ease of plug changes. Overall, I'm happy with the brace and can feel a difference.

awesome ! looks good. I plan to keep my engine cover off soon anyways so I guess it’ll work out if I get one haha

[Me2]

I also upgraded the front sway bar to m2csr and spl adjustable end links. These upgrades really transform the handling even more so. Highway lane changes are effortless now. Will do some track days when weather permits.

[shaneguags]

Originally Posted by Me2

I also upgraded the front sway bar to m2csr and spl adjustable end links. These upgrades really transform the handling even more so. Highway lane changes are effortless now. Will do some track days when weather permits.

I been waiting for the M2CSR sway bar to pop up but been unlucky

[F87source]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

I been waiting for the M2CSR sway bar to pop up but been unlucky

I'd rather just buy aftermarket sway bars, you will have more options as well.

[varooshgog]

I would highly recommend the aFe Control Strut brace for the M2.

I've tried the Racing Dynamics one, but eventually switched over to the aFe control one since I wanted something much stiffer for spirited driving and track days. In general, you won't notice much in day-to-day driving (other than slightly more 'controlled" handling of bumps since force is I guess being passed more evenly through the entire front end as a result of the strut brace), but for spirited driving or track days you can definitely feel the improved responsiveness and stiffness of the chassis.

I looked at F87source thorough explanation of the Turner Corner braces. Although I am inclined to agree with the benefits, I do think there are better options on the market for a similar price range. I currently have on order this which are thicker metal paired with a secondary horizontal brace to tie in the corner braces: https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/en-us...398951da&_ss=r

I do think the combo of a Strut Bar + Reinforced Corner Brace would be "better" than the M2C, M3, M4 Carbon bracing since it would provide a significant amount of reinforcement across all forms of chassis flex (and would be cheaper and less intrusive overall). However, it is purely up to how you drive the car and what you are looking to get out of it. It's definitely noticeable for daily driving, but the true value really shows when you are driving at 7-8/10ths and actually pushing the car in corners.

[TargaM2]

Originally Posted by shaneguags

I been waiting for the M2CSR sway bar to pop up but been unlucky

The M2CSR front bar is supposedly made by H&R & is identical to the aftermarket bars by H&R & Whiteline.
All 3 are a 30mm solid bar with 3 point adjustment on the blade.
Oddly the Genuine M2CSR bar is the cheapest (Turner/ECS have them new).

[F87source]

Originally Posted by varooshgog

I would highly recommend the aFe Control Strut brace for the M2.

I've tried the Racing Dynamics one, but eventually switched over to the aFe control one since I wanted something much stiffer for spirited driving and track days. In general, you won't notice much in day-to-day driving (other than slightly more 'controlled" handling of bumps since force is I guess being passed more evenly through the entire front end as a result of the strut brace), but for spirited driving or track days you can definitely feel the improved responsiveness and stiffness of the chassis.

I looked at F87source thorough explanation of the Turner Corner braces. Although I am inclined to agree with the benefits, I do think there are better options on the market for a similar price range. I currently have on order this which are thicker metal paired with a secondary horizontal brace to tie in the corner braces: https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/en-us...398951da&_ss=r

I do think the combo of a Strut Bar + Reinforced Corner Brace would be "better" than the M2C, M3, M4 Carbon bracing since it would provide a significant amount of reinforcement across all forms of chassis flex (and would be cheaper and less intrusive overall). However, it is purely up to how you drive the car and what you are looking to get out of it. It's definitely noticeable for daily driving, but the true value really shows when you are driving at 7-8/10ths and actually pushing the car in corners.

I personally doubt the CPM brace can even rival the TMS carbon corner braces regardless of how thick it is for the few reasons below:

1) The TMS braces are tubular carbon fiber with 2 different types of weaves and rated up to 3000kg + of load without failing. And carbon fiber when done right like these TMS braces, is multiple times stiffer than CNC aluminium (again aluminium doesn't have a very high youngs modulus compared to other commonly used metals, in fact it is the lowest even when speaking about 7075 aluminium which is air craft grade). So I highly doubt the CPM braces come close to matching the TMS corner braces in terms of rigidity.

2) I also do not know how well the horizontal bar will fair, because it is a long piece of metal and only tied down at the ends, this means the length for a force to act on is quite large meaning more force can be put onto the ends that do bolt down. And since aluminium is really isn't that stiff, this part likely will flex alot more than the benefits they give.

3) A flat brace, especially one with contours will be suscpetible to alot of torsional stresses, and since it doesn't have alot of material in the width section it will not be able to cope with these torsional stresses very well. Think a pieces of paper vs a rolled up paper, the rolled up paper is much stronger and more rigid in every single direction of force. This is the same with these braces, the tubular TMS braces will be much stronger and more rigid than a flat cnc aluminium brace just based on design alone and not factoring in material.

4) In terms of bracing material, in general you never want to use aluminium because it is too flexible. This is why most braces are steel, or if they must be aluminium they are tubular with a skeletal core, something a flat cnc object does not have.


So overall I highly doubt they will offer performance even remotely close to the TMS brace. But at the end of the day it will be miles better than the stamped steel stock braces which literally can bend by asserting some force with your hands alone.

[Me2]

Originally Posted by TargaM2

The M2CSR front bar is supposedly made by H&R & is identical to the aftermarket bars by H&R & Whiteline.
All 3 are a 30mm solid bar with 3 point adjustment on the blade.
Oddly the Genuine M2CSR bar is the cheapest (Turner/ECS have them new).

This is true. On mine, one side has BMW and part #, the other side has H&R on as well. The one I have is 2 point adjustments.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by varooshgog

You are probably right. I am neither a materials scientist nor a auto engineer, but I do agree that anything is better than those flimsy pieces of steel that are currently acting as the corner braces.

