[Banana Clipper]

Heres a couple pics of my front sway bar. Is this the correct orientation? I have a feeling the answer is no and the eye hole needs to be down more...

View from front of car



View from rear of car



Here is a video as well... best I could do in front of my house
https://photos.app.goo.gl/haoPG10jM2a3sZB03



How sway bar is currently oriented:

*black line is sway bar red line is end link


How I BELIEVE it needs to be oriented

[Banana Clipper]

any help is appreciated, thank you in advance

[tdavis42]

Originally Posted by Banana Clipper

any help is appreciated, thank you in advance

Is it just me or is that bar not even connected to the struts?

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by tdavis42

Is it just me or is that bar not even connected to the struts?

Its not. I took the end links off cause theyre busted. That problem I'll resolve. Just not sure about the positioning of the sway bar. I feel like its been pulled up out of position and just wanna know if I need to lower the part where the end link connects down some or if it looks fine.

[feuer]

Is not very difficult. Seem like you only need confirmation. If on factory springs make the new adjustable sway bar links identical length as the factory are. If lowered make them longer accordingly. 1cm lower = 1cm longer is good start.

[bbnks2]

Did the ball joint of your end-link fail while you were wrenching on it while it was seized up? it usually helps to take them out of the car and let them soak in wd-40. You should not really need to ever adjust the end-links though lol Once you get the length close small changes in ride height won't hurt anything.


As for the orientation... I was under the impression the "eye-hole" should be way UP. That mounting tab should be pointing horizontal and not vertical (down like you have it). The suspension can't leverage the sway bar at all if the mounting tab is pointing down...

Is that the stock sway bar though? The stock sway bar is fixed position (glued to its bushings) so you cant change the orientation of the stock sway bar.

Google dude...instant gratification:
https://www.google.com/search?q=e90+...wzQXP8rhoAT-M:

[tdavis42]

If you have adjustable links you just need to find the length of the stock links and make yours the same.

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by feuer

Is not very difficult. Seem like you only need confirmation. If on factory springs make the new adjustable sway bar links identical length as the factory are. If lowered make them longer accordingly. 1cm lower = 1cm longer is good start.

Car is sitting on MFactory YCW coilovers lowered a good 10 to 15mm over sport height (OEM for my car).

The end links were inserted to sway bar with car on the ground and no resistance.

Im more curious about the positioning of the sway bar because everything I read, yes even Google, says the end links are going to need to be longer than the OEM ones when you lower the car. This I understand; the part that confuses me is my OEM end links are 11.5" and on the YCW's the end links were under 8" installed with no resistance which makes me think the sway bar is out of position. Thats the part I need clarification on. Or maybe it doesnt matter and I'm over thinking the whole thing...

Thank you sir

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Google dude...instant gratification:
https://www.google.com/search?q=e90+...wzQXP8rhoAT-M:

You and I usually dont see eye to eye... BUT (and I did, evidently not good enough, search Google) in this case Thank You for the visual reference. This is what I needed. My sway bar is clearly out of position.

Guess I know what Im doing tonight.

Thank you all who replied. I really do appreciate it.

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

Did the ball joint of your end-link fail while you were wrenching on it while it was seized up? it usually helps to take them out of the car and let them soak in wd-40. You should not really need to ever adjust the end-links though lol Once you get the length close small changes in ride height won't hurt anything.


As for the orientation... I was under the impression the "eye-hole" should be way UP. That mounting tab should be pointing horizontal and not vertical (down like you have it). The suspension can't leverage the sway bar at all if the mounting tab is pointing down...

Is that the stock sway bar though? The stock sway bar is fixed position (glued to its bushings) so you cant change the orientation of the stock sway bar.

M3 Sway bar, M3 upper and lower arms (if it matters) The ball joint popped out while driving down the freeway. Sounded like a big ass rock hit my windshield. Only reason I even looked was because turning left felt weird compared to turning right. That particular ball joint was less than a week old. I've since removed both end links and will work on the car tonight.

