E60 front sway bar

[500AMM]

My .036 Is a Race Car...

Jono,

I haven't seen your car and mods, but the conception "race car" is a multiple statement dependent on the extent of mods and to which level it is taken. However, I'm sure your car is "some kind" of a race car, said in a positive manner. Other wheels, shocks, brakes, LSD etc.. makes it more to a modified vintage race car, but not a full blooded race car with comprehensive mods. I'm sure you know all this very well based on your business.

What I ment was that the 036 was never built to be a race car. It is a smaller S-class clone with all the heavy luxury equipment and suspension set-up, but faster and more amusing to drive. It is a reason that the W201 models (EVO I and II) was chosen in front of the 124036 for the DTM and BTCC series, simply because the 036 was too heavy, too big and too complex to modify. It is easier to adjust track width, chassis widening, weight balancing etc.. on a smaller car than "shrink" an oversized car to fit with the race regulations.

The handling is an interesting subject, and both understeer and oversteer can be really dramatic on street cars in traffic, and under special circumstances like slippery conditions on wet. It would be nice if you could list some thumb rules here regarding choice & combos on firm versus soft settings, wheel size & profile heights etc..

-a-

 

[Zuffenhausen]

if you are going to go through the trouble of making new sway bars. You should make the new ones hollow

 

[Ron500E]

My 2 cents..... if you are going make them I would suggest making them EXACTLY like the original, down to the HWA part number if possible.

Ron

 

[500AMM]

if you are going to go through the trouble of making new sway bars. You should make the new ones hollow

Hmmm, isn't that a bit ambitious and cost consuming? And leading to more hassle with the bushings, brackets and assembly etc..

My 2 cents..... if you are going make them I would suggest making them EXACTLY like the original, down to the HWA part number if possible.

Ron

I thinks that's the simplest way, at least for the assembly. However, I would like to see some test on the final swaybars too. Spring steel can end up brittle as glas if treated incorrectly.

 

[Jackasic]

Hollow is doable, but drives the cost up. Normally done as a weight savings measure for track or race cars. I'll be happy if I could sell upsized bars, if they start flying off the shelves, I'll look into hollow ones. As for copying the HWA bars, I keep it branded under Feind so don't get sued by the Big German star

 

[Zuffenhausen]

hollow would be better imo lighter and a upgrade for E60 owners.

 

[jhodg5ck]

ah yes, but will people pony up for the Bump in $$$?

 

[500AMM]

Hmmm, the hollow swaybar idea has made me thinking lately. Especially since they have a potential weight saving.
The Hotchkis swaybars looks great IMHO: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hss-2282/overview/

Here's also a couple of nice links about the theory and design philosophy, showing the weight savings too:
http://www.whiteline.com.au/docs/bulletins/Hollow vs Solid Swaybar.pdf
http://www.hotchkis.net/_uploaded_files/hollow_vs_solidinstructins162file.pdf

-a-

 

[Jackasic]

to sum it all up:

The additional complications and downsides of hollow bars seem to outweigh their advantage in overall weight and unsprung mass, which can be seen to only be marginal in
street car application. Even OE manufacturers rarely use this type of design in their
swaybars. However with the right conditions and setups, they can bring some gain in
racing situations, which can require weight reductions to the gram.

 

[stickyvicky]

need 2 sets of E-60 sway bar, or reproduction. any suggetions?

 

[modzona]

Ask Ake@Hedgehog tuning and motorsport

*edit
Asked him once and he said that he could make some. He has had made some in 30mm dim for 190e for customers.

 

[jhodg5ck]

Indeed, front bars are a ways off. What are you running for a rear bar?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

see post #22 if you want to buy something soon. Otherwise you'll be waiting a long time, or doing your own custom bars which will likely cost more...