[E92_William]

Hello, I wanted to see if any of you has removed the spacers on top of the strut mount that the xdrive cars have and what your experience has been with this.

From what I've read the spacer is supposedly to protect the strut tower from mushrooming under hard bumps, I don't see how it would do this since the spacer is no wider in surface area than the top of the strut it attaches to.

I'm looking to find out the purpose of this spacer and if it's safe to remove it to lower the car those 5-6mm. I have coilovers all around but still would be easier to just lower like this when replacing my destroyed mounts.

[Brian86]

I was curious because I didn't remember a spacer there when I put struts in my '06 325xi.

Looked on real OEM and it appears the spacer was omitted on mine.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=31_0716

Normally I'd stay away from removing stuff like that, modern cars with their flimsy sheet metal and all... but if it was omitted on some cars from the factory based on spring length or whatever, I say go for it.

[andykrow]

I just did the struts and mounts on my 2011 335xi and there was no spacer.

Seemed like the replacement top mounts I used had bolt lengths sized for the spacer but they still went on just fine.

[neilvan]

I believe only the pre-lci X-drive cars had it.

Rwd sport suspension and non-sport did not have this; as well the lci X-drive did not either(its a different part number with shorter studs to accommodate no spacer)

[Runnin'Rich]

I have an xdrive LCI and there's a metal spacer made from sheet metal about 1mm thick. I'd say it's more of a reinforcement plate than a spacer. Maybe you're thinking of the 'poor road' package spacer that is 5mm for countries with really bad road surfaces

[E92_William]

Interesting to see how some cars didn't get it at all and others got different sizes. Talking to some people that removed it from their own cars they had the same thought I did which is that if the spacer itself is the same diameter as the strut mount then it probably doesn't provide any structural reinforcement as it would have to be larger in order to distribute the loads over more area of the strut tower.

I didn't put it back after I reassembled the struts. Car is a bit lower but nothing crazy. I don't notice any adverse effects from getting rid of it.

Also it was said that you might need to cut the studs a bit if you remove it so they don't hit the engine bay brace. Mine is close but doesn't hit so no need for it.

[Dark_M]

FYI my car was produced after 05/2011 and after these date they don't have the spacer anymore.

The strut mount is even a different part number. The studs are shorter. I guess you can remove the spacer without troubles and get a new strut mount or shorten the studs.

For your info the strut mount with shorter studs post 2011 is part number : 31306785962