Put M3 sway bars and an M3 shift lever in my car.

[Oxcart 1]

Last night Bimmer95 and I bolted his old M3 sway bars on my 325i and put in an M3 shift lever I bought. Both upgrades were worth the money. The shift lever is just about the best 24 bucks I have spent on my car. It doesn't shift like a "semi-truck" anymore. The distance between shifts is like 2/3 or less of what it was and was a cheap but very nice change. Sway bars are awsome too, I can feel the difference in the back of the car BIG time. With the sways and the springs the car corners like a beast now.

[Oxcart 1]

for a 325 anyway...
:

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by Oxcart 1
With the sways and the springs the car corners like a beast now.

Beasts corner pretty well, do they?

[Oxcart 1]

Originally posted by Rel44 M3


Beasts corner pretty well, do they?

hehe! yes it does!
Bimmer95s M3 is total crazyness now. His new sway bars are huge!

[Rel44 M3]

So did he cut you a good deal on those parts?

[Oxcart 1]

yup, I got the sways from him and the shift lever from BJO shift lever is damn fun! of course so is swerving back and forth on the road . My rear sway bar was a tiny little thing. I was def suprised.

[gotboost?]

how did you attach the front sway bar?
did you use the old attachment points or do you have m3 shocks?
i just put on the m3 shocks and springs, and i'm tryin' to figure out if i can use my stock (218) sway bar attached to the m3 shocks with m3 links...
michael

[gotboost?]

oops...
318

[Rel44 M3]

Gotboost, maybe you should just get the complete system and wait til you can find some M3 swaybars like Oxcart did.

[GR8 Ride]

I'm just wondering how you attached the M3 sway bars onto a 325i?

The M3 sway bars (front) connect to the strut, while the 325i sway bars connect to the lower control arm. There is a mechanical advantage to using the strut as opposed to the lower control arm. However, if you don't have the M3 front struts, I don't see how you could attach the M3 front sway bar.

The sway bars in the rear should attach the same between both cars. If you've just upgraded the rear sway bar, I'd have to suggest that is rather dangerous, as the car will be highly twitchy now, and very prone to oversteer.

Pat

[Oxcart 1]

I'm just wondering how you attached the M3 sway bars onto a 325i?

92 is different from reg 3-series i believe...no side blinkers...different sways. my 92 325i was the same as his 95 m3 for sways. Ill take a pic of the old ones. Ill also post more.

[Oxcart 1]

old

[Oxcart 1]

shock...

[Oxcart 1]

yes I know my air sensor is hangin there...I had a blonde moment with a side walk...

[Oxcart 1]

nt

[Oxcart 1]

last pic...

[Oxcart 1]

However, if you don't have the M3 front struts, I don't see how you could attach the M3 front sway bar.

As you see it is connected to the shock housing.
****

how did you attach the front sway bar?did you use the old attachment points or do you have m3 shocks?
i just put on the m3 shocks and springs, and i'm tryin' to figure out if i can use my stock (218) sway bar attached to the m3 shocks with m3 links...
michael

Well I just happen to know someone who has an extra 92 325i front sway bar (just the bar) that should fit you lookin? hehe

[bimmer95]

Originally posted by Bad-Karma
If you've just upgraded the rear sway bar, I'd have to suggest that is rather dangerous, as the car will be highly twitchy now, and very prone to oversteer.

Both front an rear bolted up no problem. BTW the E36's understeer rather badly from the factory, which is why most folks with after market sway bars set the rear stiff and the front soft to dial-in more oversteer

[bimmer95]

Originally posted by Bernman
The front bar on an M3 is actually smaller than the one that you had before. If you don't have struts that allow you to use the M3 sway bar links, you have shifted the balance to oversteer since you increased the stiffness at the rear and decreased the stiffness in the front

The M3 front bar is larger than his stock one by .5mm and he does have the strut end mounts because his is an early '92 325i. In addition to that arm length on the M3 front say bar is shorter which, due to leverage, make the bar stiffer yet.

[Bernman]

Heh, you caught me. I had started that post hours before, and oxcart had not yet informed us about the 92 having the end links like an M3. When I saw his later posts, I went back and deleted my post since it was no longer relevant.

Thanks for the info on the differences. Every detail is interesting to me

Bernman

[BJO]

hey aaron, i'm glad that you got the shift lever and are enjoying it. too bad you already have springs cause i have some oem m3 springs in my garage that i'm willing to let go for hella cheap. hmm, so the m3 sways mount easily to the reg 3series. i might be selling mine soon after i upgrade to the rd's or eibachs.

[Oxcart 1]

Originally posted by BJO
hey aaron, i'm glad that you got the shift lever and are enjoying it. too bad you already have springs cause i have some oem m3 springs in my garage that i'm willing to let go for hella cheap. hmm, so the m3 sways mount easily to the reg 3series. i might be selling mine soon after i upgrade to the rd's or eibachs.

I think only the early 92s for the sways. Did you ever get my email? or my PMs I sent you?? hmmmI got your email but it wouldn't send when I tried to respond

[NYC ///M3]

I have a M3 shifter for sale from a '99 M3 with 18k on it. $50 bucks buyer pays shipping.

Email me I have some other M3 parts for sale also if anyone is interested.

[bimmer95]

Originally posted by NYC ///M3
I have a M3 shifter for sale from a '99 M3 with 18k on it. $50 bucks buyer pays shipping.

BMW MSRP on a brand new one is only ~$40-45. $50 is just nutty. You oughta install it for them at that price :

[NYC ///M3]

Wooopsss... Sorry about that I had no idea... $25 bucks then, it is mint. Email me if interested, I also have some other M3 parts.