[David.m]

Just adding to what others have said about the carbon/alloy bracing, not only did I feel the car better respond to steering input but it's also more stable under load. I've had 1 track day with the bracing in and approaching T2 (a double apex U) I'm on the brakes hard from 180+kph down to 70 while steering to the 1st apex, the car held it's line when previously I'd be working the steering wheel to say on line.
If you track or get out on twisty roads I would say it's a worthy upgrade if you get the parts 2nd hand.
Finished mine off with the M2C hood seals (covers the rivnut cups from water entering but won't trap moisture) but kept original cowl covers/windscreen piece, looks almost factory finish (RHD windscreen/cowl covers are near $400 down here, I got both M2C pieces for $50 from o/s).

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by David.m

Just adding to what others have said about the carbon/alloy bracing, not only did I feel the car better respond to steering input but it's also more stable under load. I've had 1 track day with the bracing in and approaching T2 (a double apex U) I'm on the brakes hard from 180+kph down to 70 while steering to the 1st apex, the car held it's line when previously I'd be working the steering wheel to say on line.
If you track or get out on twisty roads I would say it's a worthy upgrade if you get the parts 2nd hand.
Finished mine off with the M2C hood seals (covers the rivnut cups from water entering but won't trap moisture) but kept original cowl covers/windscreen piece, looks almost factory finish (RHD windscreen/cowl covers are near $400 down here, I got both M2C pieces for $50 from o/s).

The left and right covers just in front of the windscreen are common with the M3/4 so there might be a chance to get them 2nd had used too - but you will need to buy the windscreen cowl they clip to which is M2C-specific.

[David.m]

Originally Posted by M Fifty

The left and right covers just in front of the windscreen are common with the M3/4 so there might be a chance to get them 2nd had used too - but you will need to buy the windscreen cowl they clip to which is M2C-specific.

Yeah I knew that, and like the 2 cowl covers the windscreen piece is different for LHD & RHD so I wasn't able to order any of them from the EU seller where I bought the hood seals. BMW AU charge 2.5 times what you pay in US/EU, to be honest I'm happy with how it all fits now (well until I see a wrecked M2C with the bits undamaged

[3t3p]

Braking is assured more with the brace.

I deliberately put the car into a situation today where it normally feels like you are going to die due to rapid undulation, now it's just fun

[Bee Pee]

Originally Posted by David.m

Yeah I knew that, and like the 2 cowl covers the windscreen piece is different for LHD & RHD so I wasn't able to order any of them from the EU seller where I bought the hood seals. BMW AU charge 2.5 times what you pay in US/EU, to be honest I'm happy with how it all fits now (well until I see a wrecked M2C with the bits undamaged

LH & RH cowl covers from any RHD m3/4 will work too

[David.m]

Originally Posted by Bee Pee

LH & RH cowl covers from any RHD m3/4 will work too

You saying they'll fit the oem windscreen bottom piece? (I thought you also needed the M2C windscreen piece to use the F80/82 cowl covers?)

[Megator]

Originally Posted by DanG

Why not just use a real strut bar and save tons of money?

Originally Posted by Anthony1s

2) The hinge bolts on the one in my previous car needed to be re-tightened every few months. I don't wanna deal with that

My friend did his BEng dissertation on a strut bar like that and the conclusion was that it does F-all for the exact reason that Anthony mentions.

When the bar is loaded the force goes into deforming the weakest link, ie the hinged connection betewen the bar and the strut top mount. Obv. the deflection between the bar and strut mount is small, but with sufficient cycles it is enough to remove the preload on the bolts and therefore turns the "solid" connection into a "hinged" connection.

A hinged connection is not very capable of transmitting torsional forces...

BTW the CF brace going forward does help. The front of the car is basically boxed in by all of the bracing. Rigidly connecting the chassis arms ahead of the suspension pickup points still helps transmit forces from one side of the chassis to the other (even if bracing at or behind the pickup points is more effective).

[nothingman]

Originally Posted by DanG

You may not be aware that there is a factory brace from the struts to the firewall in the engine bay. I don’t think the M2C brace adds anything substantial except looks over my strut brace.

The factory brace you are referring to is the black brace in the photo below, whereas the Comp brace is the aluminum behemoth underneath. Some would argue the aluminum brace makes more of a difference than the carbon fiber brace. You should consider adding this brace to your strut tower brace and see what a difference it makes.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by David.m

You saying they'll fit the oem windscreen bottom piece? (I thought you also needed the M2C windscreen piece to use the F80/82 cowl covers?)

You do. I think he meant that the two side covers are common to both LHD and RHD? I may be reading that wrong though.

[3t3p]

Originally Posted by nothingman

The factory brace you are referring to is the black brace in the photo below, whereas the Comp brace is the aluminum behemoth underneath. Some would argue the aluminum brace makes more of a difference than the carbon fiber brace. You should consider adding this brace to your strut tower brace and see what a difference it makes.

That steel brace is laughable when you hold it in your hand compared to the aluminium.

