Pelican Parts survey response: I want cheap M3 strut mounts

[funcrew]

I posted this to the Pelican Parts customer survey - wishful thinking:

Found you through R3VLimited.com and your tech articles. Keep up the good work!

Why does someone not make a generic BMW E30 offset (M3 style) upper front strut mount? The generic plain (non-offset) one costs $35 a pop, but the OEM M3 style costs $175 a piece. Making a reproduction of the offset mount would require no R&D and would be exactly the same cost to manufacture. You could sell a bazillion of these at $60 if you enlisted one of your suppliers to produce them, and advertised them on r3vlimited.com and e30tech.com

[atomic]

Buy aftermarket camber plates instead?

Anything OEM e30 M3 means 3-4x's as much in cost.


:up:

[Todd Black 88]

Factory m3 ones are exactly the same as regular e30 ones. The offset ones are Motorsport parts, thats why so expensive. From the factory the m3 came with regular mounts.

[funcrew]

Factory m3 ones are exactly the same as regular e30 ones. The offset ones are Motorsport parts, thats why so expensive. From the factory the m3 came with regular mounts.

I didn't know that. I don't want all-metal camber plates 'cause I'm a vibration-averse, over-the-hill geezer and I'm man enough to admit this - really into rubber. It just pisses me off that such a simple piece is so @#$% expensive.

[Hellabad]

if you saw the motorsport one, it is almost just a redrilled standard one.

get your drill and make some holes, but I prefer the adjustable. There are 100% noise isolated camber / caster plates available from GC (ask for hybrid)


I am off to bimmerfest

[StereoInstaller1]

Why does someone not make a generic BMW E30 offset (M3 style) upper front strut mount?

I assume your goal is better tire wear?

Seeing as you and I are both OGs (Old Guys)...

My goal for '09 is stock alignment specs.

I am sick of wearing tires out in 8,000 miles, but I want the look/feel of my car at its present height.

I wonder if someone like BavAuto might have more pull?

[funcrew]

I assume your goal is better tire wear?

Seeing as you and I are both OGs (Old Guys)...

My goal for '09 is stock alignment specs.

I am sick of wearing tires out in 8,000 miles, but I want the look/feel of my car at its present height.

I wonder if someone like BavAuto might have more pull?

Trying to achieve roughly negative 2 degrees camber; 3/4 from the offset strut mounts & 1-1/4 from fixed plates. A happy, moderate compromise for a daily driver / frequent autocrosser. Not sure about the E30, but I got good grip and great tire wear on my Echo with negative 2 degrees camber and 1/16 inch toe-in.

[Naplm00]

The offset one are not for mototsport use

they are for repair use, they are used to restore corect camber in a dmamged vehicle


I have seen people just redirll holes on the car strut housing sheetmetal and get the same effect

[funcrew]

The offset ones are not for motorsport use

they are for repair use, they are used to restore correct camber in a damaged vehicle


I have seen people just redrill holes on the car strut housing sheetmetal and get the same effect

Understood - If I'm looking at them right, that's also what the fixed camber plates do. The advantage of the offset mounts is that in addition to the above, it also moves the top of the strut inward relative to the mount bolts/studs. Thus the additive .75 degrees (mount) plus 1.25 degrees (fixed camber plate or re-drill chassis)

But I end up being wrong a lot - so let me know if that's BS.

On the hybrid rubber adjustable camber plates from Ground Control - Those look awesome, but would require 2.5 inch coil-over springs. I'm really hazy on how coil-overs mount at the bottom end. Would it be possible to have a rubber pad at the bottom of the 2.5 inch spring, same as the OEM is set up? If not, then you only achieve noise & vibration damping at one end - not very effective.