I know RKP has (or at least had) some corner braces which are made of stainless steel tube. They would technically have a higher youngs modulus than carbon based on a quick google search (~183 GPa vs ~190 GPa), and given their design might be "more compliant" for cornering and bumps. Again, this is all heresay on my part, and I might end up cancelling my order for the CPM braces to try something else given what you shared F87source.

Actually, those young's modulus ratings were based off of generic carbon fiber, there are many different variants of carbon based on the weave they have (I discussed all of this on my main review) but the TMS braces have 6k 5HS carbon weave for it's core, with a 2x2 weave on the exterior for aesthetics. This has a much higher young's modulus than titanium or even chromoly steel (known as the strongest grade of steel). So even the rkp brace shouldn't be as stiff as these TMS braces.


1) 6k 5HS carbon fiber:
The source for this data is a carbon supplier:https://www.fibreglast.com/product/6...rbon_fiber_all

Tensile strength: 610 - 700 KSI (which is Kilopound per square inch) = 4,205.8 Mpa - 4,826.33 Mpa
Tensile Modulous (Young's Modulus or rigidity): 33.6 - 34.9 MSI (million pounds per square inch) = 231.66384504 Gpa - 240.62702953 Gpa

2) Grade 5 titanium (Ti6Al4V which is the most commonly used titanium in industry):
The source for this data is from AZO materials: https://www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1547

Tensile strength: 862 - 1,200 MPa
Tensile Modulous (Young's Modulus or rigidity): 110 - 119 GPa

3) Chromoly steel
The source for this data is from: https://material-properties.org/chro...melting-point/

Ultimate tensile strength: 700 MPa
Tensile Modulous (Young's Modulus or rigidity): 205 GPa

4) Stainless steel grade 304 (a pretty common stainless steel that is both very corrosion resistant and strong):
The source for this data is from Azo material: https://www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=965

Tensile strength: 510 - 620 MPa
Tensile Modulous (Young's Modulus or rigidity): 190 - 203 GPa

5) 7075 Aluminium (known for being the strongest grade of aluminium and used in air craft):
The source for this data is: https://www.matweb.com/search/DataSh...bbf43f79c51b7d

Ultimate tesile strength: 572 MPa
Tensile Modulous (Young's Modulus or rigidity): 71.7 GPa



It's your choice if you want to swap corner braces, my take is that aluminum braces are never going to be as rigid as carbon, and that for the money the TMS braces are unrivaled.

[varooshgog]

Originally Posted by F87source

I personally doubt the CPM brace can even rival the TMS carbon corner braces regardless of how thick it is for the few reasons below:

1) The TMS braces are tubular carbon fiber with 2 different types of weaves and rated up to 3000kg + of load without failing. And carbon fiber when done right like these TMS braces, is multiple times stiffer than CNC aluminium (again aluminium doesn't have a very high youngs modulus compared to other commonly used metals, in fact it is the lowest even when speaking about 7075 aluminium which is air craft grade). So I highly doubt the CPM braces come close to matching the TMS corner braces in terms of rigidity.

2) I also do not know how well the horizontal bar will fair, because it is a long piece of metal and only tied down at the ends, this means the length for a force to act on is quite large meaning more force can be put onto the ends that do bolt down. And since aluminium is really isn't that stiff, this part likely will flex alot more than the benefits they give.

3) A flat brace, especially one with contours will be suscpetible to alot of torsional stresses, and since it doesn't have alot of material in the width section it will not be able to cope with these torsional stresses very well. Think a pieces of paper vs a rolled up paper, the rolled up paper is much stronger and more rigid in every single direction of force. This is the same with these braces, the tubular TMS braces will be much stronger and more rigid than a flat cnc aluminium brace just based on design alone and not factoring in material.

4) In terms of bracing material, in general you never want to use aluminium because it is too flexible. This is why most braces are steel, or if they must be aluminium they are tubular with a skeletal core, something a flat cnc object does not have.


So overall I highly doubt they will offer performance even remotely close to the TMS brace. But at the end of the day it will be miles better than the stamped steel stock braces which literally can bend by asserting some force with your hands alone.

You are probably right. I am neither a materials scientist nor a auto engineer, but I do agree that anything is better than those flimsy pieces of steel that are currently acting as the corner braces.

I know RKP has (or at least had) some corner braces which are made of stainless steel tube. They would technically have a higher youngs modulus than carbon based on a quick google search (~183 GPa vs ~190 GPa), and given their design might be "more compliant" for cornering and bumps. Again, this is all heresay on my part, and I might end up cancelling my order for the CPM braces to try something else given what you shared F87source.

I also just realized we had a huge side discussion in shaneguags thread. So, for sake of clarity, if you plan on keeping the M2 for a while and therefore don't care about the resale value as much, I would say the M2C carbon bracing is the best as it looks the most OEM and obviously has been tested by BMW engineers, with the caveat that it requires a lot of parts + some modification and will generally cost you more than $1K (if you do labor yourself).

If you want an easier set of mods (which are both cheaper and is likely equivalent OR better than the M2C carbon bracing) I would recommend getting the aFe Control Strut brace + some corner bracing (like the Turner pieces). These also have the added benefit of being entirely reversible for sale down the road unlike the M2C carbon bracing (from my knowledge).

**Note: For the aFe Strut Brace, you may not be able to use the stock engine cover. I had an issue where the engine cover was barely rattling against the brace causing a very annoying noise. You may be able to add some foam between the cover and the brace to deaden that sound, but I didn't bother and just got rid of the cover altogether.**