» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | | | | | | | | 06-23-2008, 06:03 AM | #1 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Posts: 259 | DIY Custom Strong Strut rear 'bar...need dimensions I need the dimensions of a 318 ti Strong Strut rear bar. Were' going to be (attempting) fabbing up one of these this week at my freinds custom muffler shop. He has a ton of cold rolled' steel, exotic aluminum, stainless, alloy stock etc + the buff hydraulic machines, drills and jigs to pull off a legit version for a fraction of the price. He's got mad skills when it comes to working/welding with metal. I've seen the Strong Strut rear bar pics on their website but just need the exact measurements. I think we could probably make 8 of these (including hardware) for the same price as the original minus the powdercoating and hopefully they won't looked hacked and homemade | | | 06-23-2008, 06:26 AM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Posts: 259 | Anyone? | | | 06-23-2008, 02:15 PM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,525 | I don't think anybody on here has one... It shouldn't be to hard to measure it out though if you can get the car up on a lift... | | | 06-23-2008, 04:07 PM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: state college, pa Posts: 3,431 | I don't get why you're trying to make it if it's going to cost the same. __________________ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ZOMBIES. | | | 06-23-2008, 04:18 PM | #5 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 6,182 | Quote: Originally Posted by aceyx I don't get why you're trying to make it if it's going to cost the same. | he said cost will be an 1/8th of the strong one __________________ -Josh Sold-1995 318ti, Club Sport, Hellrot Sold-1996 318ti, Active Model, Boston Green Current- 1995 318ti, sport model, schwartz | | | 06-23-2008, 04:26 PM | #6 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: state college, pa Posts: 3,431 | Ah, okay. That reads a little weird. __________________ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ZOMBIES. | | | 06-23-2008, 05:11 PM | #7 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Manassas, VA Posts: 4,129 | Here's a picture http://www.strong-strut.com/Butt-Strut.htm Quote: Originally Posted by Moose Anyone? | __________________ 1998 (July) 318ti, 5-spd OEM Armrest Blaupunkt Heidelberg CD50 CD Player/Compact Drive MP3 Player Diamond Audio 5.25" rear speakers Navman ICN 530 GPS BMWALARM.COM (with comfort settings) after market alarm system Magnecor 8.5mm wires M-Z3 Shifter/Momo Knob Burlwood Dashboard Stromung Exhaust X-brace Racing Dynamics Front Strut Bar Carbonio C.A.I. 17" Rial Rims Vader Seats/Heated/Lumbar Support M-tech Steering Wheel/Front Sway Bar/Front & Rear Bumper Depos/w 6500K Angel Eyes/6000K HIDs Clear Corners M3 Mirrors UUC Light Weight Flywheel/M5 Clutch/M3 Clutch Slave E28 3.46 LSD/Mcoupe Cover/E30 Flanges & Halfshafts UUC S.S. Brake/Clutch Lines Hartge Roof Spoiler BavAuto Springs Bilstein Sport Struts/Shocks E46 M3 Rear Shock Mounts SPC Front Camber Kit Reiger Hatch Spoiler BavAuto Rear Camber Kit Dinan Stage II Software Turner Rear Sway Bar Reinforcements BMW E46 Auto dimming mirror with Clown Nose alarm Engine Compartment Light Heated Wiper Fluid Retrofit OEM Fire Extinguisher Da'lan Trailer Hitch Rear Sun Shade OEM Fog Light Retrofit H & R MZ3 Rear Sway Bar/ UUC Adjustable End Links Cruise Control Retrofit On Board Computer Retrofit M3 twistie style side skirts Carbon Fiber Hood | | | 06-23-2008, 05:23 PM | #8 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Posts: 259 | ^yeah we have that pic...no dimensions listed on the website of course. It would be nice to have them but we'll probably just figure it out as we go. It's a 1/2" thick piece of cold rolled metal with a couple bends, some holes and washers . Shouldn't be too hard. I've read good things over on Z3 sites about them and how it tightens up the rear....the one thing I've noticed is that the rear on the 'ti is damn loose. The struts don't seem to be doing there job to the fullest ie body flex. I was originally thinking I neededd an upper bar. Now I'm thinking it needs an X brace that triangulates the rear. I had something like that on my STi and really