For those of you looking for the Sparco strut brace

[DaveNorCal]

Ordered. Is installation as simple as it looks?

[cardnation]

Ordered. Is installation as simple as it looks?

Easier. I spent more time looking for the socket I kicked (accident) across the garage than I did on installation.

[DaveNorCal]

Remove and retighten two nuts per side, right?

[willworkfore30s]

Jack the car up from the center so the suspension and body can flex to full droop, undo the two innermost nuts in each strut tower. Install bar, retighten nuts, lower car.

[marshtgrade]

i had the rubbing issue on my m20 car with contact to the top of the intake mani, made a cool rumble sound so didnt care but eventually just flattened it out a little so less noise. great bar these are hearty:)

[delatlanta1281]

i had the rubbing issue on my m20 car with contact to the top of the intake mani, made a cool rumble sound so didnt care but eventually just flattened it out a little so less noise. great bar these are hearty:)

That should not happen. How are your MM's?

[DaveNorCal]

Jack it up by the front cross-member?

[marshtgrade]

That should not happen. How are your MM's?

had the same issue with old oem mounts AND after new akg 75d poly mounts no real change. there was another member here rollingking? or something like that who had the same issue. not sure if difference between i.e bar and sparco bar? im not sure which one i have either..

[DaveNorCal]

It arrived. Again, do I jack the car from the front cross member? My thought is to take some weight off, loosen the nuts, see where we are it terms of fit and jack the car up more if necessary to get the bar to fit. Once it goes on, replace nuts and get them tight before lowering the jack. Correct?

[ForcedFirebird]

Having a shop, we have installed a lot of these bars and some cars do have issues. An m3 was the worst one to date. It's not the bars because we have moved them car-to-car and they drop on some and not on others.

Easiest way I found is to put the bar on one side and start the nuts. Loosen all 3 nuts on the other side and let the strut come down a bit - the bar will drop on - and lift the strut until the mount studs come back through the holes.

[DaveNorCal]

Thanks.

[BlackbirdM3]

Apparently E30s were made with two different spacings between the shock towers.
Ireland Engineering posts this on their website about the known possible fitment issue:
" The BMW factory published body specification shows the distance between the strut towers should be 1002.2mm +/-2mm (39.5"), measured from center to center at the strut bearing opening in the inner fenders. The bar we manufacture is 1002.2mm, the published spec. However; we have found many cars (ranged across all years and models) measure about 980mm (38.75")... there is no published factory documentation of any difference in the body dimensions. "

My Sparco bar almost drops straight on no issues. I have to wiggle and shake the car slightly and it drops on. It does come right off no issues, getting it back on is more a matter of the camber plate mount bolts being slightly closer to each other at the top of them,(because the shock towers are angled) but spot on where the bar should seat at the top of the strut towers. I don't have to jack it up, or unload the suspension at all.

Will

[ForcedFirebird]

Apparently E30s were made with two different spacings between the shock towers.
Ireland Engineering posts this on their website about the known possible fitment issue:
" The BMW factory published body specification shows the distance between the strut towers should be 1002.2mm +/-2mm (39.5"), measured from center to center at the strut bearing opening in the inner fenders. The bar we manufacture is 1002.2mm, the published spec. However; we have found many cars (ranged across all years and models) measure about 980mm (38.75")... there is no published factory documentation of any difference in the body dimensions. "

My Sparco bar almost drops straight on no issues. I have to wiggle and shake the car slightly and it drops on. It does come right off no issues, getting it back on is more a matter of the camber plate mount bolts being slightly closer to each other at the top of them,(because the shock towers are angled) but spot on where the bar should seat at the top of the strut towers. I don't have to jack it up, or unload the suspension at all.

Will

This has been said before, but also hard to find any info on. When I say there's a difference from car to car, I have personally taken them off one 86 and put on another 86 and had an issue. Same with a 88 to 90 and an 86 to 88 m3.

Don't know what to make of it, just based on experience.

[Dsun]

whats the difference between this and the IE strut bar? I got a ie and looks like its a big longer? Maybe i have the shorter strut towers...PO that i bought it from said he had to use a prybar to get it on and his did not drop on easily either...is it due to because its IE?

[Cronopoulos]

Received mine today, FUCK YEAH THESE RULE!