 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | 1999 M3 Swap 09-07-2023 10:10 PM 05-02-2024 08:18 PM 6 Replies, 384,559 Views | |  |  |  |  04-12-2005, 07:27 PM | #1 | | Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 94 |  link for M3 sways?
How different is the M3 front bar? I mean, with a custom link, could the M3 piece mount to the ti control arm? I understand that it mounts to the strut but the mounting points don't look that far from each other (eyeballing, of course.)
Is it just plain too wide? Anybody ever considered anything like this? I don't need M3 brakes up front...it's my wife's daily driver...but she complains about body roll on exit ramps, etc. I figure a stock M Roadster bar out back and M3 bar up front would be a nice upgrade but I haven't heard of anyone trying the M3 bar without the complete suspension upgrade.
Any help!? Fabricators? Racers? Fellow Cheapos...
Thanks.
Mike |  |  | | 04-12-2005, 09:22 PM | #2 | | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 |
why not just aftermarket sways? __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles
current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray
acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts
2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles
Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | | | 04-12-2005, 10:06 PM | #3 | | I miss my Ti....... :( Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 828 | Just a stab in the dark.
Quote: | Originally Posted by sikbrik How different is the M3 front bar? I mean, with a custom link, could the M3 piece mount to the ti control arm? I understand that it mounts to the strut but the mounting points don't look that far from each other (eyeballing, of course.)
Is it just plain too wide? Anybody ever considered anything like this? I don't need M3 brakes up front...it's my wife's daily driver...but she complains about body roll on exit ramps, etc. I figure a stock M Roadster bar out back and M3 bar up front would be a nice upgrade but I haven't heard of anyone trying the M3 bar without the complete suspension upgrade.
Any help!? Fabricators? Racers? Fellow Cheapos...
Thanks.
Mike | I think that it just might bolt up. The chassis of a 318 TI and a 4 door M3 are the same in the front. The M3 just attaches it to the strut because it is "better" for racing I guess. The only thing that is different that I know of is the diameter of the bar. -Chad | | | | | 04-13-2005, 12:22 AM | #4 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto Posts: 148 |
M3 front sway bar is thinner than your current swaybar, so unless you can attach it to the struts, this upgrade is useless for you. SL Quote: | Originally Posted by ZeroG I think that it just might bolt up. The chassis of a 318 TI and a 4 door M3 are the same in the front. The M3 just attaches it to the strut because it is "better" for racing I guess. The only thing that is different that I know of is the diameter of the bar.
-Chad | __________________ 1996 318ti Active Garrett aspirated...
1996 318ti Sport | | | | | 04-13-2005, 12:49 AM | #5 | | Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 94 |
Quote: | why not just aftermarket sways? | Hmmm...good point. I'm cheap. That's my only reasonable answer to that question!  Good points about the bar being thinner, though. You're right...it makes no sense to mount a thinner bar to the same place. I guess the M3 makes use of a shorter "twist" arm so the thinner bar not only saves weight but does a better job in less space. So at this point I guess aftermarket sways are the way to go rather than a complete M3 suspension upgrade since I already admitted to being a cheapo!  | | | | | 04-13-2005, 01:03 AM | #6 | | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 |
lol ... it's ok man. you could ask L84thsky about his upgrade to the "m-tech" sway bars that were offered on the sport version of the 318ti. don't think they're a whole lot bigger, but he could provide you more details about the effect they had after installing them (with polyurethane bushings). be careful with the rear tabs where they mount to the trailing arms though if you go to poly bushings. __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles
current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray
acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts
2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles
Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | | | 04-13-2005, 01:32 PM | #7 | | Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 94 |
Yep...good idea. Thanks again! | | | | | 04-14-2005, 06:04 PM | #8 | | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Manassas, VA Posts: 4,129 |
