Front Sway Bar Install Guide

[FaRKle!]

Like a few others here, I ordered an M2 CS Racing front sway bar and got around to installing it this past weekend. It's still amusing to me that the CSR front sway bar is cheaper than pretty much any aftermarket bar, and it really does seem to be the same as the H&R 30mm F8x front sway bar. Doing a front sway bar install is pretty easy on the M2/3/4 since the bar is mounted under the subframe, unlike on the regular 2/3/4 where you have to drop the front subframe because the bar is on top of it.

Originally Posted by Index

0:00 Intro
0:14 Stock vs M2 CS Racing Sway Bars
3:17 Prepping to Get Under the Car
3:59 Removing Underbody Panels
6:54 Disconnecting End Links
7:40 Removing Front Sway Bar
8:06 Removing Sway Bar Brackets/Bushings
9:57 Installing Sway bar Bushings/Brackets
11:52 Installing Front Sway Bar
12:43 Connecting End Links
13:48 Installing Underbody Panels
16:32 Closing Commentary

[stevehifi]

Nice video. You'll need the adjustable endlinks on the front if your car is lowered otherwise stock endlinks become too long and swaybar isn't at the correct level that it should be.

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by stevehifi

Nice video. You'll need the adjustable endlinks on the front if your car is lowered otherwise stock endlinks become too long and swaybar isn't at the correct level that it should be.

Yup that's the plan (I'm running the stock springs/dampers right now). I have a set lying around already. Interestingly, the SPL LCA may prevent me from getting the optimal geometry once lowered due to their reduced clearance.

[jmciver]

Quick question on this, specifically as it pertains to the need for adjustable endlinks on a lowered car. When using adjustable sway bar endlinks with this bar (or any sway bar for that matter) as a result of the car being lowered, how do you determine what the correct “new” endlink length should be? Is it just a matter of installing the new sway bar (with new endlinks disconnected from the bar), then placing the vehicle on the ground (or ramps for access under the car) with the full weight of the car at rest, then adjust to length and install the new endlinks to the sway bar, thus with no pre-load on them?

[USSEnterprise]

Hey FaRKle! another great video, nice job.

Do you know what swaybar the F80 M3 CS comes with from factory?

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Quick question on this, specifically as it pertains to the need for adjustable endlinks on a lowered car. When using adjustable sway bar endlinks with this bar (or any sway bar for that matter) as a result of the car being lowered, how do you determine what the correct “new” endlink length should be? Is it just a matter of installing the new sway bar (with new endlinks disconnected from the bar), then placing the vehicle on the ground (or ramps for access under the car) with the full weight of the car at rest, then adjust to length and install the new endlinks to the sway bar, thus with no pre-load on them?

I have a previous video on that too, haha. To understand the concept of determining the length, start from 3:50 (front) and 9:53 (rear). For actually doing the adjustment, the procedure you mentioned is the best way, but you can also use the "quick and dirty" method in the video.

Originally Posted by Index

0:00 Intro
0:14 Measuring ride height *adjustable end links only*
1:28 Removing the front end links
3:50 Front sway bar geometry and adjustment concept *adjustable end links only*
5:30 Setting the front knuckle to ride height *adjustable end links only*
6:07 Installing the front end links
8:50 Rear end link removal
9:53 Rear sway bar geometry and adjustment concept *adjustable end links only*
10:59 Rear end link installation
12:34 Rear end link length adjustment *adjustable end links only*
13:22 End link adjustment to remove preload *adjustable end links only*
15:33 Installing bottom covers and wheels

Originally Posted by xxaarraa

Hey FaRKle! another great video, nice job.

Do you know what swaybar the F80 M3 CS comes with from factory?

This post has some info on that.

[Jamongkad]

Do you have to get an alignment after installing new sway bars and end links?

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by Jamongkad

Do you have to get an alignment after installing new sway bars and end links?

Nope.

[TractionControlDelete]

Originally Posted by xxaarraa

Hey FaRKle! another great video, nice job.

Do you know what swaybar the F80 M3 CS comes with from factory?

Same as the Comp Pack

[USSEnterprise]

Originally Posted by F82KPowers

Same as the Comp Pack

According to the thread linked by Farkle, CS uses base model sway not competition pack.

[sly1types]

Whats the part number for it?

[MR RIZK]

Originally Posted by sly1types

Whats the part number for it?

It's in the YouTube description.

[carbon//m3]

Nice video and good info.

[jmciver]

FaRKle! , any updated impressions on this sway bar upgrade over the stock bar - on the street and/or track? My basic questions are..

1) Did you see a noticeable improvement with less body roll?

2) Did you experience an increased tendency for the car to understeer?

3) In your install video, you installed the sway bar in the "soft" position. Do you think that worked well or would the "stiff" position possibly provide better performance (specifically less body roll without increased understeer)?

I am strongly considering this sway bar upgrade on my F80. And while the driving dynamics are different between the M3 and M2, I figure they are close enough such that whatever changes in driving dynamics (good or bad) you saw on your M2 would be comparable to what I would see on my M3.

Thanks!

[MR RIZK]

Originally Posted by jmciver

FaRKle! , any updated impressions on this sway bar upgrade over the stock bar - on the street and/or track? My basic questions are..

1) Did you see a noticeable improvement with less body roll?

2) Did you experience an increased tendency for the car to understeer?

