Time to raise the front end up

[JimLev]

After installing the M5 front bumper and the belly pan I'm scraping everywhere, mainly due to the H&R lowering springs. Didn't really have much problems before, the OE bumper and pan wasn't as low as this M5 stuff.
Since I have to take the front suspension apart and I already replaced the rear M5 sway bar with an Eibach 18mm bar I bought the front Eibach 28mm bar.



2 hours later....subframe is dropped



Then the M5 bar comes out



It's only 1mm thicker, but worth it.



Eibach is installed





Just need to bolt the subframe up, get that heavy steering box (no I'm not putting in the M5 box gg) connected, and then drop the wheel carriers so I can raise the front up 1/2". More on how I'm doing that later.
Hope to finish everything tonight.

[AquilaBMW]

It's always been a bit of a miff to me why BMW has the M5 stuff sit lower than the regular under belly pans since the Sports models and M5s sit lower anyway. Go figure. I will be doing the sway bar swap on my car in the near future... I am curious as to the difference between the DINAN Sway bar and the Eibach one. I will measure and post it if you like. The DINAN one is made by Eibach - it is supposed to be thicker than the stock M5 sway bar - but I wonder if it is the same thickness as the Eicbach bar you have there.

[philly98540]

Hmmm? Special ring spacer on strut tube to raise 1/2"? In for this.

[Redshift]

An experienced wrench like you really needs a lift. Even a low rise model would help. I'll speak to your wife when we visit in Sept and see what we can do to help you out.

[JimLev]

I decided to take the afternoon off. The subframe is bolted back up, the steering box is attached, just have to lower the engine and connect the front motor mounts.
Then it's on to replacing the top strut mounts (never did them years ago when I put in the FSD's), and installing the spacer rings I had machined to raise the front end up.
Michael, measure that Dinan bar, bet it's the same as the Eibach, just powder coated blue.
Brian, as much as I'd love a lift it ain't going to happen in this house. I'd need a low rise lift here, garage is too low. I'd still be on my back on a creeper.
We will probably be moving within a year, that's when I'll get a real lift.

[Redshift]

Staying in the same general area, or moving further south?

[joekitch]

for lifts; take a look at those range quick jacks
it doesn't rise very much, but it stores away REALLY compactly, is pretty portable, and very quick to put in place/raise the car
its also not a scissor lift so it doesn't block the center of the car, meaning you can do lots of things a scissor lift would prevent you from doing




only downside is they're $1200

[1gr8e39]

Very Nice Jim. When you said I needed to clean up the underside of my car I assumed yours would be cleaner ;-) Guess not. Keep us posted on the difference in body roll. Do you have a front strut tower bar to accommodate the beefed up sway bars?

Also Jim I ALWAYS appreciate the detail and quality of the write up. You have a serious knack for these types of threads.

[evomel]

Your lucky you didnt break any of the lower wheel well liners like I did

[JimLev]

Staying in the same general area, or moving further south?

Still up in the air about an exact location, maybe Colorado???

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for lifts; take a look at those range quick jacks
it doesn't rise very much, but it stores away REALLY compactly, is pretty portable, and very quick to put in place/raise the car
its also not a scissor lift so it doesn't block the center of the car, meaning you can do lots of things a scissor lift would prevent you from doing
only downside is they're $1200

That's not really a bad price Joe. I'm just getting tired of working on my back. Standing up would be better.

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Very Nice Jim. When you said I needed to clean up the underside of my car I assumed yours would be cleaner ;-) Guess not. Keep us posted on the difference in body roll. Do you have a front strut tower bar to accommodate the beefed up sway bars?
Also Jim I ALWAYS appreciate the detail and quality of the write up. You have a serious knack for these types of threads.

Chad, I was referring to your dirty rear swing arms.
Yes, I have a Dinan strut tower brace. Will post results when I finish.

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Your lucky you didnt break any of the lower wheel well liners like I did

Mel, the pork chops have a few scrapes in them, but you can't see them unless you are under the car.

