Front Strut Tower Reinforcement Plate

The BMW Genuine upper strut mount reinforcement plate is engineered to address the known weakness in the E46 front strut towers. This plate, originally offered as part of BMW's "poor road package" (part number 51717036781), adds a crucial layer of metal to reinforce the strut mounting points on the chassis. This reinforcement is highly recommended, especially for vehicles equipped with aftermarket performance suspension systems. Stiff suspension setups, combined with strut bars, can exert significant stress on the E46's strut tower housings, potentially leading to cracks. The reinforcement plate helps prevent these expensive damages by mitigating issues such as "mushrooming" and general strut tower deformation that can occur when excessive energy is transferred through the suspension, particularly with blown shocks or firm setups. Installation of these reinforcement plates is straightforward. They fit from under the strut mount, positioned between the top hat or camber plate and the strut tower, and do not require welding or specialized installation procedures. The Garagistic 'high adjustment' version offers an advantage over the OEM plate by featuring a larger central hole, which does not impede camber adjustment while still providing the full reinforcement benefits. This reinforcement plate is compatible with all E46 models manufactured between 1999 and 2006, including the 323i, 323ci, 328i, 328ci, 325i, 325ci, 325xi, 330i, 330ci, and 330xi (sedan, coupe, convertible, wagon), as well as all E46 M3 models. It also fits all E85/E86 Z4 models from 2003 to 2008. The high adjustment plates feature four holes to accommodate OEM struts. The material is 2mm Stainless Steel, and they are typically sold in pairs (enough for one car).