Sway bars? - United Bimmer Community

**Rooz** · 04-18-2005, 07:13 PM

Anyone added a sway bar to your bmw? if so did it really help, meaning did you feel a diff?

**97alpM3** · 04-18-2005, 07:24 PM

Are you talking front or rear???.... My car came with them... I've taken them off once... and could never imagine a car without them... deplets body roll like no other...

TMS makes two sets... but sells three.... They have a track set... which is waiting installment on my car... and they have a sport set... still made by them.. just a little less abrasive.. if you know what I mean... they also sell a over priced H&R front sway bar... I dont know how that one is... but the one I got is three hole adjustable... and should work fine....

IMO sway bars are a must.... If your just driving on the road.... daily.. I'd get something like the sport type.... that would work fine.. and be a very noticable touch.

Good Luck,

Les

**Rooz** · 04-18-2005, 07:31 PM

well, don't all cars have a front one already on it?

**97alpM3** · 04-18-2005, 07:40 PM

They should... adding a rear one will mostly cute down on oversteer.... and put away some body roll... if your car didnt have a front sway bar... every time you hit the gas... your car would want to do a wheelie...

Les

**Rooz** · 04-18-2005, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97alpineM3

if your car didnt have a front sway bar... every time you hit the gas... your car would want to do a wheelie...

Les

Sounds like fun j/k I dunno if you read about this, on bmw-forums.com or not so here is my little story:

Quote:

Ok, lol, this is kinda funny. Last month, friends and I were driving to one of my friend's house, and we had to take an upcoming left, I was the 3rd car out of the 3 cars (meaning I was bck). I decided to have some fun, so, I floored it, went into the right lane, and took a sharp 90 degrees turn at around 70-80mph in front of my friend's car into my other's friend's street about a yard ahead of the upcoming traffic. once we all got to my friend's house, the other two cars came and were all like "wow" "how did you do that", and they told me that both wheels on my drivers side came off the ground like 1-3 inches... lol

But not to worry about, I knew what I was doing, of course I didn't know my wheels would come off the ground, but I had full control of my car and everything the all time....

Ever since then, I been thinking of either lowering my car an inch or so, or adding a rear sway bar....

By the way, good to see you'r bck from Iraq....

**catalyst** · 04-19-2005, 10:28 AM

Would there be any reason NOT to get the track/racing sways when compared to the sport ones?

witeshark · 04-19-2005, 12:34 PM

IMO BMW suspension is best left stock

**97alpM3** · 04-19-2005, 12:39 PM

First off... I'm not back from Iraq... I just happen to spend a lot of my sleeping time on these forums... cause I like helping... and maybe I'm adicted...

As for getting the track version vise the regular ones... they are ticker... not allowing as much play... which... if you drive your car on the street more than a track... it would probably just suffer the same as ordering track set springs and not just the sport ones... it tightens up more... leaving less room for movement through the body... meaning it gonna get rough over bumps.. and turns will feel sicker... literally.... but all in all.. its a feel thing.. and I like to feel the road more.. so I go track on those...

Les

**thekid** · 04-19-2005, 03:58 PM

You do not want to tighten up your suspension too much with out upgrading to sticker tires. If you have a really tight suspension and only average tires, your handling will be worse.

The force that would have gone to body roll instead is transferred directly to your tires as lateral force. Meaning that it will be easier for you to slide. In coniditions such as rain, this means that you are much worse off than with a stock suspension.

Just something to think about as you are trying to decide what suspension components to get.

**Ciscokid** · 04-19-2005, 04:31 PM

btw... bmws come with front and rear ars stock... just really thin

**Rooz** · 04-19-2005, 06:04 PM

Thx a lot for all the hlp..

**gotKRAUT** · 04-19-2005, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97alpineM3

They should... adding a rear one will mostly cute down on oversteer.... and put away some body roll... if your car didnt have a front sway bar... every time you hit the gas... your car would want to do a wheelie...

Les

LOL what are you talking about? front sway bar helps prevent understeer in RWD has nothing to do with wheelies LOL

**gotKRAUT** · 04-19-2005, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by witeshark

IMO BMW suspension is best left stock

spoken as someone who has obviously never been in a modified E30 lol

**xsperf** · 04-19-2005, 10:08 PM

what is the thing called that connectes the two suspension's together(over the engine)? is that the CROSS bar?

**komodo** · 04-19-2005, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsperf

what is the thing called that connectes the two suspension's together(over the engine)? is that the CROSS bar?

Front Tower Strut Bar (also called Front Strut Tower Brace).

You can see it pretty well in this pic of my engine bay.