Looking for some recomendations for parts

[Nick_318is]

I am going to be purchasing a new exhaust and possibly sway bars in the near future and am looking for some recomendations from m42 guys since we all have more or less the same ride.

I know I have some options for sways, IE has the 25/22, the 22/19 options, of these I have heard that the 25/22 set up is too large but i'm looking for your opinions, i think I am leaning tward the 22/19 bars, I know there are   other makes out there you would recomend h&r, racing dynamics, etc.  I want something good and would like to go with a cheap route if possible but I do not want to go too cheap and get bad parts since the car does see some time at the track.  As a refrence I have Dinan springs and Konis on the car right now.  Also is it a pain in the ass to install the sways on your own?

I am also looking at an exhaust and am thinking about the supersprint unless you guys have any other ideas or cheaper option, I really don't want to have the hack shack muffler shop do this job and would prefer a catback.

Thanks for the help.

Nick

[christophbmw]

dont get the bigger rear sway bar unless your gonna get an LSD diff, or already have one-Especially if you track the car. im sure you already knew that though. dont know much about the exaust you want.....i know eurospec has the supersprint setup.

[twinpop171]

http://www.bmpdesign.com

They have a Supersprint exhaust for the m42 for $539.  That is as cheap as I've seen one priced.  I was just looking at it this morning.  The Supersprint is supposedly a very good system for the m42.  I'd like to hear a sound clip though.
Good luck, Dan.

[Jimmy Lewis]

There is a sound clip of the common dynomax muffler set-up, on R3v, with what I'm sure is custom pipes. I think it sounds great. I'm sure it isn't as nice as the Supersprint unit but I've heard good things.

[318idol]

...one word.. Okay, three: Don't do it!

Buy a chip instead, or get a LSD or...just about anything else.  Aftemarket exhausts are the poorest investment anyone can make -- for any car.  Makes the car a pain to drive, noisy, annoying, for mininal performance gain -- all for big bucks.

One man's opinion...

[BrandC]

All you need is a higher flowing muffler for the M42. The exhaust diameter is plenty large for a 1.8L.

[Nick_318is]

...one word.. Okay, three: Don't do it!

Buy a chip instead, or get a LSD or...just about anything else.  Aftemarket exhausts are the poorest investment anyone can make -- for any car.  Makes the car a pain to drive, noisy, annoying, for mininal performance gain -- all for big bucks.

One man's opinion...

I need a new exhaust and figure if im going to buy a new one I want to do it right.  I have a chip and am working on sourcing a LSD.  My car is going to become a toy this summer and no longer be my DD so I dont really care if its noisy because its noisy right now.

[Jimmy Lewis]

The dynomax isn't exactly "big buck", they run for like $40 at Summit. Replacing the muffler really can't compare to replacing diffs or the like.

[twinpop171]

I have a Dynomax Super Turbo on mine and I'm pleased with it.  Great price ($40 or so) from Summit Racing.  It's smaller than stock and I had to modify the hangers a little.  I also had to add an exhaust tip as well which also came from Summit.  It was kind of loud at first but it quieted down soon enough.  I was fortunate to only have to replace the muffler after purchase but if I needed the whole system I would go with a quality system.  These are great cars and deserve quality parts.  Treat them right and they will last a long time.  When looking for parts, do searches on this forum as well as other boards.  The effort can save you a lot of cash and help you decide what parts are right for your car.  My 2 cents.
Dan.

[Nick_318is]

I have a fairly good idea what i want I was just looking for reinforcement of what i was thinking from my m42 brothers.

So no one has a brand of sways they recomend?

Oh and only the best for my car its been in my direct family from the day it drove off the lot and is in tremendously good shape, i only want to make a couple more mods and then leave it as a museum showpeice.

[BrandC]

So no one has a brand of sways they recomend?

I wouldn't recommend swaybars if you are serious about learning to drive your E30 hard or at track days. Swaybars are a suspension band-aid IMHO sometimes because they only limit side/side roll but you still have more fore/aft movement. Either get some Spec E30 suspension or some coilovers and call it a day. If you don't like the bodyroll you can always go with higher spring rates (and run wider & lower offset wheels muhahahaha)

[jpod999]

I'm running on Eibach sway bars, springs and Bilstein shocks and struts.  Car stays pretty damn flat and only understeered a little going into a 90 degree left turn at about 50-60MPH.  I have an open diff though so that is probably why it was pushing.

[D. Clay]

I wouldn't recommend swaybars if you are serious about learning to drive your E30 hard or at track days. Swaybars are a suspension band-aid IMHO sometimes because they only limit side/side roll but you still have more fore/aft movement. Either get some Spec E30 suspension or some coilovers and call it a day. If you don't like the bodyroll you can always go with higher spring rates (and run wider & lower offset wheels muhahahaha)

Why do you only hear this take on sway bars on E30 forums? Quick, call the BMW factory and let them in on this. They've been putting sway bars on their Touring Car sedans for years. It's time somebody wised them up.  And while they're at it, get them off that F1 car and fire those chassis engineers that are using computers and data acquisition to fine tune the springs, bars, and shocks to every track they go to. With all money they save they could just buy some stiffer springs and get it over with.
Seriously, in answer to the original question, get adjustable bars, especially if you go to different tracks, I have heard that the Dinan Sport rates are 172 and 300. Either set of IE bars would work. As to installation, it's a piece of cake. You will need some reinforcements welded on the rear control arms. I'd search the forums for used parts first. You also might consider making a track only exhaust. You can swap them out in about 5-10 minutes. Get an old exhaust pipe for the header flange and have pipes bent by a muffler shop.

[Nick_318is]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have done a fair number of 2 day BMWCCA drivers schools and several track days without instruction and i'm just looking to do the next step of suspension with sways.  I'm guesing that i'm going to hold off until the summer for the sways after doing some pricing.  I need a new set of summer tires so thats going to cut into what i have to spend.  I think I will be ordering the supsersprint next week.