Sway Bar Configurations for track

[sillieidiot]

hmm not sure about stock suspension. usually you either go with stiffer springs or sway bars. stock rates are so low, that i think you would need both bars still. are you running stock wheels too? what is the purpose for the car? usually you do everything else to try to reduce understeer and then add the sways last.

[tkundhi]

I just stumbled across this thread. I group (4) of us are setting up our cars now. HPDE experience on average is 15+ year. We've got varying degrees of experience setting up different M cars: E30, E36, E34, plus a vintage 911. There are 2 schools of thought, soft spring with big bars or stiff springs with soft bars. The comment from TCK are accurate, a suspension won't work if the tire aren't in contact with the track. Our group all uses the cars as DD and track, plus we're old so we want don't want ride quality to suffer. All four of us are leaning to soft springs and bigger bars.

Back to swap bars, I had a lengthy conversation with TC a couple weeks ago. He insist that the fastest track setup for an E46 is a big front bar with no or a soft rear bar.

Setups
M3 F / 330xi rear [sedan]
M3 F / stock rear [coupe]
UUC F/ UUC R [sedan]
stock F / stock rear [sedan]

I'll check with the other guys and see if they are willing to share the info we've put together. Sharing the swap bar information alone has limited value. We have some data on springs, wheel and tires too. We also have lap times from same day, same track that we compare. Once the cars are setup we will swap drivers and see if the differences are the driver/car or combo. Goal is to have the cars setup for 9/4 - 9/6 at Hallett. Come join us if you can.

[pawa_k2001]

Trying to read through all the threads regarding sway bars for 330i ZHP sedan. I have a E46 M3 that I track and I went with only a stiff front Hotchkis bar. This is what everyone runs and it works amazing with the 275 series tire square setup I have.

I just picked up a 2004 BMW 330i ZHP sedan and am interested in a sway bar upgrade, what I have is my stock E46 M3 front sway bar laying around. There are a lot of people on these forums saying that you need a set of sway bars, not just a front. This is the complete opposite of the E46 M3 forum. The way I see it, you add front grip by going with a square setup(my ZHP has that), this changes the balance of the car towards more bite on the front axle so the car can afford a front sway bar. I don't want to get a rear bar because like in the M3, I want to be able to put down the power. With a non-LSD diff, a stiff rear sway bar will be lifting up my inside rear tire even more and make the one wheel peel even worse.

I will be installing a E46 M3 front sway bar(26mm vs 23.5mm on ZHP) soon since it will not cost me anything. If I get more understeer, I will go back to stock sway bar. The current setup on my ZHP is:

- 18x8.5" ET38(square) Apex ARC-8 wheels
- 245/35/18(square) Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires
- Poly FCABs

Would be nice if I can swap top hats from a E46 M3 so I can rotate them to get 1.8 degrees camber up front.(what I did to my M3 before going with camber plates)

[sillieidiot]

Sounds like a plan. That's what I would try to. You can just punch out that alignment stud on our top hats to get some more camber too. Iono how much though.

[derbo]

I'm currently happy with my 30mm front (medium setting) bar and stock M3 rear bar on my car.

It isn't that great on the lower speed corners but my mid-high speed corners have vastly improved.



I will have to try full stiff on the front one of these days..

[rkneeshaw]

I'm currently happy with my 30mm front (medium setting) bar and stock M3 rear bar on my car.

I'm trying to remember, you're running a square setup arent you?

[derbo]

I'm trying to remember, you're running a square setup arent you?

Ahh yes. Forgot about that. I'm running 17x8.5 arc8 245/40/17


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[sillieidiot]

don't you also have the m3 rear end?

[derbo]

don't you also have the m3 rear end?

Oh yea that too.


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[thegenius46m]

Anyone have specs on a vert non-m rear bar? I hear the verts non-m's have the stiffest rear bars stock. Can anyone confirm if a regular non-m vert has the same thickness as a zhp vert rear bar? Would like to experiment with this one since they're virtually free.