What strut bars are you guys using?

[craz azn]

I know I don't feel a difference with a strut bar in my track car, on the track, pulling ~1g, with solid bushings and r-comps. How people can feel their chassis flexing, on the street with soft street tires and flexy bushings, is beyond me. I wish my hands were that sensitive, I think I'd be a better driver

Haha, +1!

I think the only reason I might put a strut bar in is to try and stop chassis flex. These damn cars are getting old... factor in rust, high mileage, etc... they tend to get fatigued.

The other problem is with all the bends in these bars, they just flex there! Kinda useless. I'd like to see a custom made bar that is straight across... I remember years ago at a WGI BMWCCA driving school, I saw a red E30 hit the inside of turn one. The car's front end got kinda squished sideways and the strut bar (Racing Dynamics bar IIRC) just popped up into the hood! That convinced me they were rather useless.

[JGood]

who runs strut bars? hahaha

only kidding. dont get offended strut bar users, i understand some cars benefit and some people feel the difference.

I know I don't feel a difference with a strut bar in my track car, on the track, pulling ~1g, with solid bushings and r-comps. How people can feel their chassis flexing, on the street with soft street tires and flexy bushings, is beyond me. I wish my hands were that sensitive, I think I'd be a better driver

[lennon]

who runs strut bars? hahaha

only kidding. dont get offended strut bar users, i understand some cars benefit and some people feel the difference.

[dinanm3atl]

I have IE Bars front and rear.

[jaywood]

I like that Mason Bar....but I'm on a budget.

What's the best place to get a Sparco?

[DRTSRFR]

Holy four pounds of overkill Batman!

...and $395!

Real race cars have cages. There are so many other things on these cars that could use 400 bucks worth of attention.

...and SURPRISE!...they make Golf Carts...

http://www.rongineer.com/lido.html

[BimmerTim]

Even a lot of tracked cars don't need rear bars. The suspension weight in on the spring perches, not the upper strut mounts on E30s. Rear bars rarely do anything on them.

[KenC]

Is that in a track car? e30s aren't known for much torsion in the rear.

[BimmerTim]

That bar hurts my brain.

[iwantspeed]

i got this rear strut bar.

it also has swaybar reinforcement brackets and all the hardware

pictures are doing mockup to drill holes.

http://www.rongineer.com/m3bracekit.html

overview

left side fitment

floor plate has a slot on the back side

shock clearance
stock rear shock mounts

rear sway bar reinforcement brackets

this fits in the rear parcel shelf

and then a bolt with a washer goes into the brace and into that insert in the rear shelf

high grade hardware

[KenC]

From my experience if your car already has suspension mods, you
won't notice the difference. But if it is the only mod you've done,
then you will notice a difference(sharper steering feeling)

I have had the opposite experience. My car has Bilstein Sports, H&R Sports, M3 CABs, urethane bushings all around, and IE 25/22 sways dialed in to full stiff. I recently added an OMP strut brace and it made a HUGE difference. The turn-in is MUCH sharper now.

[Charley]

I have a mason bar. I don't think that the welds are ugly but mine
is painted so maybe you don't see the details as much as a fully
polished one.

From my experience if your car already has suspension mods, you
won't notice the difference. But if it is the only mod you've done,
then you will notice a difference(sharper steering feeling)

Charley

[CabbE30]

IE short bar on my '91 325i
Was a 1/4 inch short but I pryed it on. I think it made a difference. Less flex and made the steering lighter.

[87-325ic]

i got an IE bar. i also gots a vert.

for me, it made the front end feel a lot more solid. i really think it was something i could tell the difference in not having.

But, i had to take a hammer to it to make it clear the intake manifold.

[DRTSRFR]

SPARCO will be the least expensive and is said to be quite functional.

Mason Engineering also make a quality piece but at almost double the cost, and be ready for some ugly welds.

I have both and cannot tell any difference, functionally between the two.
MASON BAR...