3) In your install video, you installed the sway bar in the "soft" position. Do you think that worked well or would the "stiff" position possibly provide better performance (specifically less body roll without increased understeer)?

I am strongly considering this sway bar upgrade on my F80. And while the driving dynamics are different between the M3 and M2, I figure they are close enough such that whatever changes in driving dynamics (good or bad) you saw on your M2 would be comparable to what I would see on my M3.

Thanks!

His follow up video answers your questions.

[FaRKle!]

Originally Posted by jmciver

FaRKle! , any updated impressions on this sway bar upgrade over the stock bar - on the street and/or track? My basic questions are..

1) Did you see a noticeable improvement with less body roll?

2) Did you experience an increased tendency for the car to understeer?

3) In your install video, you installed the sway bar in the "soft" position. Do you think that worked well or would the "stiff" position possibly provide better performance (specifically less body roll without increased understeer)?

I am strongly considering this sway bar upgrade on my F80. And while the driving dynamics are different between the M3 and M2, I figure they are close enough such that whatever changes in driving dynamics (good or bad) you saw on your M2 would be comparable to what I would see on my M3.

Thanks!

Whatever understeer it the bar might've caused, was corrected away with some more camber. The car does feel flatter. I don't think I'm going to try a stiffer setting for a while to keep consistency with some other testing I'm doing.

[jmciver]

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

Whatever understeer it the bar might've caused, was corrected away with some more camber. The car does feel flatter. I don't think I'm going to try a stiffer setting for a while to keep consistency with some other testing I'm doing.

Thanks for the additional insight! My F80 is lowered on the MP HAS kit with GC camber plates set at 2.5 deg of neg camber. On the street this setup performs well for me. On the track I like the performance, but the body roll was still a bit more than I would prefer (even some roll on the street as well). I am not looking for a full blown track suspension setup, so it looks like this upgraded front sway bar will give me the performance improvement I am looking for - and the price for a BMW Motorsport part can't be beat when compared to other options.

Just placed my order! And I will probably pair the new sway bar with SPL adjustable end links for optimal sway bar positioning due to my car being lowered.

[jmciver]

Quick follow-up question…. I purchased the SPL adjustable sway bar links for the front as my car is lowered and I would like to have proper suspension geometry when I install the new front sway bar. Any recommendation to get adjustable sway bar links for the rear? I don't intend to replace the rear bar, but just wondering would there be a noticeable performance improvement if I were to add appropriately adjusted rear sway bar end links since my car is lowered. Or are the factory rear links good enough?

[MR RIZK]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Quick follow-up question…. I purchased the SPL adjustable sway bar links for the front as my car is lowered and I would like to have proper suspension geometry when I install the new front sway bar. Any recommendation to get adjustable sway bar links for the rear? I don't intend to replace the rear bar, but just wondering would there be a noticeable performance improvement if I were to add appropriately adjusted rear sway bar end links since my car is lowered. Or are the factory rear links good enough?

Depends how much you lower the car. Adjustable end links are there to keep the link to swaybar at 90 degree (or oem angle) while adjusting the linkage point to the same oem location so when the bar pivots it doesn't contact anything else. Also when adjusted correctly it will remove any preload from the bar.

IMO I doubt you will notice the difference. I have never seen a post in my lifetime for any car owner that said "wow what a difference after installing the end links". Some cars need to be replaced as under high lateral loads sometimes you can hear the links pop.

If your changing the front it makes sense to do the rear at the same time since the rear will be sustaining a drop at the same time.

Why pay the shop twice for a relatively inexpensive item.

[jmciver]

Thanks!

FWIW, I was not really expecting a significant (or even noticeable) difference in performance with just the end links alone. This is one of those "…well since you are already in there, you might as well consider this…." moments. The "this" is that I am upgrading the front sway bar to a stiffer adjustable sway bar on an already lowered car and the "absolute correct" way to do it is to change the length of the end links, front and rear, for optimum suspension geometry. But I figured I would ask this question in case there was something "special" about the F8x chassis that I may be missing.

My previous street/track car, an '05 E46 M3, had a full blown track suspension w/JRZ Double Adjustables, GC camber plates, GC front and rear adjustable sway bars w/adjustable links and more. Great setup on track (and street), but I don't desire to go that "wild" with my F80. My F80 has been lowered on the MP HAS for the last 20k miles or so (pic below and it is set lower than the "stock" MP HAS recommended height). And while I consider my DIY skills above average, I probably did not pay as much attention to the sway bars and pre-load like I should have. So I figured I would use this sway bar upgrade opportunity to "tweak" a bit more - but not too wild like my previous M3.

Oh, and as far as paying the shop twice for work, well for this job, the "shop" is me - so I am not too worried about that …..

[MR RIZK]

Interesting colour.. not sure I would pick it but for some reason it works.

Since you are doing it yourself just check how orientation of the rear arm sits at your ride height and make a decision from there.

[biofluke]

Does anyone know if the bimmerworld 11-12.5 strut mounted adjustable sway bar end links will work with the M2 CS Racing front sway bar? Or is the stock end link configuration strut mounted? https://www.bimmerworld.com/7-9-5-St...d-Links_4.html

I am planning to go to an MCS kit over the winter for next spring, and this is the end link set they said I would have to buy. If this kit would work, I would just install it with the sway bar now, and not have to buy it over the winter when I'm doing my MCS setup. I wouldn't want to have to buy a different end link setup to be able to install the bar now, that I would barely use before next season anyways.