Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

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GRNSHRK
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Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by GRNSHRK »

While these brackets were off doing other work, I realized that the original chrome plating was getting pitted and rusted, and that was not gonna do [-X

I checked with a local chrome plater (scarcer than hens teeth, here in CA :-? ) and they wanted $90 a piece to replate these :shock:

Well, that wasn't gonna happen, so I checked out a local powder coater, and they did this for $30 each =D>

I polished the bar as well, and I think the results look great :oops:
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:mrgreen:
Bobbo
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by jsspagg »

Lookin' good!
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Slownrusty »

Awesome!

I also recently powder coated mine as well.
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Sbeaud
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

Wow. That looks really sharp. I didn't know you could get powder coating that reflective. Sure wish I could get a strut bar to mount on my car. A project for another day.

Scott
1988 M6
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by GRNSHRK »

Thanks gents, actually came out better than the sample they showed me =D>

I believe it's called bright aluminum, went with that since the bar itself is aluminum :-"

Scott, are you saying that nobody makes a strut bar for the M6 :-k

Maybe try some of those European sellers, W&N, don't recall the actual name :-"
:mrgreen:
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by GRNSHRK »

Scott, think I answered my own question :-?

viewtopic.php?t=33023

Did you ever get this issue sorted :-"

I'm sure that "somebody" makes a strut bar that fits the M6 [-o<

I'll check with lurker Pat (ONEBADM) as he has a bar installed, although he's got a Euro M635, not a US M6 :-k
:mrgreen:
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

Sorry about the delay! No, never got that issue sorted. Racing Dynamics did refund my purchase price, so I was happy with their service. Given my housing situation I have not pursued this further. Though I do look at pics of M6s on line for comparison. I've seen a few with strut bars and honestly it looks like my engine/strut tower relationship is slightly different than other cars. Doesn't make sense, but that's what it seems like. But the relationship between the engine and firewall seems relatively common. I have not had the opportunity to have my car side by side with a strut bar-equipped M6, so it could just be photo distortion, parallax, etc.

Most, if not all of the M635s are ok since they don't have cruise control (larger throttle cable bracket). Random question: Did M635's have optional cruise control? (Heresy to the Germans I'm sure - "The driver must ALWAYS be in complete control of the vehicle!)

I need to do an update post in "what did you do to your ..." to document an adventure in Florida.
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by GRNSHRK »

Hey Scott, yes, I see that you're currently wondering around the country \:D/

I talked to a local with an M635 and he has this bar on his 6er, but I think you duly noted that the Euro model may be different :-k

But here's a photo and a link to their website :-"

https://www.wiechers-sport.de/en/

The info on the label indicates that it's P/N 061013 and fits E28 from 81 through 88 and E24 from 5/82 on [-(

I'll have to see if he has cruise control or not, thinking not, however :-?

Edit: here's the link to the actual model bar he has =D>

https://www.wiechers-sport.de/en/shop/d ... ben-detail
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by 88m6 »

Mine is also from Walloth&Nesh
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

Thanks very much for the feedback. I've seen those bars on my search but it's hard to make a claim of fitment without actually bolting it on my car.

It is great to have this set of pictures to illustrate the issue.

1. The M635 is non cruise control and you can see the smaller cable bracket. Though I'm not sure if the cruise control bracket is only extended rearward in car (and therefore not a clearance issue) to facilitate attaching the cruise cable.

2. Maybe it's just the pictures, but the M6 images would suggest interference when the throttle is applied. Maybe just the picture angle? As a third reference I'll repost my images with the Racing Dynamics bar where there is a crash condition.

I'm maybe a little sensitive to this given my background. In vehicle development it's generally considered that you should have at least 10mm clearance just for simple component crash conditions, let alone a critical component such as a throttle bracket. Engine roll would be mostly rotational around a longitude axis, but you do need to account for some movement fore/aft and rotationally around the transverse engine mount axis.

Scott
1988 BMW M6 Racing Dynamics Strut Bar Interference - 4.jpg
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by 88m6 »

Just checked my cable bracket and it does clear the red steel bar I obtained from Walloth & Nesh by a very small margin.
I did have a RD bar on another 88M6 and did not have any problems with that one either.
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Ralph in Socal »

That powdercoat is giving me ideas. Looks great

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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

Thanks 88M6 for the pics. It's quite frustrating that I'm the only one that seems to have this issue. When I'm settled I'll try another bar. Who knows, maybe I got one that was manufactured slightly off.

Scott
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by K1W1 »

The Bar I fitted to my RHB M635 need a "kink" put in to clear the accelerator bracket, which was then powder coated.

it was sold as one made for RHB M635's ....
Strut brace.jpg
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by K1W1 »

Coated
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

That's really interesting. Looks like a situation similar to mine. I think your solution is where I'll end up eventually.

Thanks

Scott
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Sbeaud »

Just noticed a 1988 M6 on Bring a Trailer that has a Dinan strut brace. Looks like they compensated for the extra wide cruise control bracket by offsetting the strut brace forward in car. Now, how do I find a Dinan strut brace? Maybe if I conjure up a Unicorn for a trade...

Scott
BMW M6 Dinan Strut Brace - 1.jpg
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Re: Refinished strut bar brackets, powder coated not chrome!

Post by Jackie&Gracie »

Sbeaud wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:46 pm Sbeaud -

Maybe an answer to your random question -

I have an ‘88 635 that has cruise control. It is not an “M” however, it has the single overhead cam, 635CSI on the trunk, etc. The cruise control and the SMS are about the only things that don’t currently work on the car. Problems to be sorted at a later date.

Most, if not all of the M635s are ok since they don't have cruise control (larger throttle cable bracket). Random question: Did M635's have optional cruise control? (Heresy to the Germans I'm sure - "The driver must ALWAYS be in complete control of the vehicle!)
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