Shock tower braces

[oilcan93]

What is the general consensus from those that have added a brace between the front shock towers. I see that several places offer them. There's even one for the rear available.....maybe too much of a good thing?
Just looking from a few opinions from those with experience. Thanks

 

[Polariscsl]

With cars as old and bendy as these I think any extra support is a good thing.

 

[Gernstetter]

With cars as old and bendy as these I think any extra support is a good thing.

it also depends on how hard you drive the car.....it does supply some stability, but for those of you who understand physics.....if you displace force in one area of the car, it goes to another part of the car.....so again it depends on how you drive the car....if on a track, for sure, otherwise.....

 

[Polariscsl]

I just see them as belt and braces - they have been proven to work and help protect shells on lots of cars so why not the e9? The strut tops move the most even during daily driving so if it flexes elsewhere as you say lower down away from all those spot welds I will take it.

 

[oilcan93]

I'm thinking I'm definitely going to get the front brace. I have done enough research to know the bodies on our coupes flex quite a bit. Lots of curvy roads where I live to put it to the test. Thanks for the input

 

[m73]

I have been thinking about this same subject for a while now. I am not sure that stiffening up the suspension is such a good thing however, just look at other rigid bodies or tightening a bolt too tight for example...it's not always a good thing.

Taking a chapter from Unimog ( I have owned one ) chassis flex and crumple zones, I would be interested in researching an option that provides 'support' and will flex at the right moments.

This is just my personal opinion, but I do believe chassis stiffening is a good thing for our coupes.

MF

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Regarding Physics, the comment below I think is semi-correct, some stress will be transferred however, allot of the stress will be "avoided" in other areas because the brace will prevent movement and sort-of absorb some stress on it's own. I think I mentioned before that on my coupe I am having some difficulty getting it to "feel" like a luxury car yet behave like a "sports" car as I think that was the original idea -or one of them- of the coupe. I am having the most difficulty in the rear suspension and when/if I ever get it right I'll post allot of specs and stuff.

Bottom line, I think most would agree that the front strut brace is a good inexpensive addition with no real downside. The rear configurations are, at least for me, more difficult.

 

[verde2002]

What is the general consensus from those that have added a brace between the front shock towers. I see that several places offer them. There's even one for the rear available.....maybe too much of a good thing?
Just looking from a few opinions from those with experience. Thanks

Who currently sells them.? I am interested in both front and rear braces. Someone in the US preferably.

 

['69 2800cs]

I think I've said this before, but the strut brace in the front makes sense because struts by design carry significant lateral loads in a corner.

That's not the case in the rear. The rear is simply a shock that experiences loads in the vertical only.

I agree any reduction in flex is a good thing, and tying together the rear shock towers probably provides some benefit but keep in mind bracing something laterally that experiences no lateral loads, well, that's kinda silly.

 

[kasbatts]

I think I've said this before, but the strut brace in the front makes sense because struts by design carry significant lateral loads in a corner.



That's not the case in the rear. The rear is simply a shock that experiences loads in the vertical only.



I agree any reduction in flex is a good thing, and tying together the rear shock towers probably provides some benefit but keep in mind bracing something laterally that experiences no lateral loads, well, that's kinda silly.

+1

 

[kasbatts]

And to ad further, none of the front braces that we can get for the coupe attach in the centre to the fire wall, this helps a lot to the bracing effect, it's all about triangulation, when I take my motor out and doing the engine bay I will be adding a centre fixing point (I.e welding a plate to the firewall for a bolt up mount)
Having said that, the top of the strut towers on the coupe are very close to the firewall and so are fairly well braced anyway.

The biggest problem for the E9 is the whole chassis/frame.
Having such slim A and C pillars and no B pillar makes for a very flexible chassis.

 

[deQuincey]

IMHO both front and rear support points receive and bear vertical and lateral forces, in a dofferent way, yes, but both receive lateral too

the configuration and structure is different in front and rear, rear is much more closed receiving the help of many other elements like the rear seat panel, and rear shelf, while the front is clearly open as you have to acccomodate the engine and that means a bigger open structure less prepared to absorb and handle torsion and flexion

so as a conclussion yes it seems there is more need in a front addition than in the rear case, what i can not tell is if there is even a need of it in the front case

by the moment i will not add anything there,...:-D

 

[deQuincey]

And to ad further, none of the front braces that we can get for the coupe attach in the centre to the fire wall, this helps a lot to the bracing effect, it's all about triangulation, when I take my motor out and doing the engine bay I will be adding a centre fixing point (I.e welding a plate to the firewall for a bolt up mount)
Having said that, the top of the strut towers on the coupe are very close to the firewall and so are fairly well braced anyway.

The biggest problem for the E9 is the whole chassis/frame.
Having such slim A and C pillars and no B pillar makes for a very flexible chassis.

+1

 

[Bwana]

So who sells them now?

 

[verde2002]

So who sells them now?

+1

 

[daddywad]

strut braces

I sell front and rear period Alpina replicas in ally

 

[verde2002]

Any United States sources?

 

[sreams]

IMHO both front and rear support points receive and bear vertical and lateral forces, in a dofferent way, yes, but both receive lateral too

I disagree. With a strut suspension, the top of the shock/spring is a pivot point of the suspension. The rear shock tower of an e9 is not a pivot point at all. It is simply a mount for the top of the shock. Tying the rear towers together will give a little strength to the chassis (just like it would if you made any part of the body more rigid), but it would be nowhere near as effective as stiffening actual pivot points of the suspension travel.

 

[oilcan93]

https://sites.google.com/a/vintagebmwsource.com/www/e3-e9-suspension-steering

about $220

 

[verde2002]

https://sites.google.com/a/vintagebmwsource.com/www/e3-e9-suspension-steering

about $220

Site was last used on March of 2013. No luck there.