325ix Rear Sway Bar

[bimmahVA]

Does an ix rear sway bar bolt right up to the 318?  Has anyone run this setup (suspension is billy sports and hr sports)??

The ix rear sway is a little bit bigger then the stock iS bar, I think its 14.5".. same as e30 M3 right??  I have access to an ix parts car so I might just pick it up for cheap rather then go the whole reinforcement plate route with aftermarket sways.

By the way, Im still running the stock front sway bar for now.  I daily drive the car and autox it.  Previously with street tires the car is understeering and Im getting no turn in at entry points... just plowing...

[jpod999]

I know that the suspension up front in an iX is different than all other E30's, not sure about the rear though.

[vatos_p]

Sway Bar Sizes
________________________________________
Stock:

318i(m10): Front: 18mm Rear: none
318is(m42): Front: 20mm Rear: 12mm
318ic(m42): Front: 21mm Rear: 12mm
325e(pre 9/86): Front: 18.5mm Rear: 12mm
325e(9/86): Front: 20mm Rear: 12mm
325i(m20): Front: 20mm Rear: 12mm
325is(m20): Front: 20mm Rear: 12mm
325ic(m20): Front: 21mm Rear: 12mm
325ix(M20): Front: 17mm Rear: 14.5mm
325ix Touring(M20): Front: 18mm Rear: 14.5mm
M3(s14): Front: 19mm Rear: 14.5mm



Aftermarket:

AC Schnitzer: Front: 20mm Rear: 16mm
Eibach: Front: 20mm Rear: 16mm
Suspension Techniques: Front: 22mm Rear: 19mm
Ireland Engineering (adjustable): Front: 25mm Rear: 22mm
H&R (adjustable): Front: 22mm Rear: 18mm
Racing Dynamics Early Style (adjustable): Front: 22mm Rear: 16mm
Racing Dynamics Late Style (adjustable): Front: 22mm Rear: 19mm
M-Technik: Front: 20mm Rear: 14.5mm


all these fit

[Lukis]

I you don`t want it to understeer you should go bigger in the front or smaller at the back.

[christophbmw]

youll need an lsd if you get a bigger sway bar in the rear.

.....i wonder why bmw put a bigger sway bar on the "ix" body roll helps in snow driving.

[gearheadE30]

A bigger rear bar will increase rotation, although this will be most noticeable only under braking. To a point, having a stiffer front bar will help, but eventually it will just cause more understeer. The best handling one I have been in at an autoX had the IE setup, and it was very neutral. It also had the full IE setup with camber plates and the like, so that may have been part of it too.

[christophbmw]

im going to geuss that you will only need bigger rubber bushings to fit the 14.5mm in the the rear.

that IE setup looks crazy (fun). How did it drive on the road when the car was not autocrossed?

[bimmahVA]

thanks for the input guys

maybe i had some terminology wrong with understeer vs oversteer... mainly the problem i see when autoxing is my car plows thru hard turns... tires are turned but not gripping and sliding forward (which refers to understeer, rather than the rear breaking out - oversteer)

and for the front I will pick up the ST bar eventually.. anyways, havent gotten the ix one yet but should be able to go pull it this week - and then we'll see how the car balances out...

[christophbmw]

... mainly the problem i see when autoxing is my car plows thru hard turns... tires are turned but not gripping and sliding forward

sounds like the story of how i totalled my first 318 .

[DaveM-sport]

The iS can have an odd tenency to understeer at times, but can be coaxed into oversteer easily to correct it.

My car was understeering very badly the last week or two even with Goodyear Eagles on the front:(...
But I think th fact that the gearbox and manifold was resting on the ARB since one engine mount had broken and the gearbox mounts had come off could have sumthing to do with it:eek:
Must have been the next week point in the line when I polybushed the rear axle and put in a 4.1 LSD:rolleyes:

[gearheadE30]

that IE setup looks crazy (fun). How did it drive on the road when the car was not autocrossed?

It was way to harsh for my taste, but this was in downtown indianapolis, so if you have reasonably good roads and a tough hiney you should be good to go

From what I have heard, that understeer can be helped by installing offset solid front control arm bushings. Even H&R sports help quite a bit.