BMW e30 Chassis Lower X Brace (very soon)

[SR20Fastback]

I'm sure that if there is a demand for it in the future we could develop a bolt in addition to protect the pan.

this is starting to become a concern for me, one of the reasons i liked the e36 x-brace when i had it on my 328. but the pan on the e30's seems even more so a target to road hazzards. please keep us informed for any updates to allow a skid plate or a modified version that would protect the oil pan more

[DCColegrove]

This is something I can address

I wish it could mount somewhere other then the steering rack bolts, as thats where my skid plate is mounted...

In the beginning of the R&D process we (I) had a torturous decision to make.

In order to effectively attach the unit to the sub-frame any other way would require a highly skilled fabricator/welder to modify it.
This really wasn't an option for most end users. The "pop-in" blind nuts routinely fail so that wasn't the best choice either.

Because of my other concerns about attaching where we did I tested the first mock-up of this configuration on my rat car by jumping a dozen curbs and getting it crossed up airborne a few times then power slid it into a curb a couple more times just for drill before we built the first prototype.

I feel good about it. (well... as far as the braces function was concerned, I killed a set of good steelies and tires in the process)

I'm sure that if there is a demand for it in the future we could develop a bolt in addition to protect the pan.

[kowalski]

I wish it could mount somewhere other then the steering rack bolts, as thats where my skid plate is mounted...

[kowalski]

Hot Pink with Flowers and Polkadots
atomic, Justin B, kowalski, z31maniac

LOL. It's winning... rofl

Pink is bitch'n yo.

Seriously, it will go with my pink shirts, and popped collars.

Girls with think its rad, and the e30 will move up 10 points in the nice car scale and want to have teh sexzors.

[DCColegrove]

Do you know the exact type of steel used, and the sizes? I'm in a strengths of materials class, and I am just curious and want to do a stress analysis.

MASON won”t say, and says I can”t talk about it. ,

But he hinted it was a the super strong alloy” UNOBTANIUM” He found a crashed flying saucer somewhere and salvaged the materials

[Mtriple]

I'd have to say that is too much, $200ish I could see. E36 x-brace is $140 from most sources, Only draw backs to it lack of ground clearance, and not much clearance for certain headers. Those are improved with your design, but I don't think that's worth double the price of an OEM BMW part.

Yup, I am far from a cheapskate when it comes to my car but $300 is a little pricey.

It also looks like there would be some fitment issues for those of us that are running the factory skidplate.

[Teaguer]

Count me in for one. I'm assuming this will fit a M42 powered cabby?
-- DavidV :D

Their prototype/testmule car in the pics is an M42 car .

[DavidV]

Count me in for one. I'm assuming this will fit a M42 powered cabby?

-- DavidV :D

[TwoJ's]

Do you know the exact type of steel used, and the sizes? I'm in a strengths of materials class, and I am just curious and want to do a stress analysis.

[SR20Fastback]

anymore info on any modifications needed to fit this? will there be nutserts involved? (i hate nutserts haha). they will clear a long tube header like IE's? How about 24v swaps?

[RobertK]

You have to think about production / labor cost.

The OEM part is cheaper because they are most likely mass produced by machine.

This is a custom parts most likely to be made by hand so you're paying more for the man hours involved with making a custom part.

Unfortunately the reality is that there is not enough demand for these to warrant the kind of mass production needed for basement bargain prices. (Unless they decided to have a manufacturer in china replicate their final produce for them.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is.... No.. I probably couldn't justify the $300 price tag but that's because I don't track my car. Otherwise I consider $300 a fair price for a custom X-Brace setup if I felt the need to maximize my suspension setup.

[rs4pro3]

I'm not trying to trash his part, and am glad to see a hand fabricated piece made for just the e30 alone being offered. As I'd love to run an x-brace again on mine.

Yes the e36 brace fits the e30, you have to drill holes and install nutserts just like you do on a non-m e36. Jordan had one running on his e30 before he installed his headers

[dp2275]

i know you adressed long tube headers and "custom" exhaust, but will this clear 4" downpipes?

[matt]

I'd have to say that is too much, $200ish I could see. E36 x-brace is $140 from most sources, Only draw backs to it lack of ground clearance, and not much clearance for certain headers. Those are improved with your design, but I don't think that's worth double the price of an OEM BMW part.

So?

If you could buy an X-brace from BMW, he wouldnt have needed to make this part.

BMW buys thousands of X-braces a year, they are stamped and welded by machines. They are powder coated in massive batches with thousands of other parts.

$300 is very reasonable for a hand-fabricated part.

[eric (^__^)]

I'd have to say that is too much, $200ish I could see. E36 x-brace is $140 from most sources, Only draw backs to it lack of ground clearance, and not much clearance for certain headers. Those are improved with your design, but I don't think that's worth double the price of an OEM BMW part.

the e36 brace fits e30's? where the fuck have I been?