Just a quick word for all those wondering about this item. It looks like the JCW Strut Brace is still on national backorder however they are now in stock in the US at the distribution centers. Expect them to be released to the dealers any day now.
The strut brace (P/N 51 71 0 395 853) will retail for $320.00 when it finaly hits US dealerships.
Now, what the a strut brace actually accomplishes (besides looking totally trick) on a car as small and stiff as the MINI, is anyone’s guess. But who are we to question someone else’s bling.
<p>Wow, even more expensive than the Dinan brace. Has anyone see a piture of the entire bar?</p>
<p>You can see several pics from <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mini2.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1419177&postcount=33">this MINI2 post</a>. </p>
<p>I have to say, after seeing the Dinan brace several times, I’d still opt for paying the extra $70 for the JCW brace.</p>
<p>Absolutely yummy. My dear, one simply can’t have too many JCW logos in one’s engine bay, now can one?</p>
<p>That $320 includes dealer installation right? It’s painted carbon fiber, right?</p>
<p>Wow, That’s a ridiculous price for any strut brace. Uh, IMHO.</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>Any news on the JCW suspension for pre ’05 cars (MCS)?</p>
<p>BTW, if you hunt around the Web and look at the links on other MINI-centered websites, I’ve seen JCW strut braces going for significantly less.</p>
<p>No word yet…</p>
<p>Will this fit a Cooper CVT?</p>
<p>Boy, $320???</p>
<p>The strut brace is manufactured by Wiechers in Germany where the part is €140. Some vendors here have the part for ~€120 ($154, tax included).</p>
<p>By the way, installing the strut brace is a matter of 5 min.
Unscrew the nuts on the domes, fit the strut brace, make sure you buy a set of new nuts and use them to fasten (torque: 34 Nm) the strut brace on the domes.</p>
<p>Cheers
Philip</p>
<p>LOL this price is ridiculous…</p>
<p>AND, it’ll only fir Cooper S.
Since I own a Cooper I didn’t have to choose and bought a great Sparco strut brace for $95 :)</p>
<p>Very nice looking indeed. Some have tested the Mini’s chassis with a sliding strut bar in an effort to determine just how much it moves…barely measurable – new. I would still by one to keep my car feeling new and for the bling bling.</p>
<p>Cool – thanks for the update, Gabe! While at MINIs On The Dragon, I spoke briefly with Jeff from MINIUSA, who was in attendance with a loaded JCW MCSC (sans JCW suspension, of course, but it did already have the brace). I asked him about the strut brace, and he explained that they were all being held up simply waiting for the proper installation instructions!</p>
<p>What surprises me most about this is that JCW is a British company, so you’d think that the instructions in English would have been readily available all along.</p>
<p>Philip,</p>
<p>I was being facetious, but thanks for the instructions.</p>
<p>Ok. For us newbies. What does a strut brace do? This isn’t included in the JCW suspension kit? (!)</p>
<p>Typically on larger cars strut braces increase the torsional rigidity of the car by adding a reinforced cross member usually mounted above the engine. However since there’s so little mass ahead the front bulk-head, the MINI really doesn’t need much, if any reinforcement. It’s also incredibly stiff to begin with. </p>
<p>That said, it still looks very cool.</p>
<p>Strut bars reinforce the car’s front structure against deforming under stress, especially during hard cornering. Depending on how stiff that structure already is, and how you drive, they may or may not do anything useful.</p>
<p>There’s a long running quasi-religious debate about whether non-hinged bars are better than hinged ones. (Hinges at the ends make the bar easier to install.) My opinion is that since there’s zero downside to buying a non-hinged design, it makes no sense to risk potentially inferior function with a hinged one. This isn’t an engineering analysis: it’s simply covering my bets.</p>
<p>So I rate the JCW (and many others) unacceptable.</p>
<p>The other thing a well designed strut brace can do for the Mini is to help protect the strut tower top sheet metal from the mushrooming problem, at least if the mounting plates make full contact in that area. This eliminates several other strut bars from contention.</p>
<p>Remaining “good” (by my criteria, obviously; feel free to disagree) designs that I’ve found so far are Helix, Dinan and a forthcoming product from M7.</p>
<p>Neil
05 MCS, w/LSD!</p>
<p>I agree, I prefer a solid strut bar. That said, look at how the Mini’s engine (05) and tranny is attached. These components sort of fill the strut bar role…have a look see.</p>
<p>So, a (nother) waste of money. Why did JCW bother to come out with this? So the car looks cool with the hood up? I am becoming disenchanted with the whole JCW thing in terms of “bang for the buck”. They won’t sucker me on this one.</p>
<p>Just because someone likes the look of something and wants to add it to their car (and has the means to do so) doesn’t mean they’ve been suckered.</p>
<p>You can make the JCW strut tower work on the MC by buying a modded (lower profile) battery cover from promini.com</p>
<p>I hope this question is appropriate in this forum. I am looking into putting a rear sway bar (22mm?) on my Mcs. I saw a set that had both rear(25mm) and front(27mm). I’ve never heard of anyone mention this before, but just the rear. Is this a good idea or not a big deal?</p>
<p>Greg – MotoringFile isn’t a forum site so we really have no forums for questions like this. We are a news site that allows users to comment on stories that are posted. For general questions (like the one above) I’d recommend going to a forums based site like North American Motoring or MINI2. I would imagine you’ll have much more luck getting answers.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<blockquote>Greg: I am becoming disenchanted with the whole JCW thing in terms of “bang for the buck”. They won’t sucker me on this one.</blockquote>
<p>You go, girl.</p>
<p>I’m with Greg,</p>
<p>For the minimal gains this strut bar will give you, considering the stiffness of the Cooper frame already, JCW is asking an awful lot for this piece. What it tells me is that there are a lot of people willing to pay for JCW parts because they’re JCW parts.</p>
<p>I understand the whole warranty thing when it comes to the engine mods, but this bar could be two thirds to half the price. I consider it engine bay dressing and not much more.</p>
<p>Oh, and it also adds weight.</p>
<p>Looks like something that should be selling on ebay for $35 to me.</p>
<p>I have a set of strut braces on my ’84 volvo station wagon I got mine for 30 bucks and it makes a difference on the boat, but a car as small and stiff as the mini? I guess it couldnt hur’t. and they look spiffy :-)</p>
<p>-Art</p>
<p>Hey,</p>
<p>What was that….$154…..outta Germany……Group Buy, Group Buy, Group Buy…….what about it Philip sounds like you could work it for us mini blingers…. a buck fifty four sounds good to me, let us motoringfilers again share the good, still love my armrest by the way.</p>
<p>$154….I’d be in for a group buy.</p>
<p>Please email me what the front shock tower nuts should be torqued to when replacing with new Dinan Strut bar.
Also how much is supposed to be tightened down on Dinan strut Bar?
Anyone have the “manual” for this product. Ibought it second hand and need installation info. Thank you.</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>Any updates on this?</p>
John Cooper website lists a Motorsport, solid Strutbrace for ALL minis @ £100. Can possible require small mod to sound insulation on bonnet underside.