What brand Sway Bars should I look at?

[mcubed91]

I ordered my shocks and springs.

Bilstein B8 w/ H&R Sports springs

Should I get new sway bars? I'm not going to race/track. Would stock be okay?
Looking for EASY bolt on kit.
thx

[M-technik-3]

My opinion new end links and leave stock bars on the car.

[mwagner10702]

Stock would be fine however the Suspension Techniques package (22mm front and 19mm rear) is a good choice to pair with your H&R Sport springs and B8 Bilsteins.

[Grinder]

Agree with the Suspension Techniques. I just had VSR install ST kit with H&R sports with the Konis I had on the car. Love the set up. Make sure to have the reinforcement plates from the kit installed.

[stevesingo]

Before you install the B8s, prise off the bottom cap and expose the bumpstops. Then, cut the bottom half of the bumpstop off! You will thank me for it.

For some strange reason, Bilstein thought it would be a good idea to have bumpstops so long you only get about 1 1/2" of travel before they start to compress which ramps up the effective spring rate massively.

Lots of discussion here.. https://s14net.vbulletin.net/forum/s...eel-this-still

[mcubed91]

stevesingo, I went to Auburn Foreign Car and talked to the E30 M3 mechanic, JR, he said not to cut the bumpstops. JR does a lot of M3 here in the Pacific Northwest. I see you post a lot of helpful info here. But I am going to live and learn, I'm going to see how they ride before I cut them...

[stevesingo]

Your choice. In the linked thread I posed all the evidence to justify my decision. Even at stock ride height, you will be sat in the bumpstops. No doubt in that.

[mlytle]

bilstien did the same thing to the E36 M3 front struts. at normal, stock, ride height the struts were on the bumpstops. even when they were cut there was not enough travel in the suspension. finally dumped them and replaced with GC suspension and Koni's. WAY better.

i did the billy sport/h&r sport combo on my 325e. same part numbers across the E30 line including the M3. i did not cut the bumpstops. the ride was brutal for a daily driver.

[Mpoweroo1]

bilstien did the same thing to the E36 M3 front struts. at normal, stock, ride height the struts were on the bumpstops. even when they were cut there was not enough travel in the suspension. finally dumped them and replaced with GC suspension and Koni's. WAY better.

i did the billy sport/h&r sport combo on my 325e. same part numbers across the E30 line including the M3. i did not cut the bumpstops. the ride was brutal for a daily driver.

That is exactly what I am experiencing with my current setup, absolutely brutal for daily use!

mlytle- Would you mind sharing what GC Koni setup you went with ?

[mlytle]

That is exactly what I am experiencing with my current setup, absolutely brutal for daily use!

mlytle- Would you mind sharing what GC Koni setup you went with ?

this was for my E36 M3.....went with this
https://groundcontrolstore.com/colle...street-touring

except i got the fully adjustable camber/caster plates. 450/600 f/r.

not only is it much better on the street than the billy's, but is also handles track duty in the instructor run group nicely.

[jimmy p.]

bilstien did the same thing to the E36 M3 front struts. at normal, stock, ride height the struts were on the bumpstops. even when they were cut there was not enough travel in the suspension. finally dumped them and replaced with GC suspension and Koni's. WAY better.

i did the billy sport/h&r sport combo on my 325e. same part numbers across the E30 line including the M3. i did not cut the bumpstops. the ride was brutal for a daily driver.

I was hoping you would chime in Marshall. Its funny you were just recounting this story.
I wonder if something changed along the way...
I "think" back in 1994 when I put the Bilstien Sports on my red street car they were an E30M3 specific part number.
I wonder ff possibly now that the cars are much older and demand is probably much lower they have consolidated the part number across all E30s, maybe that may have something to do with it.
I've always loved the way mine feel, I cant believe I'm riding on the bump stops and I know that I did not alter mine.
Anyone else here have really old ones or know if they did something like consolidate the part numbers or change the shock design?

[mlytle]

I was hoping you would chime in Marshall. Its funny you were just recounting this story.
I wonder if something changed along the way...
I "think" back in 1994 when I put the Bilstien Sports on my red street car they were an E30M3 specific part number.
I wonder ff possibly now that the cars are much older and demand is probably much lower they have consolidated the part number across all E30s, maybe that may have something to do with it.
I've always loved the way mine feel, I cant believe I'm riding on the bump stops and I know that I did not alter mine.
Anyone else here have really old ones or know if they did something like consolidate the part numbers or change the shock design?

yeah, when we were chatting about suspension a couple weekends ago, i had completely forgottten about having used the billy/h&r setup on my eta. i actually dug up my build thread on that car and saw my comments about the suspension. when i first put it on, loved it. after 50k miles of commuting, was not so impressed. the key comment in my post above was that it was my daily driver...in washington dc area. as a weekend warrior car on smoother roads the billy/h&r with bumpstops cut I suspect would be better.

think i am going to leave the original factory installed shocks and springs on my E30 M3.....for now.

[mcubed91]

Okay, returning the Bilstein, anything wrong with the Koni's? you guys are killing me...

86411210KT

KONI Yellow Sport Adjustable Front/Rear Shocks and Struts Package

[sector7g]

I cut down the bump stops on the set of B8s that I installed not too long ago with H&R Sports (#50406) with crash mounts. I like the handling and ride height quite a bit.

[mlytle]

Okay, returning the Bilstein, anything wrong with the Koni's? you guys are killing me...

86411210KT

KONI Yellow Sport Adjustable Front/Rear Shocks and Struts Package

nothing wrong, except...
the rears are adjustable, sort of. either the adjustment is on top of the damper requiring removal of the trunk liner each time you adjust or cutting an access hole in the liner....or...the shock needs to be removed and body twisted on the shaft to adjust. my E36 uses the former method. my 2002 uses the latter. neither one is easy. for most folks that means whatever setting was on them when they were installed is the setting they will be at forever.


LOL....this thread should be merged back with your other thread on shocks. it drifted back there off the topic of sway bars.