stiffened the helll outta' the rear on that car. Of course they cost about as much as a left nut too lol. Not sure I want to go that far a I would lose alot of trunk space. Maybe a quick release set up for track and single guys hehe | | | 06-23-2008, 05:33 PM | #9 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: LA, Bellflower, CA Posts: 3,613 | hmm. never seen or read about that kind of strut before. how much better is that than the rear strut bar that goes in the trunk? to me it resembles a x-brace. __________________ -Theta Chi- Float like a cadilac, sting like a BIMMER .... my socket is just too thick and won't fit in the hole! damnit! Marv's 332ti is in the werks. Stay tuned ya'll ... Check list: S52 swap, manual transmission swap, 3.25 LSD with M Coupe diff cover, SuperSprint muffler, M3 style mirrors, AFE intake, ASC delete, M50 Manifold swap, UUC strut bar, ZHP lighted knob, Vaders, M-tech interior, OEM armrest, AC Schintzer front lip, AC Schnitzer rear spoiler, Roof spoiler, 18'' rims, M3 front drilled brakes, LED interior lights, 3 spoke Euro style steering wheel, OEM roof spoiler and bike holder, Thule fairing, Euro tail lights, oil pressure guage, carbon fiber hood painted to original paint (still showing CF weaving), what's next to do...? | | | 06-23-2008, 05:36 PM | #10 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,224 | Quote: Originally Posted by Marv17 hmm. never seen or read about that kind of strut before. how much better is that than the rear strut bar that goes in the trunk? to me it resembles a x-brace. | It doesn't impede my valuable cargo room. | | | 06-23-2008, 05:48 PM | #11 | Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: 43609 Posts: 3,425 | Go check out the ful body brace offered for the z3 guys. Its from the front to the rear and i guess does a great job but it also lowers your ground clearance somewhere around an inch. __________________ 1995 Hellrot Clubsport 318ti -Gone 1996 Schwartz II Sport 357ti - 5.7L V8 LS1/6 1997 Moregrun Metallic 318ti - Gone 1998 Schwartz II sport 318ti - M50TUB25/5 | | | 06-23-2008, 05:56 PM | #12 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,224 | If you guys are getting them down to ~$40/each I'd be willing to buy one. Keep this thread updated on your progress. | | | 06-23-2008, 06:00 PM | #13 | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Eugene Oregon Posts: 6,182 | seems like this with the added strength of the inside one would be quite the addition! __________________ -Josh Sold-1995 318ti, Club Sport, Hellrot Sold-1996 318ti, Active Model, Boston Green Current- 1995 318ti, sport model, schwartz | | | 06-23-2008, 06:48 PM | #14 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: state college, pa Posts: 3,431 | Quote: Originally Posted by Marv17 hmm. never seen or read about that kind of strut before. how much better is that than the rear strut bar that goes in the trunk? to me it resembles a x-brace. | Rear strut tower bars don't really do much in the ti, mostly due to the type of suspension and the proximity of the rear part of the frame to the towers. Basically a semi trailing-arm setup doesn't introduce a lot of lateral flex to the towers; it comes from the wheel to the hub, goes through the arm and then to the subframe (a known weak point in higher power setups). The x-brace differs in that it ties the control arms to the frame. The Butt-Strut ties the suspension to itself. In conjunction with the rear sway, it creates a solid trapezoid. __________________ I scream, you scream, we all scream for ZOMBIES. | | | 06-23-2008, 07:21 PM | #15 | Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,525 | Yup. A rear strut brace is pretty pointless. They do, very, very little. The only time they would be helpful would be if you converted the rear suspension to a true coilover suspension. There are some E30 race cars out there that have a true rear coilover, and in those cars the cage usually re-enforces the strut towers and ties it all into the frame, and sub frame... You can do the strong-strut reinforcement inside of the car much easier, but it ruins the interior... | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Thread Tools | | Display Modes | Linear Mode | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |