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Snapped strut brace?

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LukyBowler
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by LukyBowler » Sat May 13, 2017 3:03 pm

Hi everyone, I'm new here and only picked up my M Coupe a few weeks ago!

Had a bit of a strange issue though - 3 weeks after purchasing this awful noise started coming from the bonnet. I thought it was the headlight as mine is slightly loose due to a broken mount (more £££) but it was actually my NS Strut brace which has completely snapped in half!

It's bizarre and looks like someone has taken a hacksaw to it because it's such a clean break.

What would cause this? Common?

I've attached some pics!

Cheers

Luke
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GuidoK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by GuidoK » Sat May 13, 2017 3:19 pm

I think this is pretty much a first.
On pre-facelift cars its somewhat common that the mounting point (on the shock tower) breaks, but this is very rare.
Take note that its not adviced to keep driving with that brace snapped (bmw's workshop manual explicitly says not to).

Indeed it looks like someone sawed it in half :?
Very strange that its not bent but broken.

Get a new one (or at least a used new one), part # 51717026274 (they're the same for every E85/E86 z4).
I dont see one currently on ebay in the UK but people must have these lying around as some aftermarket strut braces like the ultra racing one make these obsolete (thats a one piece 3 point strutbrace)


Edit: wasnt looking correctly on ebay:
poor nick:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z4-E85-E8 ... 2962644685

reasonable nick (still a paint chip):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z4-E85-E8 ... 2950644008

Dealer price is probably about £78,--

and clean that engine bay!! :rofl:
Z4 3.0i | ESS TS2+ | Quaife ATB LSD | Brembo/BMW performance BBK front/rear | Schrick FI cams | Schmiedmann headers+cats | fully polybushed | Vibra-technics engine mounts | H&R anti rollbars | KW V3 coilovers | Sachs Race Engineering clutch

LukyBowler
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by LukyBowler » Sat May 13, 2017 3:48 pm

Thanks GuidoK! It's very odd, I'll probably just pick up an aftermarket one as the OEM unit seems pretty shoddy, especially for £80!

And yes, I need to get my AutoGlym machine cleaner on that engine bay! A job for later this afternoon :D

D4dawg

Snapped strut brace?

Post by D4dawg » Sat May 13, 2017 4:07 pm

Def looks funny to me
Mine come slightly loose from time to time and cause a rattle on bulk head
But as g it looks like it's cut, as it would be bent or atleast crumpled as a sign of stress
I'd ask old owner as may have need a bit special and cut it to do work on engine who knows

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GuidoK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by GuidoK » Sat May 13, 2017 5:34 pm

LukyBowler wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 3:48 pm Thanks GuidoK! It's very odd, I'll probably just pick up an aftermarket one as the OEM unit seems pretty shoddy, especially for £80!
Ok, but most aftermarket ones that also include the diagonal braces are pretty rare or expensive.
The ultra racing one is very affordable but requires the bonnet switch to be located.
A strong strut set (thats 2 diagonal braces and a normal brace) is very nice but probably £500+
There have been other limited production run projects but none that are commercially available at this time I believe.
Z4 3.0i | ESS TS2+ | Quaife ATB LSD | Brembo/BMW performance BBK front/rear | Schrick FI cams | Schmiedmann headers+cats | fully polybushed | Vibra-technics engine mounts | H&R anti rollbars | KW V3 coilovers | Sachs Race Engineering clutch

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Smartbear
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by Smartbear » Sat May 13, 2017 5:51 pm

Unusual issue, looks possible that a vibration could have caused it to crack?
Rob
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e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

goon
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by goon » Sat May 13, 2017 5:59 pm

That's a strange one. Good thins is you spotted it and its a quick fix.

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TomK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by TomK » Sat May 13, 2017 5:59 pm

GuidoK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 5:34 pm The ultra racing one is very affordable but requires the bonnet switch to be located.
Also I'm fairly certain it won't fit over an s54, oil cap or breather hose gets in the way, I can't quite remember.
Very unusual failure I would say, just get an oem replacement.
MC[IB], CSL airbox, Schrick 288/280 cams, 4.44FD, UUC SSK, SS race cat back, AP CP9660[F]/5144[R] brakes, Apex ARC-8 with AR-1 or PS5, KW ClubSport 2-way, Turner spherical arms, PMC uniball rtab, VB engine mounts, Rogue pulleys & RSMs, Tillett B6, half cage

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TomK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by TomK » Sat May 13, 2017 6:15 pm

Unless it's the picture :? but it seems to me that the strut brace bolts are not OEM?

Not my car but mine look the same as these. Certainly much more of the thread sticks out in my car and others I can find on the internet :?
https://goo.gl/images/42flRI
MC[IB], CSL airbox, Schrick 288/280 cams, 4.44FD, UUC SSK, SS race cat back, AP CP9660[F]/5144[R] brakes, Apex ARC-8 with AR-1 or PS5, KW ClubSport 2-way, Turner spherical arms, PMC uniball rtab, VB engine mounts, Rogue pulleys & RSMs, Tillett B6, half cage

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Snapped strut brace?

Post by Smartbear » Sat May 13, 2017 6:19 pm

TomK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:15 pm Unless it's the picture :? but it seems to me that the strut brace bolts are not OEM?

Not my car but mine look the same as these. Certainly much more of the thread sticks out in my car and others I can find on the internet :?
https://goo.gl/images/42flRI
Im sure that my E85 had nuts securing the braces from the top, the op looks to have the bolt inserted from above instead? :?
Rob
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e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

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TomK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by TomK » Sat May 13, 2017 6:28 pm

Smartbear wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:19 pm
TomK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:15 pm Unless it's the picture :? but it seems to me that the strut brace bolts are not OEM?

Not my car but mine look the same as these. Certainly much more of the thread sticks out in my car and others I can find on the internet :?
<a class="vglnk" href="https://goo.gl/images/42flRI" rel="nofollow"><span>https</span><span>://</span><span>goo</span><span>.</span><span>gl</span><span>/</span><span>images</span><span>/</span><span>42flRI</span></a>
Im sure that my E85 had nuts securing the braces from the top, the op looks to have the bolt inserted from above instead? :?
Rob
Exactly, that's what it looks like to me too. Very odd.
Might just be the photo?
MC[IB], CSL airbox, Schrick 288/280 cams, 4.44FD, UUC SSK, SS race cat back, AP CP9660[F]/5144[R] brakes, Apex ARC-8 with AR-1 or PS5, KW ClubSport 2-way, Turner spherical arms, PMC uniball rtab, VB engine mounts, Rogue pulleys & RSMs, Tillett B6, half cage

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TomK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by TomK » Sat May 13, 2017 7:51 pm

Op, can you get some better photos of the strut tower for us? Maybe it's the light but to me it looks slightly deformed :( from the shadows cast. Might be nothing of course, but if there's a problem you should have some recourse from a dealer being 3 weeks old.
one from this angle perhaps
https://goo.gl/images/42flRI
MC[IB], CSL airbox, Schrick 288/280 cams, 4.44FD, UUC SSK, SS race cat back, AP CP9660[F]/5144[R] brakes, Apex ARC-8 with AR-1 or PS5, KW ClubSport 2-way, Turner spherical arms, PMC uniball rtab, VB engine mounts, Rogue pulleys & RSMs, Tillett B6, half cage

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Snapped strut brace?

Post by GuidoK » Sat May 13, 2017 7:57 pm

TomK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 5:59 pm
Also I'm fairly certain it won't fit over an s54, oil cap or breather hose gets in the way, I can't quite remember.
I dont think the oil cap is an issue, but that breather hose is indeed a really close fit:
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Z4 3.0i | ESS TS2+ | Quaife ATB LSD | Brembo/BMW performance BBK front/rear | Schrick FI cams | Schmiedmann headers+cats | fully polybushed | Vibra-technics engine mounts | H&R anti rollbars | KW V3 coilovers | Sachs Race Engineering clutch

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Snapped strut brace?

Post by XMetal » Sat May 13, 2017 8:15 pm

Smartbear wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:19 pm
TomK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:15 pm Unless it's the picture :? but it seems to me that the strut brace bolts are not OEM?

Not my car but mine look the same as these. Certainly much more of the thread sticks out in my car and others I can find on the internet :?
https://goo.gl/images/42flRI
Im sure that my E85 had nuts securing the braces from the top, the op looks to have the bolt inserted from above instead? :?
Rob
Only 2006 and some early 2007 had nuts securing the braces. Sometimes during 2007, BMW switched to using bolts. My 2008 and many others I've seen use bolts securing the braces

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TomK
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Snapped strut brace?

Post by TomK » Sat May 13, 2017 8:23 pm

XMetal wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 8:15 pm
Smartbear wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:19 pm
TomK wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 6:15 pm Unless it's the picture :? but it seems to me that the strut brace bolts are not OEM?

Not my car but mine look the same as these. Certainly much more of the thread sticks out in my car and others I can find on the internet :?
https://goo.gl/images/42flRI
Im sure that my E85 had nuts securing the braces from the top, the op looks to have the bolt inserted from above instead? :?
Rob
Only 2006 and some early 2007 had nuts securing the braces. Sometimes during 2007, BMW switched to using bolts. My 2008 and many others I've seen use bolts securing the braces
Interesting, I guess there are two versions of the strut replacements then. Worth noting for the OP. ETA: ignore that, must be wrong
My car fits to the schedule you say as it was a late 2006.
Does the strut tower look a little odd to anyone else, or is it just me :tumbleweed:
MC[IB], CSL airbox, Schrick 288/280 cams, 4.44FD, UUC SSK, SS race cat back, AP CP9660[F]/5144[R] brakes, Apex ARC-8 with AR-1 or PS5, KW ClubSport 2-way, Turner spherical arms, PMC uniball rtab, VB engine mounts, Rogue pulleys & RSMs, Tillett B6, half cage

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