Stiffer Sway Bars.

[D. Clay]

I finally took off the coil-overs with 350# front Springs and put on some OEM style that are 205#. I also wanted a stiffer front bar and used M3 links with a bracket welded to the strut. The regular mounting point is about 2/3rds of the way out on the lower control arm. The mount being on the strut increases the amount of bar movement per inch of wheel travel. It is now about half again stiffer than before.
I only had about 30 minutes to come up with a bracket as the guy that was welding them was going on vacation. They are made from .75 X 2.0 rectangular tubing cut so that the inner face is even with the inner edge of the strut. They lack a little in the aesthetic sense but the wheel hides them anyway.
It's rare to find a stiffness spec for a bar that permits comparison. Only on all out competition cars do they even bother to express it in terms of wheel travel. Total cost was $32 for the 1990 M3 arms from FAP99.com. Also added an E36 rack.
 

[FL318is]

Clay will you come to FL and do mine?

[M42boy]

Yeah, Clay...  I think the M3 sway bars are the way to go on a street car.  I really like this affordable solution you have come up with enabling us to run them on a non 5-lug converted car!  Looks nice!!!  

After you do FL318iS's car, you can head up to ATL and do mine!  

[D. Clay]

I really would have liked to have had more time to make them. Some fancy curves spreading the stress with a boxed in look and real light. But like my old stock car buddy said after welding them, "They ain't comin' off! Well, if they do, bring 'em back and I'll weld 'em again"

[fabby318is]

I originally planned on fabb'n up some custom tabs to mount my M3 links, but eventually decided it was easier to just give in an pick up a pair from Ground Control for about $24.  Good quality plates, 1/8" thick and boxed for strength. Call them directly as the M3 link plates aren't listed on their website to my knowledge.

[D. Clay]

I had called them and was told they had no such item. It was definately $24 worth of trouble to make them. Especially when your time is as valuable as mine. (wink wink-nod nod)

[fabby318is]

No, they definitely have them. At first the guy on the phone tried to tell me the same thing. He then put me on hold for a minute and came back on the phone and promptly proceeded to take down my shipping/billing info.

[D. Clay]

I put new brake lines on the car also. I noticed one was worn almost all the way through. I looked and it was from rubbing on the bar. Who knows how long it had been that way. The pictures are from before I loosened and realigned them. You can see the clean spot on the bar.
Scary!

[MustPayDaddy]

so the m3 sway bar links wont mount without those tabs? where else can they be welded on to?  ive been considerin upgradin my links soon too cuz the bushings on mine seem tired, but i also plan on gettin new shocks/struts and springs in the future so i dont want to weld the brackets to the old ones.