[BlackEyedPea]

i came across a couple of treads regarding strut braces but havent found any to answer my questions....

i trying to decide between a cusco upper strut brace and an omp adjustable strut brace.
a few questions that came to mind when trying to decide which one to get...:

1. Cusco: does it allow the bonnet to shut flat?....i remember reading somewhere that that was one of the differences between it and others...

2.OMP: the adjustable feature - how often do those who have it adjust it?.....does it makes much difference?....and would it have an impact on performance if you have the lower omp strut brace on?

3. Both: the bolts.....is it easy to remove and put back on the stut braces and do they take special or normal bolts?


...sorry if these have been asked already...can anyone point me in the right direction if they have..

[The Red Baron]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackEyedPea (original)

2.OMP: the adjustable feature - how often do those who have it adjust it?.....does it makes much difference?....and would it have an impact on performance if you have the lower omp strut brace on?

The OMP doesn't make any difference at all !

The reason for this is it's adjustability, which is its weak point and why it doesn't work very well as a strut brace!

I have also seen a few OMP braces fitted that have pushed the bonnet shut line out!

Taking them on and off is very easy but everytime you fit the brace I'd recommend you use a new set of ny-lock bolts!

[Hyper Active]

You haven't mentioned it in your post, but i can recommend the GTT strut braces .

[BigShow]

I have the OMP strut brace and its saved me a fortune. Not long ago I hit the base of a motorway cone at 70 mph with such force that it mushroomed the top of the driver side suspension mount. Had the brace not taken most of the impact force it would have done more damage.

I have the upper and lower OMP strut brace and you can definitely feel the difference having them on the car, it feels so much tighter at the front end. I recently took off the strut brace which had bent at the mount due to the recent impact and will be replacing it with another OMP one. Whilst it was off I felt the difference.

They are great value for money and IMO defo do their job!

[BlackEyedPea]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hyper Active (original)

You haven't mentioned it in your post, but i can recommend the GTT strut braces .

hmmm..i have a cooper....havent seen one on a COOPER before. does it push the bonnet up??
how does it compare to the cusco one?


oh and another question i wasnt too sure of.....can they be used on the newer shape MINIs (R56)?..or are they a different shape?

Quote: Originally Posted by chrisandjax (original)

Taking them on and off is very easy but everytime you fit the brace I'd recommend you use a new set of ny-lock bolts!

hmm..so i guess i should wait a bit. the clips on my battery cover have broken. im guessing the strut brace would get in the way if i was to replace the battery cover???

[The Red Baron]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigShow (original)

They are great value for money and IMO defo do their job!

IMO you pay for what you get with strut braces!

GTT fitted in our GP, JCW fitted in our Cooper, guess which works best?

[BigShow]

Quote: Originally Posted by chrisandjax (original)

IMO you pay for what you get with strut braces!

GTT fitted in our GP, JCW fitted in our Cooper, guess which works best?

I hear what you're saying and I've done the BigShow test on the following:

GTT
OMP
JCW
Forge

The test involves pushing all my weight (151 kg) onto the centre of each strut to see which bends.

Only the GTT and OMP didn't bend at all.

If money was no object I'd would definitely go for the GTT (don't tell Roland) because it looks mint under the bonnet but IMO the OMP supports the struts just as well as the GTT and at a fraction of the cost.

Alski had the same problem as me in that his suspension tower mushroomed after a bit hit on one wheel and he was using the GTT brace so the old stories of the GTT brace stopping mushrooming just isn't true. The fact is though that both the GTT and OMP stopped further damage to our cars thanks to their rigidity.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackEyedPea (original)

hmmm..i have a cooper....havent seen one on a COOPER before. does it push the bonnet up??

It fits on the Cooper just fine, you just need to remove or modify the battery cover to fit the brace in.

It's expensive, but it's worth it!

Tigger.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigShow (original)

Alski had the same problem as me in that his suspension tower mushroomed after a bit hit on one wheel and he was using the GTT brace so the old stories of the GTT brace stopping mushrooming just isn't true. The fact is though that both the GTT and OMP stopped further damage to our cars thanks to their rigidity.

Roland does actually say that no amount of reinforcement above the tower will stop mushrooming, it needs reinforcement under the tower to work. Having said that, the GTT item can help limit the damage a bit.

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hyper Active (original)

You haven't mentioned it in your post, but i can recommend the GTT strut braces .

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackEyedPea (original)

hmmm..i have a cooper....havent seen one on a COOPER before. does it push the bonnet up??

I have all four GTT braces on my MINI ONE and the effect is wonderful.

The car feels altogether more solid, more stable, more willing to change direction, and ride quality has also improved.

I really can't recommend GTT braces highly enough - they're fantastic!

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackEyedPea (original)

hmm..so i guess i should wait a bit. the clips on my battery cover have broken. im guessing the strut brace would get in the way if i was to replace the battery cover???

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

It fits on the Cooper just fine, you just need to remove or modify the battery cover to fit the brace in.

