1973 3.0CSA 4HP22, 3 Webers, AC, 4 Bilstein HD, stock springs cut a little, street driven only, no track ever, don't want progressive/lowered springs, geezer-driven daily....needs heavier sway bars. What's the wisdom? Thanks. A.
WTB E9 Heavier Sway Bars
- Thread starter andyleonard
- Start date
suspension techniques bars. 52015 set (for the e12). this is the set i have always heard fits our cars and is what Carl Nelson uses. please verify before buying ... or order from Carl.
https://www.stsuspensions.com/products/st-suspensions-st-anti-swaybar-set-52015.html ... $369 for the set.
https://www.stsuspensions.com/products/st-suspensions-st-anti-swaybar-set-52015.html ... $369 for the set.
I have a hard to find 24mm adjustable rear sway bar from an E12 as pictured PM me for more
I have a heavy duty rear sway bar that I removed from a '74 that had been a rally car. Let me know if you are interested - send a 'Conversation' with your direct email for pix and measurements.
Gary
Gary
I'm looking for front/rear myself..so E12 works? ST Suspensions doesn't show availability for our coupes...
I have a 23mm E12 sway bar in the front and it fit easily.
I have Hardy & Beck lowering springs and their specially valved Bilstein shocks. All suspension rubber was replaced with BMW OEM parts at the same time.
H&B recommended the E12 bar. They contend overly stiff bars put too much force in the flexi E9 body.
My rear was 18mm stock.
I like the combination very much.
I have Hardy & Beck lowering springs and their specially valved Bilstein shocks. All suspension rubber was replaced with BMW OEM parts at the same time.
H&B recommended the E12 bar. They contend overly stiff bars put too much force in the flexi E9 body.
My rear was 18mm stock.
I like the combination very much.
This is how I'm leaning. I put big bars front and rear on an E23...and took the rear bar off and went back to stock.
Quick story: A long time ago I made an E9 convertible and braced both sides under the rocker covers with 1/4X2" steel and added an X-brace with bolts that crossed under the trans. The car was so stiff with the braces (and no roof) the owner made me change the shocks. He had KYBs in it before and not a peep.
I can confirm that the ST # 52015 set do fit the E9 chassis. I just bought the front 25mm and rear 22 mm bar hardware sets for my car that had the bars already. Their website does not list them for an E9. The front anchor pieces have a square tube attached that must be removed,and you might have to lower the front sub-assembly to get it to fit on the frame. My urethane bushings needed to be replaced. I don't think those anchor bushings are made in rubber.
You mean the sub-frame, holding the engine(!) and the suspension (!)...oh boy....
Yes--The restoration shop had a difficult time getting the big front bar in place. I think the 22/19mm bars listed by Korman Autoworks is a better alternative with the lowered suspension.
I have a set of adjustable front and rear swaybars that I plan to sell in the near future.
I've ordered a 23mm front bar from a 75 E12 for $110 from the dealer . Let's see what that fees like. The 28mm stuff seems more track oriented for my purposes.
Do you know exactly what these “specially valved Bilstein shocks” are? How are they different from stock e9s?
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It’s not a big deal to drop for the install, maybe 1/2” is enough. Easily done with a standard trolly jack. The subframe fasteners aren’t fully removed, just loosened a bit,
I personally really like the 28mm front bar but only when used with the matching stiffer rear bar. It gives a coupe a substantially more nimble feel. But it does remove compliance on some types of bad roads.
Bigger sway bars require larger attachment clips and dropping the subframe a bit is the only way to do it.
Mike Goble
Well-Known Member
A small difference in diameter makes a huge difference in stiffness. A 25mm bar is 40% stiffer than a 23mm bar. A 28mm bar is 57% stiffer than a 25mm bar, and 221% stiffer than a 23mm bar.
Forgive my ignorance but does a strut tower brace perform the same function? If so, a lot easier to put on for added stiffness and actually nice to look at.
From muy ignorance I would say that no, strut tower brace improves body flex, while sway bar addresses body roll which would occur even if the body was absolutely rigid.
I think the ask is for a thicker sway bar, which may or may not be heavier.
I think the ask is for a thicker sway bar, which may or may not be heavier.
Anti sway bar provides increased spring rate whenever the left/right suspension is compressed/extended to a different amount (like when you turn left/right or go thru a dip/bump on only one side of the road). It’s like having stiffer springs under a subset of driving conditions.
A Strut brace increases the lateral load transfer and hence lateral stiffness of the car body, which reduces the body’s tendency to act like a secondary spring to the primary suspension spring. But this is an order of magnitude smaller than what’s going on in the suspension and choice of 23 vs 25 vs 28mm bars will be a far more profound change.
In that sense, IMHO, the benefit is indeed somewhat similar to that of an anti-sway bar. The strut bar also serves an additional purpose of stabilizing the camber/caster geometry under racing conditions. But I don’t know if E9’s are so flexible as to need this on street tires. A CSL on 10” wide wheels is another story.
In my limited experience (limited to e10’s), the change is very small compared to a sway bar change. I’d you have already gone to the stiffer CN springs and Bilstein dampers, and low profile 16/17” tires, then a strut bar seems like a rational next step. Do the anti-sway bar change first then decide if you need more dynamic lateral stiffness for geezer driving. I don’t feel the need but I’m also happy with 14” wheels and 195/70r14 tires.
Cosmetically, I like the racer boy look of a strut brace, and the one from Daddywad is by far the most beautiful to me. Worth every penny. Stan put one on his GreatWhite coupe, and that’s a good enough recommendation for me.
Strut bar.......
On our last BMW-meeting in Atzenbrugg/Austria there was a very nice CSL in ceylon with a strut bar . I will try to rebuild them on my CNC-milling machine to make a pattern, is there any interest ? :?: :?:
e9coupe.com
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