General OMP MPI Sei Strut Brace Fitment Problems, pics inside :)

[randomizered]

I have tried to fit my new OMP Strut Brace tonight and it wasn't as easy as i had hoped.

There is no way i can fit the reservoir bracket on, other than taking a grinder to it, and having the brace on an uneven surface.

I had to tighten it as much as I could just to get it to slip on, the adjuster is as tight as it goes in the pic, the one side doesn't move to far in.

It fouls the curved lip on the the body, where you can see the top mount, it won't slip passed this lip, its the same both sides.

It requires a lot of backward force to get it over the bolts. If it were to sit naturally, it would be in teh position where it is hovering over the top mount, in the picture.


This could probably all be sorted out with a grinder/saw, some custom washer mounts and a bit if pipe bending with a hammer, but for £55 I was hoping it would be a nice clean, reliable fitment.

REcon I'm being to fussy and should bodge it or recon its a duffer and I should send it back/query it with the suppler.

Has anyone else fitted this particular model? Did you have the same problems I did??

Cheers,

Kristian

 

[StoneNewt]

erm, isn't it on the wrong way round or am I being stupid? (I've not got a strutbrace yet)

 

[AppleSei]

It looks right from other pics posted, its hard to find a comprimise, something to see against as the only other MPI with an OMP brace which has a pic was in relation to an ABS model sei

 

[randomizered]

I certainly hope not lol, saying that i was rushing as it was dark and cold lol

If you look, the top mount have 3 bolts, 2 together at the front side of the car, one at the rear end of the car.

If you turn it round, the bolt patterns don't match up, unless you were to put it on upside down lol.

Kristian

 

[StoneNewt]

fair enough I just thought that kink went round the front of the battery, maybe I'm not thinking of the omp strutbrace or another car

 

[GhostWKD]

think it may be wrong way round too, fitted one on mates sei ages back and sure it was the other way around

 

[J.R Racing]

Should be ok, I've had mine fitted to mpi sei for nearly 2 years, it doesn't mount totally flat on the struts, but coolant bottle etc. fits fine.

 

[randomizered]

I may be dumb, but i don't physically see how it can be the other wasy round :S

 

[randomizered]

Also, looking at this post, surely the brace shouldn't be bolted over the ecu and washer brackets?!?! It will deform the brace, and not alow a proper tightening of nuts that hold the struts on?! lol

Kristian

 

[J.R Racing]

think it may be wrong way round too, fitted one on mates sei ages back and sure it was the other way around

I think its ok, can post pics of mine if its of use??

If i'm the mate - thanks Alex its still holding out fine!!

 

[StoneNewt]

Also, looking at this post, surely the brace shouldn't be bolted over the ecu and washer brackets?!?! It will deform the brace, and not alow a proper tightening of nuts that hold the struts on?! lol

That's the cinq/SPI strutbrace though

 

[randomizered]

I know that, but it seems to have the same issues i mentioned. I really doubt it shoult be sitting over the ECU and expansion tank bracket? Is that what others do as well :S

 

[J.R Racing]

That is an old pic of mine if you get the idea!

Hope it helps!

 

[StoneNewt]

why not?.. the strut brace is to stiffen the chassis between the two suspension struts. As long as it's rigidly attached to both struts, if you do the nuts up to a certain torque even if the brace isn't sitting flat it'll still be exerting the same tension on the studding. A friend of mine has a heavily strengthened punto chassis and things like the strutbrace mounting brackets have had small slices cut out of them to make it all fit properly.

 

[randomizered]

why not?

Greater surface contact of the entire brace mating with the body will give greater stability.

A raised strut that is not in contact with the body, will be in contact only with the bolt, w point of the strut is to transfer lateral movement, which will be a shear force acting on the bolt alone if it is sitting raised from the body, over time it may snap, they aren't that strong.

If you mount above the washer bracket, is not just a thin sheet of metal, its thickish, and has rolled edges. Unless you pack between it and the strut with washers, if you torque it down, it will deform a lot of the strut end.

Just doesn't seem the right thing to do at all in my eyes, it should be flush with the body, like JR has done on the ECU side, but not on the washer bracket side lol

Cheers for the pic though JR, at least its on the same way round as mine Did you have trouble with it catching on the inside part where it mounts like you can see on both sides in my pics?

Kristian

 

[J.R Racing]

It is only about 2mm from the strut top on the drivers side, its not "hanging off the bolt threads". Definately noted the sharper turn in after it was fitted so its doing the job. It fits about right to be fair, just takes some perseverance and time.

A lot of braces are the same. Pretty awkward I remember the Sparco Cinquecento one was a renowned pig to fit had to have smaller battery etc if i remember correctly.

 

[J333EVO]

Yes a strut brace should be whenever possible be 100% flat on the strut top, it should by no means be raised up off the strut top, as the bolts are only there to provide a clamping force on the brace to the strut top, if it sits off the strut top and a large force is exerted on the bar from the other strut it will bend the other sides studs. Tho the design of this one makes me think that on the expansion tank side only, its sits on top of the bracket as the bracket is fairly large and flat therefore the clamping force is evenly distributed across, tho if it was mine i would probably fabricate a new expansion tank bracket, or at least modify the bracket to insure the full benefit of the brace.

If you look at any properly made brace's which are fitted as standard equipment like on my integrale then you see they should really line up with no effort and do as they are meant.

 

[randomizered]

Cheers J333EVO, thats what i was thinking.

I could just cut the coolant bracket in two, and then sit them on the bolts, either side of the arm, that should work fine.

I can also easily Dremel the inner part so it doesn't foul the bodywork, and I can force the strut backward over bolts to get it on. That should be OK then, and all fitted nicely.

Just seems like a bit of a ball ache to have to do all that to a new item designed for my car hoping for the money a bit more thought would have gone into it.

I will sent strutbracer a link to this thread so they can see my problems, ans view the pics, and take it from there I guess.

Cheers everyone, I'll update as i go along

Kristian

 

[J333EVO]

TBH on looking at your pic I would be inclined to just cut it so that there is one bar going down from the left hand side where it can be bolted over top of bar easily and only have the tank held with one bolt as its sits in rubber gromit in wing anyway, so its not going to go anywhere quickly

 

[randomizered]

Yeah, it is pretty well supported by the lower mount, so one side will prob be fine. Also cut out the inner brace mount in pictures 2 and 3...will look a bit rubbish though as I have no red paint. It seems to flake really easily anyway, so after a bit of use i may paint it black anyways lol.


Kristian