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Shock tower out of line.

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    #1

    Shock tower out of line.

    So since I have installed GC touring plates and had a wheel alignment, I have noticed that my drives side (AUS right hand drive) shock tower is bent. I asked for an extra -0.5 degrees of camber on the front over stock. So the left camber plates sits pretty much in the middle while the right is way off.

    After inspecting the shock tower I noticed a very small tear between the tower and the battery tray, and the brace that runs between the engine and the tower is a little bent. Ill post picture tonight.

    I want to know weather this kind of thing can be straightened out by a body shop. Obviously anything can be done with enough money. But I want to know how hard this is correct and what it would cost ruffly to correct.

    Thanks guys
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    #2
    SRS 50 views and not one comment. I know I have not posted pictures yet but I thought I would at least have someone chime in!
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      #3
      jeez, sounds like something you have to take to a frame wrack. very costly

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        #4
        It would need to go on a frame rack, but you are better off doing, and you save a shell (read my thread in general discussions).
        IMG_0145 by Jonathan Martin, on Flickr

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          #5
          Yeh I don't want to get rid of my car no way just want to estimate what I would be looking at to fix her.

          She will probably become a dedicated track car. So eventually I want to get another and restore to factory spec to daily, good condition late model E30's are hard to come by here in AUS and are only getting harder.
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            #6
            this is very common on E46 chassis.



            they tear right at the secondary firewall and usually a body shop can fix it
            Originally posted by Lof8
            Seriously. Every black wheel, regardless of spoke design, looks the same from more than 3 feet away.

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              #7
              You could weld a support plate on after you vice it together somehow.
              1989 BMW 325is | 2019 Ford Ranger FX4
              willschnitz

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                #8
                This is how my e30's front end started failing. ~5 years later, I'm down to a bare shell basically doing an entire restoration and replacing the entire wheel housing/strut tower assembly...

                Mine started as a crack on the passenger side battery tray/strut tower, just as you said. Now that I disassembled the car, I see that the causes were some major rust in areas that was covered by seam sealer and not visible, as well as stress from the chassis twisting over the years. Once I pulled the fenders and started grinding down some of the undercoating, I found a LOT of cracks and tears in the metal... not something a simple reinforcement would cure (not long term, anyway).

                I basically just started stripping and re-welding stuff. You can check out my thread if you want, there's a link in my sig. I reinforced that area of the wheel housing on the passenger side, but ended up replacing the entire wheel housing on the drivers side with a brand new one.

                You mentioned turning it into a track car... I'd recommend NOT doing that. A track car with sticky rubber will see incredible chassis flex, it will tear up your front end in no time. Fix it properly, then track it, or don't track it at all.
                85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i
                e30 restoration and V8 swap
                24 Hours of Lemons e30 build

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                  #9
                  ^
                  Well I am looking at buying a house very soon now. If that gose ahead then a complete tear down and rebuild from the ground up will be happening. I would then be fixing the issue permantly like you.

                  Yeh if I track the car a proper fix would be in the works no way would I track it like that. I run Dunlop Z1 and I think that is bad enough at the moment.

                  Cheers guys I try to post pics soon. I keep forgetting.
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                    #10
                    Man, I had seen a good diagram of the structure points BMW used to "square" the body a couple of days ago. Try search for that here or realoem. Depending on the size of the crack you may be able to use the diagram and measure the squareness yourself.

                    A rack and laser machine will be able to get it spot on though. Just to get a car on a rack in the states is 1k, YMMV in Aus.
                    GL
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                      #11
                      I just got a new E30.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Voyd View Post
                        Man, I had seen a good diagram of the structure points BMW used to "square" the body a couple of days ago. Try search for that here or realoem. Depending on the size of the crack you may be able to use the diagram and measure the squareness yourself.

                        A rack and laser machine will be able to get it spot on though. Just to get a car on a rack in the states is 1k, YMMV in Aus.
                        GL
                        Yeh that is what I thought. My family knows the owner of a crash repair shop here who is recommended, by BMW ill see if I can get in touch with him and see what he says.
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