Front sway links

[RedBaron86325]

Who is running non-OEM front sway bar links in your non-///M e30?

I am still running oem links and they are showing signs of abuse. I need new ones. Who is running what and are they any good?

[Stu]

Re: Front sway links

Who is running non-OEM front sway bar links in your non-///M e30?

I am still running oem links and they are showing signs of abuse. I need new ones. Who is running what and are they any good?

I'm running E30 M3 oem swaybar links in the front. These, as you know, mount to a bracket on the strut housing (which you need to weld on) instead of on the control arm.

They are a great improvement over the stock non-M links.

Picture.

[Ryan Stewart]

I am running the RD adjustable ones.

You can buy them seperately now that electrodyne.cc is officially part of the Racing Dynamics group.

[Fred]

I have the RD ones too, and they have too many damn adjustments. But that's a good thing.

Fred

[Ryan Stewart]

how they mount.

http://www.importeurasia.com/gallery/car_database/ryan_stewart_bmw_325e/big/rubbing.jpg

you gotta cut n past.

[RedBaron86325]

Re: Front sway links

They are a great improvement over the stock non-M links.

I have no doubt that they are better. The engineers in Germany would not have changed e30 suspension for the M3 if it wasn't better. My question is: "Why is this M3 setup better?". Why is it better to mount to the strut tube than to the control arm? I know that the strut tube won't move nearly as much as the control arm; but, with control arm movement, tension on the sway bar should load up faster. I can kind of see the other side too. Since the strut tube doesn't move much, the sway of the body will be independent of the control arm movement and more dependent upon lateral G (better stability on uneven surface with the independent suspension left to right). I pretty much understand both; but, from a suspension engineer standpoint, why does one work better than the other?

Maybe my questions are just rhetorical. I have already ordered IE's adjustable links. Anyway, my curiosity just gets me off on strange tangents sometimes.

[Bill 84 318i]

Bill, the strut tube actually does have more vertical movement than the middle of the control arm (which is about where the sway bar links attach to). They used the links on the strut housings on the M3, but because there will be more forced exerted from that point than the middle of the control arm, they downsized the bar to 19mm.

[Ryan Stewart]

Yeah, I had always figured better leverage and a more direct link to the wheel itself.

It must have done its job since they continued it on the E36 and I think on the E46 too.

[RedBaron86325]

After thinking about it, and what you guys have said, it makes perfect sense.

[trent]

After thinking about it, and what you guys have said, it makes perfect sense.

I am not conviced they are better -- it all factors around what size bar front and rear you are running -- as well as spring rates. One thing could work great on one car, while the opposite could work great on another car.

That said, I will continue using my links to the control arm, but use spring rates to control body roll if I need too...