Yes, it'll fit all first generation (ONE, COOPER, COOPER S) MINIs, but you'll need to remove the battery cover on the ONE and COOPER. The battery contact points can be protected from the elements with grease - although I'm still trying to convince Roland (GT Tuning) to produce a water-tight battery cover solution.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

It's expensive, but it's worth it!

Tigger.

I concur - it's money well spent!

All the best,
Andrew.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by ARCrawford (original)

I have all four GTT braces on my MINI ONE and the effect is wonderful.

You and I both, great isn't it

The only problem is that the boot one is probably on borrowed time as Pip (the Collie pup) is getting bigger by the day and he won't be able to get past the brace in the near future

Tigger.

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

You and I both, great isn't it

The only problem is that the boot one is probably on borrowed time as Pip (the Collie pup) is getting bigger by the day and he won't be able to get past the brace in the near future

Tigger.

May I suggest getting Pip his own space?

I'm sure with some slight modifications it can be made to fit a tow bar rather than a bicycle.

What do you reckon?
Andrew.

[Hyper Active]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlackEyedPea (original)

hmmm..i have a cooper....havent seen one on a COOPER before. does it push the bonnet up??
how does it compare to the cusco one?


oh and another question i wasnt too sure of.....can they be used on the newer shape MINIs (R56)?..or are they a different shape?



hmm..so i guess i should wait a bit. the clips on my battery cover have broken. im guessing the strut brace would get in the way if i was to replace the battery cover???

A GTT strut brace only fits on a Cooper if the battery cover is removed first , but it wont push up the bonnet. I believe that the Cusco brace will fit over the battery cover though.

No, 1st Gen strut braces will not fit on an R56.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Nice idea Andrew, but I think the Mrs may have a slight objection to that one

[REDHOT CHILLI COOPER]

Hi Blacked Eyed Pea,
If you want an OMP top strut brace then I have one in the garage which was only fitted for a couple of weeks.

The reason being I decided to buy the GTT Top Strut Brace instead. Much stronger, better built and really makes a difference...... unlike the OMP model which the only difference it made to me was a bonnet which didn't shut correctly and about £60 out of my wallet.

I know the GTT is that much more expensive but really have a good think and buy once only .

As for the battery cover I managed to rework it with some plasticard and plastic angle edge plus a Dremmel and now it all fits like it left the factory.

Heres some pics...........

[BlackEyedPea]

Quote: Originally Posted by REDHOT CHILLI COOPER (original)

Hi Blacked Eyed Pea,
If you want an OMP top strut brace then I have one in the garage which was only fitted for a couple of weeks.

The reason being I decided to buy the GTT Top Strut Brace instead. Much stronger, better built and really makes a difference...... unlike the OMP model which the only difference it made to me was a bonnet which didn't shut correctly and about £60 out of my wallet.

I know the GTT is that much more expensive but really have a good think and buy once only .

As for the battery cover I managed to rework it with some plasticard and plastic angle edge plus a Dremmel and now it all fits like it left the factory.

Heres some pics...........

some nice work there,....might consider a gtt.......but the main reason i didnt want to spend too much was thought it might be good to get a lower strut brace too........say for example, i could have a combination of a cusco upper strut and an omp lower strut brace ...for less than the price of the gtt.......but between those two options im trying to decide which would offer better suspension...

[Lucky Dave]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hyper Active (original)

A GTT strut brace only fits on a Cooper if the battery cover is removed first , but it wont push up the bonnet. I believe that the Cusco brace will fit over the battery cover though.

No, 1st Gen strut braces will not fit on an R56.

I fitted a GTT brace to the wifes cooper cab with the standard battery box lid left in place, without any mods!

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lucky Dave (original)

I fitted a GTT brace to the wifes cooper cab with the standard battery box lid left in place, without any mods!

Oh yes, forgot about that - cabrios are the exception.

[REDHOT CHILLI COOPER]

I've actually got the OMP lower brace fitted and for the cost it's quite good. It certainly made more of a difference than the OMP upper brace.

Why not go for just the lower brace first, at £40 it's worth a go.

I've now gone the whole hog like Andrew and fitted all 4 braces (GTT Mid Lower and GTT Boot Brace) and have to say that it really makes the car handle well. Great response from the lightest of input from the steering plus a lot of annoying rattles from the dash and boot have cleared up.

It's addictive this brace problem you know.

[BigShow]

Top for show... lower for a pro

The other thing to consider is the fact that the OMP is adjustable. If you car has been driven predominatly in a straight line, in other words not so hard day to day, its more likely that the suspension towers have moved towards each other over time. If your car is being driven hard round corners or taken on track a lot the suspension towers may have spread apart over time. Either way an adjustble brace can be taliored to balance things out. What a strut bar does is tie the two strut towers together so that they share the load applied at the outer tower. This gives you twice as much material to deal with the same cornering force and helps reduce fatigue stress in this area. Having an upper and lower brace will tie things up more equally and give sharper turn in.