Get some used M-tech sways, like I did, from another Ti. Here is a pic comparing the standard ones and the m-tech. http://www.geocities.com/l84thsky/sways.JPG Quote: | Originally Posted by sikbrik Hmmm...good point. I'm cheap. That's my only reasonable answer to that question! Good points about the bar being thinner, though. You're right...it makes no sense to mount a thinner bar to the same place. I guess the M3 makes use of a shorter "twist" arm so the thinner bar not only saves weight but does a better job in less space. So at this point I guess aftermarket sways are the way to go rather than a complete M3 suspension upgrade since I already admitted to being a cheapo! | __________________ 
1998 (July) 318ti, 5-spd
OEM Armrest Blaupunkt Heidelberg CD50 CD Player/Compact Drive MP3 Player Diamond Audio 5.25" rear speakers Navman ICN 530 GPS BMWALARM.COM (with comfort settings) after market alarm system Magnecor 8.5mm wires M-Z3 Shifter/Momo Knob Burlwood Dashboard Stromung Exhaust X-brace Racing Dynamics Front Strut Bar Carbonio C.A.I. 17" Rial Rims Vader Seats/Heated/Lumbar Support M-tech Steering Wheel/Front Sway Bar/Front & Rear Bumper Depos/w 6500K Angel Eyes/6000K HIDs Clear Corners M3 Mirrors UUC Light Weight Flywheel/M5 Clutch/M3 Clutch Slave E28 3.46 LSD/Mcoupe Cover/E30 Flanges & Halfshafts UUC S.S. Brake/Clutch Lines Hartge Roof Spoiler BavAuto Springs Bilstein Sport Struts/Shocks E46 M3 Rear Shock Mounts SPC Front Camber Kit Reiger Hatch Spoiler BavAuto Rear Camber Kit Dinan Stage II Software Turner Rear Sway Bar Reinforcements BMW E46 Auto dimming mirror with Clown Nose alarm Engine Compartment Light Heated Wiper Fluid Retrofit OEM Fire Extinguisher Da'lan Trailer Hitch Rear Sun Shade OEM Fog Light Retrofit H & R MZ3 Rear Sway Bar/ UUC Adjustable End Links Cruise Control Retrofit On Board Computer Retrofit M3 twistie style side skirts Carbon Fiber Hood | | | | | 04-14-2005, 06:13 PM | #9 | | Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 94 |
Quote: | Originally Posted by L84THSKY | Did you notice a big difference? Are you running stock suspension otherwise? We've got an active / non-sport '97 ti with 16" Z3 optional alloys and 205/60/16's. Now that the tires don't roll as much as our 15" did and we have better grip, the body lean is really exaggerated. Keep in mind our other car is a Protege5...that thing is dead flat in turns, handles great but also runs low profile tires and FWD Japanese cars are pretty easy to turn anyway! Maybe we're just expecting too much from the bimmer? | | | | | 04-14-2005, 06:56 PM | #10 | | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Manassas, VA Posts: 4,129 |
I have a stock suspension, other than the mods I mentioned. The car definitely felt firmer and tighter after my mods, but can't say for sure what percentage of improvement each mod made by themselves. Quote: | Originally Posted by sikbrik Did you notice a big difference? Are you running stock suspension otherwise? We've got an active / non-sport '97 ti with 16" Z3 optional alloys and 205/60/16's. Now that the tires don't roll as much as our 15" did and we have better grip, the body lean is really exaggerated.
Keep in mind our other car is a Protege5...that thing is dead flat in turns, handles great but also runs low profile tires and FWD Japanese cars are pretty easy to turn anyway! Maybe we're just expecting too much from the bimmer? | __________________
1998 (July) 318ti, 5-spd
OEM Armrest Blaupunkt Heidelberg CD50 CD Player/Compact Drive MP3 Player Diamond Audio 5.25" rear speakers Navman ICN 530 GPS BMWALARM.COM (with comfort settings) after market alarm system Magnecor 8.5mm wires M-Z3 Shifter/Momo Knob Burlwood Dashboard Stromung Exhaust X-brace Racing Dynamics Front Strut Bar Carbonio C.A.I. 17" Rial Rims Vader Seats/Heated/Lumbar Support M-tech Steering Wheel/Front Sway Bar/Front & Rear Bumper Depos/w 6500K Angel Eyes/6000K HIDs Clear Corners M3 Mirrors UUC Light Weight Flywheel/M5 Clutch/M3 Clutch Slave E28 3.46 LSD/Mcoupe Cover/E30 Flanges & Halfshafts UUC S.S. Brake/Clutch Lines Hartge Roof Spoiler BavAuto Springs Bilstein Sport Struts/Shocks E46 M3 Rear Shock Mounts SPC Front Camber Kit Reiger Hatch Spoiler BavAuto Rear Camber Kit Dinan Stage II Software Turner Rear Sway Bar Reinforcements BMW E46 Auto dimming mirror with Clown Nose alarm Engine Compartment Light Heated Wiper Fluid Retrofit OEM Fire Extinguisher Da'lan Trailer Hitch Rear Sun Shade OEM Fog Light Retrofit H & R MZ3 Rear Sway Bar/ UUC Adjustable End Links Cruise Control Retrofit On Board Computer Retrofit M3 twistie style side skirts Carbon Fiber Hood | | | | | 04-15-2005, 03:57 PM | #11 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Saint Paul, MN Posts: 3,244 |
How about a pair of Koni Sport adjustables up front? __________________
My Former Rides
1999 318ti Alpine White, Cali Roof, Dinan goodies
1996 318ti Hellrot California Edition
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