Strut Brace/Poly bushes etc - worthy upgrades?
- Thread starter BobKen74
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Points
- 174
- Model of Z
- 2.2i Sport
My swing-arm bushes squeaked enough to make me go back to oem type ones, but the ones on the rear of the front arms have been totally silent. No idea why there's a difference, they all came from the same people.
I had a bolt come loose on the Misses car and had to change a trailing arm until I could get new bushes. Fitted stock bushes as a quick measure. I had an absolute nightmare getting them in for some reason without tearing or binding up. Didnt matter what I lubed them up with they would catch when pressing them in. I got the car through an MOT but what did shock me was how much movement there was in the stock bushings. Under power the car would steer from the rear just because the movement in the one trailing arm.
As soon as I got replacement polybushes I swapped them back in. They are much simpler to fit thats for sure and the car drives great again.
As soon as I got replacement polybushes I swapped them back in. They are much simpler to fit thats for sure and the car drives great again.
I have a strut brace on my 2.8, it looks great (which in itself = more power and speed), that's about it though.
Torque steer via RTABs especially as they age is part of the feisty handling of the more powerful Zeds..
Interesting article on pros / cons of strut braces on earlier BMWs…
I have one my 35is and it makes absolutely no difference AFAIK…FWIW..but later Zeds are a lot stiffer than earlier Zeds..
www.bimmerworld.com
I have one my 35is and it makes absolutely no difference AFAIK…FWIW..but later Zeds are a lot stiffer than earlier Zeds..
BMW Strut Brace - Worth It?
Is a strut brace worth it? We used data acquisition and analysis to determine how much flex there is in a BMW E46 chassis and quantity the benefits of a strut tower brace.
Strut braces don’t really work without poly bushes. If you don’t want poly, fit these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17367385...Ar198BjRM2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY or similar.
Even then it depends on how stiff your dampers and springs are. If you can feel the difference on a road, you’re going far faster than is sensible, or driving a tank proving ground.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17367385...Ar198BjRM2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY or similar.
Even then it depends on how stiff your dampers and springs are. If you can feel the difference on a road, you’re going far faster than is sensible, or driving a tank proving ground.