People deluding themselves that it's equivocal in function to the M3/M4 setup.

[dtmurf]

Installed the rivnuts last night and put the alloy brace on tonight or almost installed it anyway. I had to bend one of the brake lines a little so that it didn't touch the brace (I think pretty much everyone has to do this right?) and I installed all the bolts, everything lined up perfectly however, the brace is sitting about 6 mm off the mounting point/holes for the two bolts at the bulkhead/firewall under the center of the windshield.

The brace is resting flat on the hard plastic piece that covers the foam over back of the engine. In the pics below, the bolts are just finger tight, I've not torqued any of the bolts down yet and I'm sure they'll pull it down but I'm just wondering if everyone starts out with this 5~6 mm gap? Torqueing it down is going to put a lot of pressure on the plastic part underneath...

Borrowed the last pic from chip_dip19's post (#280); this is the plastic pics I'm talking about (circled in red); it's hard but I still think it's plastic.

[dtmurf]

Just reread the complete thread and the one at https://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewto...11&hilit=brace

Can't find any reference to my bulkhead mounting point issue. As most people don't remove the plastic piece (cowl?) that runs along the bottom of the windshield (requires wiper arms to be removed), I would not be surprised if the gap went unnoticed as you'd not be able to see it. I suspect most would just drop the bolts in and torque them down.

[Mike0105]

If anyone in the NJ area is looking I have the carbon and aluminum bulk head brace that I’m looking to sell
Mike

[David.m]

I've discovered the M2C front guards have a changed shape that make for easier install/removal of the alloy brace and enables a torque wrench/socket access to the cup/rivnut torx bolt.

At 9:40 in the youtube video you can see the hood seal removed from the guard gutter showing a U shape. I was searching for info to confirm whether the alloy brace has to come off for spark plug change (it does).

I had previously thought of cutting out a small section of the guard, being aluminium if I repaint the cut area there shouldn't be a corrosion issue and it's covered by the hood seal so appearance doesn't matter. The raised edge I assume aids structural integrity to the guard when not fitted to the car, can't imagine cutting a small section out would affect the guard while on the car? So far the best way I've tightened that torx bolt is an 11mm socket on a 1/4inch ratchet.

[Zeese]

Originally Posted by David.m

%snip%
I was searching for info to confirm whether the alloy brace has to come off for spark plug change (it does).
%snip%

Interesting. To be clear, for the OG M2 w/ the N55, the brace must come off to get to a spark plug(s) in the back?

Thanks!

[David.m]

Originally Posted by Zeese

Interesting. To be clear, for the OG M2 w/ the N55, the brace must come off to get to a spark plug(s) in the back?

Thanks!

Not 100% sure. Have seen one video where a guy left the OG M2 oem brace in & for cylinder 5 he just removed the ratchet from the socket extension for clearance to lift the plug out (other diy videos the brace is removed). For the S55 it looks like both braces need to come out anyway for removal of other parts (intercooler etc) just to get access to all the plugs. I'll know Monday afternoon whether our unique situation (N55 with carbon/allow bracing) requires the bracing to be removed.

[widetyres]

Hi,

Does anyone know if the M3/M4 top hats are the same height as the standard M2 ones in terms of the bottom/suspension side?

I was considering this mod a little whilst ago, but given that I'd only just had a decent 4 wheel alignment done, I didn't want to start messing about with the front, alter the height of the shocks and need to do it again.

Cheers.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by widetyres

Hi,

Does anyone know if the M3/M4 top hats are the same height as the standard M2 ones in terms of the bottom/suspension side?

I was considering this mod a little whilst ago, but given that I'd only just had a decent 4 wheel alignment done, I didn't want to start messing about with the front, alter the height of the shocks and need to do it again.

Cheers.

So...

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...&q=31307853702

[David.m]

Originally Posted by widetyres

Hi,

Does anyone know if the M3/M4 top hats are the same height as the standard M2 ones in terms of the bottom/suspension side?

I was considering this mod a little whilst ago, but given that I'd only just had a decent 4 wheel alignment done, I didn't want to start messing about with the front, alter the height of the shocks and need to do it again.

Cheers.

My car was the same ride height before & after the brace install (I already had Ohlins R&T in and so had measured it).

[widetyres]

Originally Posted by Zeese

Interesting. To be clear, for the OG M2 w/ the N55, the brace must come off to get to a spark plug(s) in the back?

Thanks!

Yes you will - but you have to remove the standard brace anyway when doing plugs on the OG M2 - there is a plastic cover above the back cylinder that needs to be removed to give access, but to get that off, the brace (either one) has to come off first.

[widetyres]

Originally Posted by David.m

My car was the same ride height before & after the brace install (I already had Ohlins R&T in and so had measured it).

Thanks David - did you fit the reinforcement plates, or do without (like M2C)?

[David.m]

Originally Posted by widetyres

Thanks David - did you fit the reinforcement plates, or do without (like M2C)?

yes I have the reinforcement rings, my set came out of a wrecked F80