[2perCooper]

This may be a dumb question, so please do not kill me

I was wondering if the Dinan strut tower brace for the MCS would fit my MC??

Im guessing it would unless the battery cover got in the way. What do you guys/gals think??

Here the pics from www.dinancars.com






Thanks
-Chris

[D Dubya]

I can't imagine anything that would cause it to not fit. Also, it's a very nice piece. I have one on my MCS.

[6f7]

I was surprised that the strut mounts are plastic and you can easily flex the entire bar by hand!? Seems more like a piece of decoration with lame carbon fiber stickers rather than a functional strut brace IMO.

[D Dubya]

Plastic strut mounts? Are you sure what you were looking at was actually Dinan? The strut mounts with the bar that is on my car are definitely not plastic. I would suggest looking again at the dealer. As far as the carbon fiber cutouts are concerned, that's the way the dinan bar looks for all models, not just the MINI.

[CurtP]

Quote: Originally Posted by 6f7

I was surprised that the strut mounts are plastic and you can easily flex the entire bar by hand!? Seems more like a piece of decoration with lame carbon fiber stickers rather than a functional strut brace IMO.

A shock/strut tower brace does not need to be torsionally stiff; it functions in shear stress.

[Polmear]

It's a nice piece of bling, but as for functionality???
The MINI doesnt really need this type of brace, you'd be better off investing in a new sway bar, new springs, or many other suspension components.

[tuscan_thunder]

hi,

from my experience racing a lightweight, reasonably powerful front wheel drive car, a front strut brace is not what you want.

firstly, why do you want the bar?

if it's to help get rid of understeer, then a front strut brace is not the way to go. a REAR strut brace is. this will turn the back of the car in better and will reduce understeer. a front brace will only help kill understeer if the rear is stiff, the surface is totally dry and grippy and you are on track. too many people think stiffening the front will get rid of understeer. it will actually make it worse except under full, or near full, load.

stiffening the rear, springs, dampers and a strut brace will help the front of the car. the mini isn't too bad for spring and damper stiffness versus speed and weight at the rear but a strut brace would improve matters.

a front strut brace will also make traction worse. you will suffer more wheelspin especially if you pull away 'smartly' from a wet junction.

this does sound perverse, and previously I wouldn't have believed it, but it is based on experience. (for more details on handling get a copy of the ultimate book about handling, geometry etc: Alan Staniforth's Competition Car, construction, preperation etc book. can't remember the full name, and it's at home, but do a google or amazon and it'll show up. it's genius!)

if you aren't lookign for the bar to help get rid of understeer, then i've just gone off at a tangent so apologies!