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Originally Posted by Panzer_M  X brace = strut bar..and owns the bar if you buy a cheap0 and it's hinged. |
I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Panzer... They both work to help stiffen the front of the car, which is particularly flexy. I do however agree on your opinion of the hinged bars. They tend to be garbage. Get the M3 LTW bar (if it fits on your final engine decision- I made an offset piece for each end of mine). It is pre-loadable, and BMW quality.
A few details I don't see mentioned are the M3 strut top reinforcements and Z3 rear shock mount reinforcements. Cheap and well worth the money. These could be welded in for extra security, or to repair ripped rear shock mounts.
Rear shock strut bars are a waste of time, money and weight on the ti; but I think you already knew that. The "legendary" E46 rear shock mounts are GARBAGE.
Reinforcing the trailing arms is not a bad idea per se; however I believe the stock they are manufactured from is a thinner gage than the MZ trailing arms in addition to the physical size differences. One thing is for sure, if you run a rear sway bar, the mount on the trailing arms MUST be reinforced.
I have heard good things about the "butt strut" for the Z3 cars. It may be worth adding to your list, since you seem to be constructing a slot car that rides like a truck. I could see rear sub frame mounting points beginning to crack... Might not be a bad idea to reinforce these areas while the sub frame is out. A 6-8 point cage will stiffen the chassis far more than any of the other ideas mentioned here. Gutting the interior will lower the CG which is a good thing. If you have a sun roof, loose it, and replace the roof center with a plain panel. The glass would be the final frontier, but lexan is your friend. Ditch the window mechanisms and add a strap with snaps to hold the window up.
The rough ride may be acceptable to you, the driver, but the car may not like it. Be aware that such a rough riding car will begin to crack in unusual places from the vibration transfer through the more solid mountings throughout the car. Food for thought...
Please see my signature... It's all explained there.