[Stone///M5]

Started getting a clunking sound on slow turns. After inspection...it's broken. Should I go OEM or is there an upgrade option for this that you guys would recommend??

Thanks!

 

[Diny]

Are you sure that the sway bar is broken and not one of the brackets?

 

[Ohmess]

Thoughts.

If its the sway bar, I have one with new stock bushings that can be had relatively cheap.

If its the brackets, upgrade them. I went with the TC Kline from Beastpower.

If you want to upgrade your swaybar, I think Dinan is good way to go.

 

[Stone///M5]

Are you sure that the sway bar is broken and not one of the brackets?

Sorry....misunderstood my indy. The sway bar is fine.. I just looked under the car. One of the links snapped... Wow. I just replaced the brackets since one had a visible crack. Now one of the links broke. I have the original sway bar on my car. With 62k on the clock it's probably just a matter of time before it goes, too. Wondering if I should go ahead and upgrade everything. Anyone, feel any noticeable difference with Dinan or other aftermarket replacements?

 

[Diny]

I have the dinan sway bar but I got it along with the front strut brace. I realy like the way the car corners now, especially wide turns at 50mph+. Very fun.

I also have the sway bar brackets from beast power. M5 deamon installed them on my car and it took him slightly less than 2 hours. The sway bar was more of a pain in the *** and it wouldve been great if we had a lift.

 

[Stone///M5]

Yeah... I may go the Dinan sway bar route along with the brackets. Might as well do it all at once. Thanks.

 

[Need4Spd]

The links can break, too, but the brackets are the usual culprit. Sway bars themselves rarely break.

However, you will notice additional roll stiffness and less understeer with a Dinan rear bar, which has 3 sets of holes allowing you to mount links more towards ends (softer, but still more firm than stock bar) or more towards the middle (stiffer). Lscman argued convincingly that you could even adjust them in "half-steps" by using an outer hole on one side and one more in the middle on the other. (I don't recall the exact reasoning but it had to do with how the bar is just a torsion spring, where the length between the links matters but there is no "left side/right sided-ness" to it.)

 

[Stone///M5]

Thanks, man.. I'm going to look into the Dinan upgrade.

 

[IRISH M5]

Lscman argued convincingly that you could even adjust them in "half-steps" by using an outer hole on one side and one more in the middle on the other. (I don't recall the exact reasoning but it had to do with how the bar is just a torsion spring, where the length between the links matters but there is no "left side/right sided-ness" to it.)

See thread http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=109407

 

[bmwdctr]

TC design

http://www.tcdesignfab.com/products.html

 

[verhagke]

considering the huge cost differential between upgraded and OEM, I'd stick with OEM. They are easy enough to change out.

If you upgrade the bar however, you should also upgrade the brackets.