Sway Bars

[Gus 5]

what are the stock diameters for front and rear sway bars? just curious as my front sway bar seems thicker than my last car....20mm if my calipers are right. performance ones are usually 23-25mm? still need to check rears

[petone 0]

Front should be 20mm and rear should be 12mm.

The size isn't the only thing to go on though, some bars are hollow where others are solid. Also different steel, mounting points etc.

If anyone has a cheap 20mm front bar floating round let me know.

[Carl 3]

The 325 is supposed to have the largest sway bar and only the 325, 323, and 318is have rear sway bars as stock, am very close to fitting a rear sway bar on mine, will be interesting to see what a difference it makes if any.

[Tommy 0]

hey Carl hows the sway bar goin? notice any diff?

[Carl 3]

Yip, actually I just posted about it in the intermarque thread.

It's not something that I noticed on every corner but to me it made the rear end feel like it had passive steering, odd but that's what it felt like compared to last time. It's more noticeable under tight cornering though.

[petone 0]

I know what you mean about the steering, just seems to turn in better and go round corners lots happier. As carl said i don't notice it on every corner but definatly a good upgrade for the cost.

[Guest Andrew]

I know what you mean about the steering, just seems to turn in better and go round corners lots happier. As carl said i don't notice it on every corner but definatly a good upgrade for the cost.

the 23 mm sway bar on mine made the turn in way worse -

I'm going to look for a smaller swaybar - too much anti-anti anything in suspension setups seems to screw them up a bit.

[petone 0]

I'm talking about the back, not the front. unless you put a 23mm on the rear i'm not surprised it f**ked things up. too big of a rear sway bar on a rear wheel drive car is just bad news.

[Guest Andrew]

I'm talking about the back, not the front. unless you put a 23mm on the rear i'm not surprised it f**ked things up. too big of a rear sway bar on a rear wheel drive car is just bad news.

not really - some of us like oversteer.

[Carl 3]

I bet you'd rethink that going into coke sideways at speed

[petone 0]

Yes it will go sideways, but what sort of car are you trying to build? a drift car or a race car? Go too big on the back and you start to lift the inside rear wheel. On a rwd car, not good, limits traction out of corners and slows corner speed.

[Guest Andrew]

Yes it will go sideways, but what sort of car are you trying to build? a drift car or a race car? Go too big on the back and you start to lift the inside rear wheel. On a rwd car, not good, limits traction out of corners and slows corner speed.

I know - i only have a 13mm on the rear.