Swaybar mounting location

[rwh11385]

I wonder why BMW didn't use the strut mount on non-Ms... bean counters prolly got their way...

Who knows why not on the E30 non-Ms but my X5 has strut-mounted swaybar links.

[TobyB]

Lifting a tire has little to do with the WAY the bars mount, unless they bind-
and the stock E30 bars do bind. I don't know about the M3...

t

[markseven]

Who knows why not on the E30 non-Ms but my X5 has strut-mounted swaybar links.

Maybe has something to do with the X5's higher CoG? The ute needs more help from the sways?

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Lifting a tire has little to do with the WAY the bars mount, unless they bind-
and the stock E30 bars do bind. I don't know about the M3...

t

Feel it, but at the same time going overboard with a bigger front sway causes front inside tire to lift, and the m3 mounts make a small bar act like a bigger bar, with the added effect of steering input preloading the bar.

M3 links can bind while lifting the front. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=201219

So you can either mount the tab up high on the strut and have the bar not be horizontal, down low and have the bar horizontal (with binding at max travel/tire lift situation), or go the route of adjustable/custom links with the tab mounted high, ideal but a few extra dollars. For pretty much the same price you can just get a chunky front bar like IEs 25mm hollow, and as long as you aren't slammed it shouldn't bind. From what I gather HR races don't cause binding, and are about as low as a person can get without coil overs.

more stuff that swayed my opinion on m3 links http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...=269462&page=3

I just don't see why people go through the effort when for almost the same amount of money you don't have to weld in tabs and figure out the right length links just to not bind in a different way. For the m3 links to be a necessity one would have to be low enough to where stock links bind, but going hella low fucks suspension geometry and thus the handling on e30s. Me thinks people concerned about sway bars care about handling and aren't super low.

Not trying to argue, just a different perspective. Apparently a little lift isn't that bad, but if I'm going to lift the inside front tire leaving the apex under heavy throttle I'm not going to be binding while I do it, and I will take the easy route of doing so.

[markseven]

Maybe I am not reading your post correctly, but E30 M3s have the tabs on the strut tubes from the factory...

...I later thought to myself that this is not as much of a faux pas as Porsche shipping 911s with open diffs.

[TobyB]

We have trouble with bind in the Pro3 cars- 5" at the rockers.
We can't use the M3 points, legally.

I had luck reducing bind by making shorter links out of heim ends, but it's not optimal.

t

[BraveUlysses]

We have trouble with bind in the Pro3 cars- 5" at the rockers.
We can't use the M3 points, legally.

I had luck reducing bind by making shorter links out of heim ends, but it's not optimal.

t

is that 5" to the bottom of the seam or the actual rocker?

i really need to get an upgraded front bar and some adjustable links--i have GCs with tabs welded to the strut but still using stock bar and stock links attached to the control arms

[TobyB]

Flat bit of rocker- so pretty low.

It also depends a lot on the make of stock- type bar- they're all somewhat different in shape,
and provided linkage.

t

[klodkrawler05]

Feel it, but at the same time going overboard with a bigger front sway causes front inside tire to lift, and the m3 mounts make a small bar act like a bigger bar, with the added effect of steering input preloading the bar.

M3 links can bind while lifting the front. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=201219

So you can either mount the tab up high on the strut and have the bar not be horizontal, down low and have the bar horizontal (with binding at max travel/tire lift situation), or go the route of adjustable/custom links with the tab mounted high, ideal but a few extra dollars. For pretty much the same price you can just get a chunky front bar like IEs 25mm hollow, and as long as you aren't slammed it shouldn't bind. From what I gather HR races don't cause binding, and are about as low as a person can get without coil overs.

more stuff that swayed my opinion on m3 links http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...=269462&page=3

I just don't see why people go through the effort when for almost the same amount of money you don't have to weld in tabs and figure out the right length links just to not bind in a different way. For the m3 links to be a necessity one would have to be low enough to where stock links bind, but going hella low fucks suspension geometry and thus the handling on e30s. Me thinks people concerned about sway bars care about handling and aren't super low.

Not trying to argue, just a different perspective. Apparently a little lift isn't that bad, but if I'm going to lift the inside front tire leaving the apex under heavy throttle I'm not going to be binding while I do it, and I will take the easy route of doing so.

Thanks for the links! those give some more things to watch out for when swapping my car to the e30m3 front struts.

e36's are the same in that the non M cars have control arm mounted end links and the M's have shock mounted end links.

My understanding was the reason the Strut mounted links were preferred from a performance stand point is you get a more linear 1:1 ratio with suspension travel to sway bar torque vs mounting further in on the control arm?