Z4 Testimonials on Strong-Strut

Joe.....(AL) edited for length. In the past few days I've had the chance to drive the car over some very bad road conditions. I've driven the car with the Strong-Strut and factory V-braces, as well as with the trinity (as it is currently set up). So I'm ready to answer the obvious questions:


Q: How has the Strong Strut bracing improved the cars ride, and handling?

A: The car behaves more like a coupe. I won't say that there is a drastic difference, as was the case with my Z3's Strong Strut application, because the chassis of the Z4 is vastly superior to the Z3. The Z4 is a stiff open box, but it's an open box just the same. Without the benefit of a tin top, any convertible will have a good deal more chassis flex than the coupe version of the same car. You can never have enough chassis bracing, especially in a roadster. Anyway, my main reason for installing the Strong Strut trinity was for longevity. In the years to come, I want the car's chassis to be just as tight, and the hood, trunk, and doors to shut with a solid feel, as when we drove the car off the dealer's lot. Given the road conditions in Alabama, that's a lot to ask for, but I feel this mod will make that hope a reality. As for the car's ride, the Strong Strut bracing doesn't have an effect on the car's handling (suspension) per se. Under ideal road conditions, the car corners as well as before. By ideal road, I mean the one cloverleaf in Alabama that is free of potholes, cracks, and bumps. There's no such thing as an ideal road condition, especially in a state without a lottery. Alabama's roads and highways are bad to say the least. It's under these horrid driving conditions that the Strong Strut trinity really shines. Though steering inputs are quicker and more precise regardless of road condition, the car feels more dynamically stable when cornering on harsh, uneven road surfaces. It's really hard to quantify something as abstract as a "feeling", to describe something that has to be experienced first hand. The car feels more solid than before, like the car was meant to be that way. It's like improving all of the Z4's good qualities, I can't really explain it any better.

Q: If the Strong Strut bracing improves the car's ride and handling, does the cost justify the improvement?

A: It does, for me. I know someone on this MB will want to beat this dead horse even more. Justification is purely relative with regards to performance, or visual mods. If modification were seen solely as a monetary value situation, then all of the aftermarket companies would be out of business. We mod our cars because we want to make them as individual as we are, or to push the car's performance envelope, or make the car safer, or more reliable, or, or, or... There are countless reasons why we pamper our cars, and shower them with gifts, but only ONE justification: Because we want to. Regardless of whether it's strut bracing, or new rims, cat-back exhaust systems, or caliper paint w/custom decals. We customize our cars because it's our right to do so, and it's justified by our personal satisfaction. If the mod makes you happy, makes your personal driving experience more enjoyable, then that is the ONLY justification you need.

Bottom line: I'm happy with the Strong Strut trinity. It is a superior product that has improved the car exactly as I have expected. The fit, and finish of the product is impeccable. Likewise, the level of customer service that I have received from Paul Ebeyer and the Strong Strut family, has been equally impeccable. Would I do it all over again? Yes!  Will, I buy products from Strong Strut in the future? Yes!  Anyone interested in purchasing the Z4 Strong Strut trinity, or any of their other great products can contact Paul through the Strong Strut website.



...Terry drove the car yesterday on our trip to the Silver Star Casino(Philadelphia, MS). He doesn't know squat about cars, and doesn't care to, but yesterday, out of nowhere he starts talking about how he thinks the braces have improved the ride quality. The improved ride was most evident on our trip, when we reached a lengthy section of interstate under construction, near the Mercedes plant in Vance, AL. The car felt very solid over the old tarmac, and transitioned quite well over the numerous patched areas. Ditto, the country back roads we took to get to the interstate. The car's handling of the pothole-infested curves was sure-footed, and very precise. Terry even pushed the car at interstate speeds a few times, on roads that I wouldn't take my Z3 on under any commute, and the car's behavior was almost boring predictable. IMHO, the difference in ride quality is real, but there's just no way to describe it, it's too tactile for words.