I finally got around to installing some of the parts on my 1989 BMW 325i (e30.) I installed a new front swaybar that I purchased from UUC Moterwerks a while ago, but never got around to posting about it.
First off I really like the quality of these swaybars. Below is an image of both front and rear, but the camera on my phone doesn’t quite do the whole kit justice. The spherical endlinks that come with it are very nice pieces, but I forgot to get a snapshot of it.
I ended up installing the front swaybar first since the rear requires welding which isn’t feasible in my garage. The installation was pretty simple, but I feel the instructions were lacking a bit. I ended up having to drop both front control arms to remove the old one which is more than UUC instructed I would. It took a couple of hours to complete the installation which isn’t too bad.
The difference was huge. The OE sway bar and 20 year old end links allowed the car to roll quite a bit on turns. There are a couple of roufar mynd-abouts I like to drive when there are no other cars around and noticed much less body roll than the OEM bar and links. The car seemed kind of twitchy when pushed, but I didn’t expect much with the old OEM rear bar and links still being used.
Along with installing the swaybars, I took out the rear subframe and replaced the subframe and trailing arm bushings with AKG 75d bushings. I also bought a differential bushing, but have yet to install it as I am holding out on a limited slip differential. So far my experience is good. The ride is firm and I can definitely feel it on bumpy city streets, but it’s still softer than my ’91 Camaro. Removing the old subframe bushings was a pain, but the new ones were easy to press in with a hydraulic press :).
I don’t have any pics as I was short on time when I was reinstalling everything.