Need quick help - what track reinforcements should I look at for HPDE car?

[Maxhouse97]

80/20 street/track car. My front sway bar frame mount just went kaput at my last DE event … taking it to a shop to weld in the reinforcements. Any other reinforcements I should look at while I am in there? Rear Subframe is done. Was thinking front strut hats, maybe rear? Haven’t heard too many failures there. Trying to get it fixed by this weekend.

Bimmerworld has a front subframe plate, never heard of that. Thanks.

[zzyzx85]

front strut towers: if you have a strut bar, it solves most of the issue of the tower tearing out, but getting the reinforcement plates is cheap insurance.
rear shock mounts: when did you last replace them? OE ones fail in a very bad way lol. if you have new mounts, get the reinforcement plates for the rears as more cheap insurance and save up for a set of GC or RE rear shock mounts.

[usdmej]

front strut towers: if you have a strut bar, it solves most of the issue of the tower tearing out, but getting the reinforcement plates is cheap insurance.

theres been more than enough strut tower failures on cars with strut tower bars at this point that if you're running any kind of stiff suspension you should be running those plates

[K-Dawg]

Rear Subframe is done.

If that just means plates underneath, you should look into something on the topside.

[Obioban]

Top side subframe reenforcement.
If you have camber plates that don't distribute the load well (e.g. Vorshlag, TCK), those reinforcement plates.
If your wheel bolts have been overtorqued by incompetent shops, or if they're old, new wheel studs/bolts.
Healthy rod bearings.
Healthy cooling system (<~100,000 mile old)/original ducting.
Front sway bar reinforcement, mostly if you're running a significantly stiffer sway combined with not overly stiff front springs.

[Maxhouse97]

So on the front tower reinforcements, so they need to be welded in or just bolted? Same question on the rear strut top mounts. No camber plates. What do you mean on top side subframe? If that is the rear, that done via CMP brace. Or is this front?

Yep doing the sways, that’s what failed. Wheel studs replace, as well as rod bearings and cooling system (it survived 95 degrees on track - thanks for recommending the OE system!)

[lvm3sm46]

https://cmpautoengineering.com/collections/all/products/stage-2-e46-topside-beam-kit

or the Vincebar

[10figs]

I’ve been considering the CMP stage 2 kit. The stage 2.5 is overkill for a street car but will not have to worry about the subframe again. The stage 2.5 have part of the bar exposed in the trunk but I think the stage 2.0 is hidden.

It was advised for a street car, stage 1.5 system should be sufficient. Stage 2.5 if you are tracking regularly or FI.

[zzyzx85]

So on the front tower reinforcements, so they need to be welded in or just bolted? Same question on the rear strut top mounts. No camber plates. What do you mean on top side subframe? If that is the rear, that done via CMP brace. Or is this front?

Yep doing the sways, that’s what failed. Wheel studs replace, as well as rod bearings and cooling system (it survived 95 degrees on track - thanks for recommending the OE system!)

The front reinforcement plates don't need to be welded. no experience with the rear reinforcement plates but i'd imagine you don't need to either.