# Opinions on this strut bar anyone??



## TD330ci (Dec 29, 2001)

What do you guys think of the Bavarian Autosport Front Stressbar 
bar. It's on special for $179. MUCH cheaper then the strong strut for $370!!!

Can be found at http://www.bavauto.com/. There is no direct link sorry.

Will it perform as well?

Thanks in advance.


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## SoloII///M (May 16, 2003)

TD330ci said:


> What do you guys think of the Bavarian Autosport Front Stressbar
> bar. It's on special for $179. MUCH cheaper then the strong strut for $370!!!
> 
> Can be found at http://www.bavauto.com/. There is no direct link sorry.
> ...


I personally think strut bars are a waste of money. On the street you'll never feel an improvement. The money is better spent elsewhere.

John


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## TD330ci (Dec 29, 2001)

SoloII///M said:


> I personally think strut bars are a waste of money. On the street you'll never feel an improvement. The money is better spent elsewhere.
> 
> John


This is for an E36 M convertable. I have heard from other members that it greatly improves the sloppyness and the related cowl shake. I was going to get the strong strut, but at $370, it's a bit pricy. 

Anyone else have any insight into this.

Thanks.


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## rockfish66 (Nov 5, 2003)

TD330ci said:


> This is for an E36 M convertable. I have heard from other members that it greatly improves the sloppyness and the related cowl shake. I was going to get the strong strut, but at $370, it's a bit pricy.
> 
> Anyone else have any insight into this.
> 
> Thanks.


The popular opinion is that if strut bars work at all (and that is by no means agreed) then only the rigid bars are any good.

I've thought about this a lot, way too much actually!

Seems to me that all but the flimsiest bars would do a decent job of bracing the towers from motion toward or away from each other - provided they are securely attached to the towers and themselves.

The hinge in a hinged bar eliminates the stiffness of the bar in bending in a horizontal plane, while the rigid bar retains it's stiffness in this direction. Of course, in order to fit under the hood, all the bars have to be thinnest, and hence weakest, in this plane anyway. The only motion I can think this would resist is the "twisting" of the towers around the longitudinal axis of the car.

Is there enough mobement in this axis to make the difference? I don't know. Will you feel the difference? I don't know that either.

I do know it won't hurt anything (except your bank account) and on my 10 year old, 110k mile chassis, I think I need all the help I can get.

Hope this helps


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## TD330ci (Dec 29, 2001)

rockfish66 said:


> The popular opinion is that if strut bars work at all (and that is by no means agreed) then only the rigid bars are any good.
> 
> I've thought about this a lot, way too much actually!
> 
> ...


 :rofl: Thanks for the insight. I was just going by the impressions posted by JST, that the improvement was noticeable on his car. If it were in fact a waste then saving a few hundred would be preferable. :thumbup:


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2003)

TD330ci said:


> :rofl: Thanks for the insight. I was just going by the impressions posted by JST, that the improvement was noticeable on his car. If it were in fact a waste then saving a few hundred would be preferable. :thumbup:


 Seriously, I noticed a difference in my relatively stiff SEDAN when I installed the Strong Strut.

I used to be in the camp that believed a difference could not be felt on the street. I was wrong.

And on an E36 convertible, it's almost a must.

That said, you need to get a solid bar (no hinges). Strong Strut is the cheapest, IIRC.


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## JoeCinVa (Apr 26, 2002)

I put a JTD Strut Bar (non-hinged) on my 95 vert and I definitely felt the car tighten up. Go for it and get a good one.


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## TD330ci (Dec 29, 2001)

TD said:


> Seriously, I noticed a difference in my relatively stiff SEDAN when I installed the Strong Strut.
> 
> I used to be in the camp that believed a difference could not be felt on the street. I was wrong.
> 
> ...


Thanks TD, that's what I thought. I was just looking for a cheaper alternative then $370. Oh well, grin and bear it I guess. 

Side note. Does the wife's 323 vert have one??


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## Guest (Nov 21, 2003)

TD330ci said:


> Thanks TD, that's what I thought. I was just looking for a cheaper alternative then $370. Oh well, grin and bear it I guess.
> 
> Side note. Does the wife's 323 vert have one??


 Nope. It is flat-out bone stock. I thought about it but she wouldn't let me put one in. Granted the only times it really got driven hard enough to notice the flex, I was driving. And those drives were very few and far between.

The car is virginal. 29K miles. Never parked outside overnight. Never been through a carwash, handwash only. Oil every 4K miles.

That's all part of why we haven't even tried to sell it yet.


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