Quick ST swaybar install advice

[Beej '86 325es]

Just some quick advice I'll share from my frustrations over the last week:

Don't use the ST nuts and bolts provided that mount the front swaybar. It's shit. Most of it is not metric, it's standard, and it rusts like a mo-fo. The only two bolts in the kit that were metric are two that replace front subframe mounting bolts. Those are shit too. I removed my 20 year old bolts that had never been taken out, and they came out fine. The ST ones were both rusty as hell, and one of them sheared...twice.

God I hate cheap hardware. I wish aircraft stuff didn't cost 10x as much.

[Ali//325i]

DO you think ST has upgraded their stuff since you bought them? I am purchasing a set of these because i can get a great deal on them. But i will buy the new mounting kit if the bolts and nuts they provide are shit. Let me know ASAP man. By the way, I only had one of those stupid exhuast rings so i had to buy another one, but the exhaust looks great man. Did you run an 02 sim on your catless midpipe or no? Thanks.

-Ali

[Jordan]

My ST hardware came to me several months used and was still immaculately zinc plated.

I think you just drive in salty winters, and as such have no room to blame ST.

Weren't you the guy with trailing arm so badly rusted your GC perche broke THROUGH the trailing arm? Thats pretty unheard of, even among the rustiest of the rusted. So...

[Ali//325i]

Jordan- Do you think my cabby will be okay with these sways or will it be too much with the IE stage 3s and the bilstein sports? I will probably keep the rears on first (softest setting), but do you think its too much for my cabby?

-Ali

[Jordan]

what do you mean "too much"

Swaybars don't have any genuine affect on ride quality, they just reduce bodyroll and can alter the cars tendancy to under/oversteer depending on size and adjustment point.

[Beej '86 325es]

My ST hardware came to me several months used and was still immaculately zinc plated.

I think you just drive in salty winters, and as such have no room to blame ST.

Weren't you the guy with trailing arm so badly rusted your GC perche broke THROUGH the trailing arm? Thats pretty unheard of, even among the rustiest of the rusted. So...

I don't drive it in the winter anymore. The bolts from ST were only 4 years old. I had no problem removing the other two 20 year old bolts that hold in the subframe. Actually, right now the only things remaining on the car from the middle, forward are the fuse box and the ABS pump, and those are the only bolts I had any problem with. That says something about the OEM hardware. :)

My trailing arm nubs eventually rusted, yes, but that's not what caused the problem. The problem was GC suggested I use 5" 450lb linear springs in the rear...way too soft for Illinois' rough roads. The springs were bottomed out repeatedly and eventually broke the nubs off from the impact. Rust was just an after effect from the metal tearing away.

[Beej '86 325es]

DO you think ST has upgraded their stuff since you bought them? I am purchasing a set of these because i can get a great deal on them. But i will buy the new mounting kit if the bolts and nuts they provide are shit. Let me know ASAP man. By the way, I only had one of those stupid exhuast rings so i had to buy another one, but the exhaust looks great man. Did you run an 02 sim on your catless midpipe or no? Thanks.

-Ali

Hey, Ali,
I'm not sure if they've changed the hardware or not. I guess if they're still using standard hardware instead of metric, it's probably the same stuff.

Glad the exhaust worked out for you. I still used an O2 sensor in there, yeah. I had to splice in some extra wire on mine though, since I had it installed on an ETA, and the O2 sensor was closer to the engine.