bmwe21.net forums

So... those of you who have been following my build progress via facebook or on my blog at http://www.e21build.com will know I've had to cut my swaybar to clear the sump on the new motor I've fitted to my E21.





Basically, I'm wondering if it would work if I just trim the swaybar back closer to the existing mounts, and reinforce the mounting points and fit beefier mounts, using the original swaybar only as a control arm; or if I'm better to beef up the mount points and then make a new custom pair of control arms with rose joints to mount in place of the sway bar? If I did this, do you think I would need to try and weld a washer to the ends of the remainder to stop them being able to pull clear out of the mounts under load? I think the angles they mount at would retain them ok but it's entirely probable that the design also took into account the swaybar being in a single piece.

I've seen the VAC kits etc but keep in mind this is a low (or as near as NO) budget build. I'm using scrap and parts I've salvaged from other vehicles so might be able to make the swaybar from the rear of a falcon mount to the front of the E21 somehow... Time will tell if I actually need a front swaybar for drift use anyway I guess.

I would rose joint the inner ends and upgrade the rubber on the lower arm end.
Beef up the mount point and add a chassis brace between the rose joints, or as close as possible to the origional point. further forward would be better.
I think the big washer way would pull through and if you didnt brace the front of the chassis leg would want to open out as the load is now pulling out at 30 odd degrees and not parallel down the length of the front legs if the ARB was whole.

Does that make sense??

Are you saying to fit rose joints at points marked A and B, and then a brace to connect the two together/to the chassis - perhaps via member C which I've already made?

Then upgrading the rubbers/mounts/mount points adjacent?

The sump itself is pretty low (in regards to ground clearance) so I would have a battle on my hands if I were to try and run a brace underneath (as I could only use flat steel which would have too much flex in compression to be effective, or is your only real concern with regards to stretch anyway?) - I may be able to run a piece of angle in front of the sump but slightly behind the harmonic balancer in addition to a flat peice?

Also the swaybar is a lot closer to the front of the car than I have driven; I could perhaps just triangulate from member C to each chassis rail and put the rose joint into that?

My iPhone has rotated it for some reason, but do you mean something like

Kind of yes. Completely remove the the origional ARB mount on the chasses and rose joint straight to the chassis
so you end up with something like this:

or this

and tie in the front brace


brace part C will be fine.
if your in Halfrauds have a look at build your own sports car book, it has some good info

See these as well.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MR2-Turbo-Mk2 ... 20cf83fab8

google images is your friend
remember to use bolts minimum of 8.8 grade
and if you use any tubing that it is seamless, or solid bar if weight is not to critical.

Fantastic, thanks

You could always weld the sway bar back up so it clears your engine. Put a few bends in it like below. Mind you, I'm loving the rose jointed option if you can afford it!

I statred with modifed for comepresion struts



then went to this



and paln to put a m3 type mount on the strut and use a drop link onto some other bmw roll bar possibly an e36 m3 as it has a dip to clear the sump

Oh wow that's fantastic and exactly the sort of thing I wanted (but didn't expect) to find!! Thanks!

Thanks guys, I have compiled a bunch of this into a post on my blog:

http://www.e21build.com/2013/03/swaybar ... tions.html

Jason are you using DOM tubing or solid bar?

Also what size are the rod ends you are using and the bar/tube?