Here is video of the ball joint popped out and the bent mounting tab - https://photos.app.goo.gl/r7b332SnSd5mWntk2

MFactory has been nothing but supportive in figuring out these issues and getting me replacement parts. I should note that this is a BETA set of the YCW's from last year, October I believe.

[tdavis42]

Another good idea is to call the coilover manufacturer and ask then what the suggested position of swaybar should be.

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Banana Clipper

You and I usually dont see eye to eye... BUT (and I did, evidently not good enough, search Google) in this case Thank You for the visual reference. This is what I needed. My sway bar is clearly out of position.

Guess I know what Im doing tonight.

Thank you all who replied. I really do appreciate it.

The sway bar mounting tab in that picture is pointing down... which I do not think is correct. I also think the sway bar in this picture is pointing down because the car is at full droop (in the air), but you can't tell from the picture.

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

The sway bar mounting tab in that picture is pointing down... which I do not think is correct. I also think the sway bar in this picture is pointing down because the car is at full droop (in the air), but you can't tell from the picture.

All images and video I've submitted in this thread are of my actual car with the car on the ground and the wheel turned full left.... well besides the poorly drawn ones from my phone


I think FC nailed it with this image:

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by Banana Clipper

All images and video I've submitted in this thread are of my actual car with the car on the ground and the wheel turned full left.... well besides the poorly drawn ones from my phone


I think FC nailed it with this image:

That's the image I was referring to... the sway bar is pointing down in that picture. This does seem like the correct way to mount the bar though since the bends allow the bar to fit over the steering links in this position.

[Banana Clipper]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

That's the image I was referring to... the sway bar is pointing down in that picture.

Ah, gotcha... my fault

[feuer]

Originally Posted by Banana Clipper

Car is sitting on MFactory YCW coilovers lowered a good 10 to 15mm over sport height (OEM for my car).

The end links were inserted to sway bar with car on the ground and no resistance.

Im more curious about the positioning of the sway bar because everything I read, yes even Google, says the end links are going to need to be longer than the OEM ones when you lower the car. This I understand; the part that confuses me is my OEM end links are 11.5" and on the YCW's the end links were under 8" installed with no resistance which makes me think the sway bar is out of position. Thats the part I need clarification on.r

Originally Posted by tdavis42

Another good idea is to call the coilover manufacturer and ask then what the suggested position of swaybar should be.

It popped put because it was to short. Regarding asking the manufacturer from what I have read on this forum on regarding LSD failures and coil over installation issues and how they are handled I would not expect a lot of help.
I happen to work on sway bar link replacements. You can see the links are new. e90 335i on BMW yellow PS. Drop is very similar to you drop on YCW coil overs. Since BMW didn't installed different sway bar links on that modest drop you can go with factory length or like I said little longer. Bolt need to be on same level as the subframe pretty much. Here are some photos fore reference:

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by feuer

It popped put because it was to short. Regarding asking the manufacturer from what I have read on this forum on regarding LSD failures and coil over installation issues and how they are handled I would not expect a lot of help.
I happen to work on sway bar link replacements. You can see the links are new. e90 335i on BMW yellow PS. Drop is very similar to you drop on YCW coil overs. Since BMW didn't installed different sway bar links on that modest drop you can go with factory length or like I said little longer. Bolt need to be on same level as the subframe pretty much. Here are some photos fore reference:

Yes that position makes more sense in my opinion. ****Hint*** attach the bottom link first so you don't have to worry about the subframe being in the way. Take a guess at why I know this lol.

Looks like the end-link in that picture could actually be shortened a bit. It's not a big deal though.

[feuer]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

attach the bottom link first so you don't have to worry about the subframe being in the way. Take a guess at why I know this lol.

Me too

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

With regards to end links: With full load/weight on the vehicle the end link should not be under any tension. It's a bit harder to do this at home as it's ideally done on something like a pit or alignment rack.

Sway bar should be pointing down at the end link side IIRC.

[bbnks2]

I see that everyone has a different opinion on this lol...

Originally Posted by bbnks2

I see that everyone has a different opinion on this lol...

Not really...there's a way that "works" and there's a way it's supposed to be. Just depends on how much someone cares about actually making it right.