Any Sway Bars for M Coupes anymore?

[Kgolf31]

I've been looking at getting ~27mm sway bar for my M Coupe, and before I found a H&R Sway bar set but now they have all disappeared and it's impossible to find them.

Anyone have places to get these or find them. Are non-m sway bars compatible?

[inTgr8r]

Ground control is one of the few options out there.

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Ground control is one of the few options out there.

They say Out of Stock until March...

[Finnegan]

Call Jay tomorrow and ask him what the story is. I'm sure Jay will help.

[z4mnyc]

Any problem using GC or H&R sway bars with the KW Clubsport suspension?

[cgroppi]

The UUC 27mm adjustable front bar for the E46 M3 fits the Z4MC. That's what I use. Don't know if UUC makes a bar for the rear as well.

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by cgroppi

The UUC 27mm adjustable front bar for the E46 M3 fits the Z4MC. That's what I use. Don't know if UUC makes a bar for the rear as well.

Interesting.

Good to know, thanks

[Kgolf31]

Bringing this back from the dead. Does anyone know if the Non-M chassis sway bars are compatible with M chassis?

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

Bringing this back from the dead. Does anyone know if the Non-M chassis sway bars are compatible with M chassis?

No, I don't believe so.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by z4mnyc

Any problem using GC or H&R sway bars with the KW Clubsport suspension?

I notice that GC have a disclaimer for KW struts.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by cgroppi

The UUC 27mm adjustable front bar for the E46 M3 fits the Z4MC. That's what I use. Don't know if UUC makes a bar for the rear as well.

^good to know.
Curious how you find this w/o also changing out the rear?

BTW; UUC still lists H&R sways for the Z4M

[cgroppi]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

^good to know.
Curious how you find this w/o also changing out the rear?

BTW; UUC still lists H&R sways for the Z4M

It's illegal to change the rear bar in SCCA Solo stock class, at least for now. A proposed rule change may allow you to change the front OR rear, but not both. The front springs on the z4m are just too soft. The car transitions poorly, and is floppy in slaloms etc. The big front bar adds some roll stiffness to counter that, and also helps keep camber. I dial out the push as best as possible with the shocks.

I currently have the bar set to the softest setting, which is best for push, but still a bit slow in transition. If I had more rebound in the rear, I could probably go stiffer on the bar, but I already have the rear rebound maxed out.

(ps. You'd NEVER set a car up this way if you could change springs and both bars. This setup weirdness is all thanks to stock class rules, which allow DA shocks and the front bar, but don't allow springs, rear bars or camber changes past what the factory adjustments give you).

[inTgr8r]

Thanks, that makes more sense now.

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by cgroppi

It's illegal to change the rear bar in SCCA Solo stock class, at least for now. A proposed rule change may allow you to change the front OR rear, but not both. The front springs on the z4m are just too soft. The car transitions poorly, and is floppy in slaloms etc. The big front bar adds some roll stiffness to counter that, and also helps keep camber. I dial out the push as best as possible with the shocks.

I currently have the bar set to the softest setting, which is best for push, but still a bit slow in transition. If I had more rebound in the rear, I could probably go stiffer on the bar, but I already have the rear rebound maxed out.

(ps. You'd NEVER set a car up this way if you could change springs and both bars. This setup weirdness is all thanks to stock class rules, which allow DA shocks and the front bar, but don't allow springs, rear bars or camber changes past what the factory adjustments give you).

Yep, that basically sums up how much I hate stock class. I wish SCCA would give us a spot somewhere in ST_ (but not STU, lol).

Thanks for the explanation.

As well, did you swap out the sway bar by yourself at home or did you have it put on a lift and have it done by an Indy? I'm just trying to figure out if it's possible to do it in a driveway...Any DIY links available?

[Kgolf31]

Just looking now, it shows that OEM Sway bar front is 27mm.

H&R lists 28mm. Is it even worth it? Or should you just invest into GC 30mm sways?

OR, can you adjust the 28mm to act like a stiffer set-up than OEM? I'm assuming 1mm isn't going to make a world of a difference.

Thoughts?

[cgroppi]

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

Yep, that basically sums up how much I hate stock class. I wish SCCA would give us a spot somewhere in ST_ (but not STU, lol).

Thanks for the explanation.

As well, did you swap out the sway bar by yourself at home or did you have it put on a lift and have it done by an Indy? I'm just trying to figure out if it's possible to do it in a driveway...Any DIY links available?

I did it myself, with no lift, just jackstands. It's very easy, especially with an impact wrench. I used the electric impact I use to change wheels to get the swaybar brackets off.

I use the stock endlinks. They're all metal, so I see no reason to change them. The stiffest hole is hard to get the endlink into, but the other two are no problem. You need to jack the wheel up some to get the endlink into the hole.

Swaybar stiffness is proportional to diameter to the 4th power, so the 28mm bar is 16% stiffer than the 27mm stock bar with the same lever arm (usually the middle hole on an adjustable bar).

The UUC M3 bar is a 32mm tubular bar. They say it's equivalent to a 30.7mm solid bar, or 67% stiffer than stock with the same lever arm.

If the M coupe ever goes into a ST class it would be into a new class called STU-R or something with boxsters, caymans etc. Don't think that will happen. The M coupe would probably be seen as an overdog in STU, even if they bent the rule on back seats. They took years to finally allow E46 M3s because people complained up one side and down the other that it was too fast. We'll see if it can put a dent into the Evos and STis.

So it's stock, or straight to BSP/CSP, and I don't really want to deal with that level of pain right now.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by cgroppi

...
I use the stock endlinks. They're all metal, so I see no reason to change them. The stiffest hole is hard to get the endlink into, but the other two are no problem. You need to jack the wheel up some to get the endlink into the hole.
.......

Are adjustable endlinks permitted to dial out preload?

[cgroppi]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Are adjustable endlinks permitted to dial out preload?

Yes, endlinks are allowed. I just didn't bother to install any.

[Kgolf31]

Good information, thank you.