e46 front swaybar

[nando]

Pardon my ignorance, but is this just any E46 Swaybar, or ix/xi specific.

any standard E46 *except* the XI. although, I haven't looked at an XI bar recently, it's actually the standard E46 that has really similar geometry to the E30 ix.

[nando]

It looks like there would be plenty of material left, especially if you were to use poly bushings. I was thinking of picking up poly ix bushings after its proven to work with the stock ones, to keep the required modification to a minimum

No, not really. the smallest E46 swaybar is 21mm, the most common are 23mm. add the thickness of the powdercoat, and you have about 24-25mm diameter.

the ix swaybar bushing is only big enough for an 18mm bar. you'd have to bore it out 7-8mm to fit the XI bar - it's just not that thick.

I really think it makes more sense to come up with a different bracket, and use a standard aftermarket bushing (which you can buy dirt cheap).

Maybe what needs to happen is a small production of custom brackets..

[Northern]

It looks like there would be plenty of material left, especially if you were to use poly bushings. I was thinking of picking up poly ix bushings after its proven to work with the stock ones, to keep the required modification to a minimum

[stonea]

Pardon my ignorance, but is this just any E46 Swaybar, or ix/xi specific.

[nando]

no, you'd have like 1mm of bushing material left.

you can get generic poly bushings that come with brackets, which then need to be modified to bolt to the ix subframe.

E46 front swaybars are cheap too - I picked up mine for $50.

[Northern]

Couldn't you bore out ix front bushings to 21mm instead? Its just a matter of finding a way to efficiently and smoothly cut the rubber.

[nando]

Its not really a mystery, im pretty sure it will work fine. You'll need E28/E30 M3 drop links, and poly bushings with custom brackets. I just havent had any brackets made.

[stonea]

I'd be interested in this. Let us know how it goes.

[imwhyteyo]

im considering purchasing one, and i want to fit it, modifying some poly bushings i have.. is there anybody who has done any research as far as fitting this goes? are there larger diameter bars within the e46 models that change? i know its been brushed lightly, but i think its time this mystery has been solved! :D