Sway Bars

[m3luckyoo]

I was wondering if it was ok to drive my car around without sways for a while... Can I do some events without sways as well? Just lookin for some input.

BTW im gonna be putting in some swaybarbarians in a couple months.

[Eryan36]

Do you like fat chicks too? All that roll..

[shaeff]

I'd think that it would be dangerous...

[peter91118]

you probably can, most cars do it... but why?

[Bengali86]

I would'nt do it.

[e30'd much?]

of course you can drive without your sways...like...duh?

it'll just be rolly polly

[dust4life]

you probably can, most cars do it... but why?

speed dood, mad quarter mile rep

my friends mustang is minus front sway, apparently it helps with the weight transfer when launching. ridiculous on an m tho

[RRSperry]

Events? Like what?

Of course you can drive it. Slowly... To a shop to get it fixed...

[savage217]

Yes you can but be careful. The stiffer the spring the less you have to worry about swaybars usually but I def would not push the car.

[m3luckyoo]

Ok- just drove it to work today- it seems to be fine- i dont think im gonna be doing any spirited driving (other then straight-line) til i get my swaybarbarians. 8 months of work finally paid off! I did a whole suspension refresh and some hardcore engine maintenance. =P

[peter91118]

speed dood, mad quarter mile rep

my friends mustang is minus front sway, apparently it helps with the weight transfer when launching. ridiculous on an m tho

mustangs arnt made to take corners like m's though...

OP, why didnt you just keep the stock bars in until the new ones arrived?

[NHbmw325I]

+1 not sure why you cant put the stock ones back on? It doesn't take much time to take off, and put on new swaybars.

[e30'd much?]

you people act like his car is going to implode on itself without sways...

[GotBHP?]

you people act like his car is going to implode on itself without sways...

Seriously. There is nothing wrong with this, and it is certainly not dangerous in any way. Your car will have more overall lateral grip without the ARB's.

[kramerbuccs24]

It's not THAT big of a deal, the different handling dynamics will take a bit to get used to, though, so don't go balls out until you get a new feel for the car.

[m3luckyoo]

mustangs arnt made to take corners like m's though...

OP, why didnt you just keep the stock bars in until the new ones arrived?

I sold the stock ones- Im gettin the sway barbarians in Jan. Seems like my car is still stiff has hell and no body roll- only M3's that have body roll are stock ones- dont really see aftermarket suspension M3'S with roll... I think i'll be fine f-in around with my car til i get the sways- lol.

Some people track it without the rear right? Im pretty sure it doesnt oversteer as much because the rear is not as stiff.

[Hova]

I sold the stock ones- Im gettin the sway barbarians in Jan. Seems like my car is still stiff has hell and no body roll- only M3's that have body roll are stock ones- dont really see aftermarket suspension M3'S with roll... I think i'll be fine f-in around with my car til i get the sways- lol.

Some people track it without the rear right? Im pretty sure it doesnt oversteer as much because the rear is not as stiff.

you ever drive a fully restored m3? or even a M3 with less than 20k miles?


i drove one back in the day, and i can attest that it was quite possibly the best ride ive ever been in. Smooth, yet firm, agile, yet forgiving. little, to no body roll stock when new.


Now if were talking 100k miles later, then duhh loads of body roll.

[MIMI1]

i have coils on one car and the end links broke so they're disconnected in the front... its not as bad as i thought it was going to be the car rides normal on the street no track review and i wouldn't recommend one either on the track

[Phore]

I've been driving my car with a broken end link the past few weeks, not too big of a difference, I'm just not driving my car as hard until I get it fixed.

[jiggynites]

you can def drive the car without both front and rear sway bar without a problem, not a big deal. as far as going to events you're crazy.
just know the car is gonna feel like a civic and far from a M

[ozbmw]

speed dood, mad quarter mile rep

my friends mustang is minus front sway, apparently it helps with the weight transfer when launching. ridiculous on an m tho

I fail to see how your friends car benefits from lack of a swaybar when travelling in a straight line. When launching the front become much less weighted due to the effect of inertia causing the front to lift. The actual weight of the bar is negligible.

If you drive without your swaybars and have a collision be careful your insurer does not find out that you have substantially modified the suspension design.

[e30'd much?]

a super stiff rear sway can help with drag racing...not sure on this front story your giving me though

[dizzythree]

Removing the front sway effectively lessens the effective spring rate giving more weight shift to the rear for traction which is useful for drag racing. That's why no front bar and stiff rear sway will do wonders to eliminate wheel hop and I bet that mustang owner is running a beefy bar back there...

However, our cars are quite eccentric when it comes to finding the proper swaybar for your application. But the basic rules of thumb for a street/autox car is that bigger is better for the front sway when cornering and for straight line acceleration a bigger rear sway is good. Most E36 race cars often run with no rear sway.

[e30'd much?]

Removing the front sway effectively lessens the effective spring rate giving more weight shift to the rear for traction which is useful for drag racing. That's why no front bar and stiff rear sway will do wonders to eliminate wheel hop and I bet that mustang owner is running a beefy bar back there...

However, our cars are quite eccentric when it comes to finding the proper swaybar for your application. But the basic rules of thumb for a street/autox car is that bigger is better for the front sway when cornering and for straight line acceleration a bigger rear sway is good. Most E36 race cars often run with no rear sway.

and now i know

[GotBHP?]

Removing the front sway effectively lessens the effective spring rate giving more weight shift to the rear for traction which is useful for drag racing. That's why no front bar and stiff rear sway will do wonders to eliminate wheel hop and I bet that mustang owner is running a beefy bar back there...

However, our cars are quite eccentric when it comes to finding the proper swaybar for your application. But the basic rules of thumb for a street/autox car is that bigger is better for the front sway when cornering and for straight line acceleration a bigger rear sway is good. Most E36 race cars often run with no rear sway.

ARB's do nothing without differing loads/different amounts of travel on the left and right suspension components. In drag racing, a front bar, or lack there of, really doesn't affect anything, outside of how much it weighs.

ARB's effectively make an independent suspension less independent, and might help rear wheel hop for the same reasons a solid rear axle does.