Odd, never seen that. All M3's are that way and I have never seen a broken one.
Sway bars
The M3 uses a different sway bar mounting setup than other E36 models. On E36 M3s, the sway bar mounts to the strut instead of the control arm (see Photo 7). Mounting the sway bar on top of the strut allows the sway bar to be more effective than the stock mounting location. The actual geometry and mounting configuration of the M3 roll bar and the regular E36 roll bar are nearly identical; the main difference is in this drop link setup. Most aftermarket manufacturers only offer sway bars for the M3 models, but they will also fit other E36s. However, due to the change in this drop link orientation, sway bars have varying degrees of effectiveness, depending upon whether they’re installed on an M3 or an E36.
This is important for a variety of reasons. Installing a sway bar designed for an M3 into a stock E36 setup will work fine; however, it will not give the exact effect the manufacturer originally designed it to have. If you wish to upgrade your sway bars, choose an aftermarket M3 set that will produce a measured increase in anti-roll stiffness while balancing the changes with upgraded springs and stiffer shocks. To demonstrate this difference in sway bar effectiveness, compare the various sizes of stock sway bars:
Model
Front bar
Rear bar
Stock 95 M3
22.5 millimeters
19 millimeters
Stock 96+ M3
23 millimeters
20 millimeters
Stock 328i
24 millimeters
15 millimeters
Stock 328i Sport
25.5 millimeters
18 millimeters
The front sway bar for the M3 is thinner than the stock sway bar for the 328 because the sway bar drop linkage on the M3 is more effective and doesn’t require a heavier, thicker bar.
If you select the PSS suspension system for your M3, first convert the sway bar drop links to the stock E36 setup. You will lose some of your effective anti-roll capabilities because of the shorter drop link configuration used on the stock cars. Counter this by installing a beefier sway bar at the same time. The conversion to the stock drop links is easy and requires only about $40 worth of parts. Here are the part numbers required for this conversion:
The M3 uses a different sway bar mounting setup than other E36 models. On E36 M3s, the sway bar mounts to the strut instead of the control arm (see Photo 7). Mounting the sway bar on top of the strut allows the sway bar to be more effective than the stock mounting location. The actual geometry and mounting configuration of the M3 roll bar and the regular E36 roll bar are nearly identical; the main difference is in this drop link setup. Most aftermarket manufacturers only offer sway bars for the M3 models, but they will also fit other E36s. However, due to the change in this drop link orientation, sway bars have varying degrees of effectiveness, depending upon whether they’re installed on an M3 or an E36.
This is important for a variety of reasons. Installing a sway bar designed for an M3 into a stock E36 setup will work fine; however, it will not give the exact effect the manufacturer originally designed it to have. If you wish to upgrade your sway bars, choose an aftermarket M3 set that will produce a measured increase in anti-roll stiffness while balancing the changes with upgraded springs and stiffer shocks. To demonstrate this difference in sway bar effectiveness, compare the various sizes of stock sway bars:
Model
Front bar
Rear bar
Stock 95 M3
22.5 millimeters
19 millimeters
Stock 96+ M3
23 millimeters
20 millimeters
Stock 328i
24 millimeters
15 millimeters
Stock 328i Sport
25.5 millimeters
18 millimeters
The front sway bar for the M3 is thinner than the stock sway bar for the 328 because the sway bar drop linkage on the M3 is more effective and doesn’t require a heavier, thicker bar.
If you select the PSS suspension system for your M3, first convert the sway bar drop links to the stock E36 setup. You will lose some of your effective anti-roll capabilities because of the shorter drop link configuration used on the stock cars. Counter this by installing a beefier sway bar at the same time. The conversion to the stock drop links is easy and requires only about $40 worth of parts. Here are the part numbers required for this conversion:
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