Sway Bar Setup for Street and AutoX

[StevenSmith916]

On my 1997 M3 sedan I have Koni yellows with Dinan springs. The car is my daily driver currenty and I am planning on starting to do autocross with it. I like the Dinan spring rates because they are forgiving on the streets but feel tight when driving backroads. But my plan is to try and eliminate a little more body roll. I had H&R race springs in the past and the car was very flat and planted but I did not like the ride quality these springs offered. I am looking into getting a thicker front sway bar like the one suspension techniques offers. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good sway bar setup with my current suspension? Or if its not even worth it because the spring rates are so soft? I understand I could just put stiffer springs on to eliminate body roll but I am trying to avoid that. Feel free to bash me for my lack of suspension knowledge, I dont know shit about fuck as Ruth Langmore would say.

[jayjaya29]

I'm running the Turner Motorsports bars in the front and rear, paired with soft springs. Definitely reduces the roll but does not impact ride quality too much.

[Braymond141]

Turner sway bars are made by ST. You can typically save $100 or more buying the ST set on Amazon over Turner. 100% identical other than color.

If you want something a little more exotic, Hotchkis are hollow and pretty trick with a rear bar reinforcement setup integration. Not cheap though unless a deal pops up.

[Braymond141]

ST Front 30mm: ST Suspensions 50306 Front Anti-Sway Bar for BMW E36 M3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NB0J93A..._vm94EbMWQ8DX0

ST Rear 24mm: ST Suspensions 51306 Rear Anti-Sway Bar for BMW E36 M3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NB0IWTC..._jn94EbW5B43XF

[nalasivad]

Read about reinforcement plates when adding larger sway bars. When does this come into play? Needed for street? Thanks

[StevenSmith916]

From what I have read a thicker rear sway bar adds more stress to the rear sway bar mounts. If you drive the car hard and have an aftermarket rear sway bar is suggested that it should be reinforced.

[StevenSmith916]

Thanks for the recommendations. I just purchased the ST front sway bar off Amazon for 122 shipped! Not bad at all. I just sent the amazon link to a friend and the price just changed to 180!! WTF Amazon...

[DaveydM3]

I know this is old, but since you asked, yes you should have sway bar reinforcement tabs welded in with a stiffer rear bar. It is a weak point like the strut towers and RTAB pockets. Any decent shop can weld them in very easily. I run Eibach bars front and rear with GC coil overs and camber plates and have reinforced all the critical spots. I run the rear bar full stiff.

[JitteryJoe]

Don't weld in the rear sway bar reinforcements if you plan on using Hotchkis rear bars. The weld in plates are incompatible with the Hotchkis supplied mounts which include bolt on reinforcements. Ask me how I know this

[OmairK]

Brett, how comfortable are the Hotchkis Sway Bars? I have them and I'm reluctant to install because they look like they should be on a track car.

[Braymond141]

Brett, how comfortable are the Hotchkis Sway Bars? I have them and I'm reluctant to install because they look like they should be on a track car.

I ran them with JRZ RS coilovers so I can't say how they are on a less aggressive suspension setup... but the combo was amazing. I only had one issue with the JRZ clunking on full droop and incredibly bad wheel hop (which I believe was due to low nitrogen in the shocks). Other than that, it was an unbelievably compliant setup and very comfortable.