Bolt-on rear sway reinforcement

[cagedbunny]

Anyone have any experience with the AKG or Ireland bolt-on rear swaybar reinforcements?

http://www.akgmotorsport.com/gallery/?level=album&id=4

http://store.nexternal.com/ireland/s...ount-p286.aspx


Seems like it would do the job as well as the weld-on pieces, just curious if anyone here has used them yet.

[jlevie]

Those are to reinforce the sway bar bushing mount points. They aren't needed for an IE, ST, or UUC sway set as those all come with a heavy duty bushing mount. If you fit a 17mm or larger rear sway you still have to weld reinforcements on the pickup points on the trailing arms.

[shiboujin]

Rear sway bar? What? Why would you want a rear sway bar?

[Sagaris]

So you dont have to run retardedly high spring rates to control body movement.

[NufnSus]

bump this - curiosity remains on those AKG Bolt-on reinforcements.

Has anyone here installed them?

+ anyone care to share thoughts on comparing the AKG ones to the Turner Bolt-in tabs?
AKG's supports are cheaper & look sturdier, as well as featuring an additional fixing point. Turner's supports have the bushing bracket pre-welded directly to the support wedge...


*edit - everyone loves pictures:

AKG


vs

Turner Motorsport

[Sagaris]

bump this - curiosity remains on those AKG Bolt-on reinforcements.

Has anyone here installed them?

I installed some AKG reinforcements 2 weeks ago. The drivers side was a little tricky to drill through the trunk floor with the muffler in place (stock 325i muffler) I could drill the forward hole but there wasn't enough space to drill the rear hole so I made a punch mark where the hole was from under the car then drilled it from inside the trunk. The passenger side could be drilled normally. The main annoyance of the whole sway bar install was the pivot bushings which needed quite a bit of shaving down in order for the pivot bushing bracket to be bolted down. I cross threaded the passenger side hole trying to do it the first time. I have a tap+die set so thats not a big deal at all. The trailing arm reinforcements are definitely needed. I bolted mine in place until i could get access to a welder and drove for a week ~80 miles and already bent the tab The front reinforcements are also necessary since my passenger side subframe pivot bushing bracket tore out with the stock sway. My car has 0 rust on it so it wasn't at any disadvantage due to rusting.


You WILL invent never-before-heard obscenities while working with the rear sway bar but its something that just needs to be done.

[NufnSus]

^cheers for the feedback.

I was curious how easy the drill/ bolt install would be in the rear, but since I don't have the exhaust system installed & the rear sway bar is currently out of the car, I guess it can't be too bad. (famous last words)

Well I've gone ahead with the AKG offering, since I've been eyeing off their trans bushing cups for a while. Also added the Front Sway support (weld-on) & Rear Trailing Arm support (weld-on) as suggested.

Did you have to completely drop either/ both of the Subframes to weld the support brackets in place?

[ROLLingKING]

So you dont have to run retardedly high spring rates to control body movement.

no you dont..its on feel and to me no sway bar is less rear control. you want spring rates that suit your rear sway thickness. i have the suspension techniques sway kit and just ordered 100lb springs. 800 was juuuust a lil soft still.

i suggest keeping your rear sway, some dont. its preference i guess. but pros have said several times, compensating really stiff spring rates for no sway is not how you tune suspension...
...yoshi those were not fightin words.lol

[Sagaris]

^cheers for the feedback.

I was curious how easy the drill/ bolt install would be in the rear, but since I don't have the exhaust system installed & the rear sway bar is currently out of the car, I guess it can't be too bad. (famous last words)

Well I've gone ahead with the AKG offering, since I've been eyeing off their trans bushing cups for a while. Also added the Front Sway support (weld-on) & Rear Trailing Arm support (weld-on) as suggested.

Did you have to completely drop either/ both of the Subframes to weld the support brackets in place?

No need to drop the subframes.

The person who did the welding for me had no difficulty welding the rear trailing arm reinforcements with the rear of the car up on jack-stands and the sway bar linkage disconnected from the trailing arm mounting point. The front reinforcements were welded by jacking the front of the car and removing the tire+wheel and working from the side. The front reinforcement was not welded all the way around since the engine bay side of the reinforcement was hard to reach but its "not going anywhere" for the while and I will have the welds completed the next time I have the engine out / subframe dropped.

[e^2]

no you dont..its on feel and to me no sway bar is less rear control. you want spring rates that suit your rear sway thickness. i have the suspension techniques sway kit and just ordered 100lb springs. 800 was juuuust a lil soft still.

i suggest keeping your rear sway, some dont. its preference i guess. but pros have said several times, compensating really stiff spring rates for no sway is not how you tune suspension...
...yoshi those were not fightin words.lol

Do you mean you are running 1000lb in the rear? What rate is your front?

I agree, sway bars in the rear unless your springs are bricks.