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Didn't get as much done as I hoped, had to mow the lawn in 92° heat.
It was nice going back into the 72° garage.
The pass side is done and all connected, need to do the drivers side tomorrow.

More pics.....
After I pulled the strut out I slipped this ring on the bottom of the tube.

[AquilaBMW]

WOW! I might be about to give DINAN sales a set back. Measured the DINAN sway (made by Eibach) biggest diameter was 27.7 at a bend, so expected. Averaged out to be at most 27.5+/-.

Eibach was a minimum 28mm, a bit thicker in some bends. That means the DINAN bar is essentially the same as the OEM M5 bar.

[Mannyf540]

Colorado is beautiful, I don't blame you.



ForumRunner_20150825_182841.png

[auaq]

Anybody selling a set of sway bars, let me know.

[JimLev]

I'll be sticking the M5 bar in the classified, it's the same as you now have so this won't do you any good.
I sold the rear M5 bar last year.

[philly98540]

Where did you get the spacer rings?

[JimLev]

I went to a local machine shop and had them made. They have more, I ordered 2 and when I went to pick them up they made 92. Needs some?

[auaq]

I'll be sticking the M5 bar in the classified, it's the same as you now have so this won't do you any good.
I sold the rear M5 bar last year.

Yeah, I need bigger than the stock M5 bars.

[JimLev]

From what Aquila found out it looks like Eibach is about the only one for the front bar.
The rear Dinan bar has 2 or 3 end holes in it for adjustability that the rear Eibach bar doesn't have.
Not sure on the Dinan prices, I'm sure they are a lot more than Eibach.

[Redshift]

Given the color mis-match from the swaybar to the blue of the engine, I'm going to have to give this mod a 9.5. Sorry, no 10.

[philly98540]

I went to a local machine shop and had them made. They have more, I ordered 2 and when I went to pick them up they made 92. Needs some?

No, still on stock sport springs. I just never saw those so was curious where you got them. Looks like a good fix for a minor rise.

[JimLev]

Given the color mis-match from the swaybar to the blue of the engine, I'm going to have to give this mod a 9.5. Sorry, no 10.

LOL, any brownie points for it matching the rear bar and bushings?
This AM I took the drivers strut out, replaced the strut bearing at the top (both my old original ones were still fine, go figure), put the spacer ring in and reassembled it.
Now I just need to bolt the sway bar in place, put the wheels back on and tighten the suspension when loaded.
Gotta get my priorities straight, maybe another 1/2 work day today.





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No, still on stock sport springs. I just never saw those so was curious where you got them. Looks like a good fix for a minor rise.

Figured this would work and not as expensive as new springs.

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Mofo is done, just have to put the lower engine cover back on.
While I was doing this I changed the brake cooling ducts to the correct M5 ones.
Its still up on jack stands, will post a before/after pic when I get it down.

[1gr8e39]

Jim said mofo AND lol. Crazy

[auaq]

.... and we're not allowed to post anything that violates the rules/profanity ....

jussayinggg ....

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Ahhh, you are being way too fargin politically correct...

I was gonna get the whole M5 over and under crap, but my car was already scraping the driveway if i came home a bit too hot, I live on a street called Hill Street, I scrape the rear end when I pull off the main road, unless I take it in an angle and going slowly, but sometimes, most times, some azzwhole is riding my rearend no matter how early I hit the turn signal, drivers out here are ridiculously stupid as crap.... I go up the hill, it gets steeper still, then my driveway abruptly goes even steeper still, here I was about to order the porkychops, and engine cover, with H&R springs to follow. I'm already scraping as it is, with the stock sport springs. I think I'm just gonna work the stock chops, and cover, to work with the M5 bumper that I just got, one thing I'm purdy good at is fabrication if I have to add, or subtract something to make it work.

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One more thing, Jim, is it worth it to swap out my stock sport torsion bars, for a set of M5 torsion bars that I can get for 50 bucks? Or for the pain in the ass effort of swapping, should I just order a set of Eibachs?

[auaq]

Don't think you can install Ho8 front sway bar on a Ho6 car. The rears you can.