E36: Bfest Pics and Hotchkis Sways

[bimmer ///man]

My car has gone through some changes and I’m finally getting to a spot where I am very happy with it. The thing that has always made me the happiest, modification wise, is what I have done to the suspension. I notice those adjustments the most. I have been running coilovers for two years but had yet to get sway bars. I finally bit the bullet and couldn’t be happier. I actually went with a company that wasn’t know to the e36 world yet.




Finally got my fitment dead on. 18x10 ET40 with a 255/35/18




I went with Hotchkis because they have the largest front bar (which according to the track section, is what is needed for the e36), are tubular and seem to be very high quality. A lot of the e9X as well as e46 guys are really happy with them and they are on Bimmerworld's website (I trust their judgement as they have never led me astray).
I did all the math and Turner, which is the next closest competitor, costs $400 for front (30mm) and rear (24mm) bars and they are solid. Then to add rear adjustable endlinks ($80) and rear sway bar enforcements ($40 + cost of getting them welded in) it's another $120+. So, that is roughly $120 plus weld time in extras in addition to the $400 purchase price of the bars.

Hotchkis is $650 on Bimmerworld but you get all new bushings, brackets, 3.4mm more on the front bar and 1.4 mm on the rear, plus they are tubular. It's worth the extra $120 IMO if you are looking for a quality product to increase handling. Everything on this kit screams quality, even down to the awesome finish on the bars which is a metallic graphite powdercoat.

http://store.bimmerworld.com/hotchki...its-p1088.aspx

It is very ingenious how Hotchkis approached the rear sway bar reinforcements. They replace the two rear cup washers on the subframe and then they provide you with new ones that doubled as sway bar brackets and washers.

Front Bar



Rear Bar


The Hardware, I thought the zurk fittings were a nice touch



Front Before



Front After





Rear Before




Rear After




Reinforcements
It is very ingenious how Hotchkis approached the rear sway bar reinforcements. They replace the two rear cup washers on the subframe and then they provide you with new ones that doubled as sway bar brackets and washers.

[zamm3k]

I love your car. How does the car feel with the new sway bars? Aren't you getting any oversteer?

[Olagüe]

very nice!!

[DP8]

Super clean!

[TheKosherStogie]

hope you enjoy them...had hotchkis sways on my rs4 made a very very noticeable difference. Good company

[3XTR3M3]

This one time, in Willow Springs, I tailed a tracked out E36 til I couldnt hang and spun out. True story.

Awesome car and pics

[1º]

i love your car, i would do everything pretty much the same way expect have it in AW!

[bimmer ///man]

Thanks guys for the comments!

It was funny, after I finished installing the bars one of the mechanics said be careful, the car will really snap in.

The car did just that. I took a 90 mile run out on a windy section of 58 and it handled like it was on rails, very flat through the turns.

Their isn't much oversteer at all and I would rather that than have the car push into the turns.

[holt]

I thought I read "Hotchicks" in the thread title. And was then thinking "WTF! liar!" when I didn't see any hot chicks. Then I really read the title. bummer.