Hotchkis Sway Bar Setting w/Ohlin R&T's?

[TMc135]

Hey guys, I have a dual-duty E90 M3 that is my DD and used for 2-3 track weekends per year. I have Ohlin R&T's w/Vorshlag camber plates and am now installing Hotchkis front and rear sway bars with adjustable end links (F: Bimmerworld, R: Hotchkis). Any recommendations on what hole setting to use for the front and rear sway bars? I have searched and am seeing differing feedback but none specific to my setup/use. Thanks for your help/input!

[derbo]

Adjustable anti-roll bars are meant to be tools to adjust the car to your preference.

I would set it to all soft, test it and adjust according to your driver preferences. Experiment! That's why its adjustable.

[TboneS54]

You will notice different amounts of over/understeer at different speeds.

The ohlins are a closer to facotry ratios than they were for the E46 and moreso than other brands for this platform, and what that means is that this suspension theory relies on a biigger front bar to control roll due to softer front rates.

I'd start at full soft since full soft on Hotckis is still stiffer than factory bar (iirc), then go up front there. You probably wouldn't need the stiffest setting unless you were frequenting fast tracks.

You can go up to the middle hole, and then pay attention while driving - is the car pushing too much? That's what I noticed when I went to stiffer front springs (400lb), but kept the medium position of the hotchkis bar. Too much understeer. So I set it back at soft and it fixed it. Then I went back to softer springs (same 336lb -343lb (60n/mm)) as the Ohlins, and it needed the hotchkis back on medium.

That is all for the front. For rear, I don't believe in messing with sways. I'd delete the rear bar and increase rear spring rate a bit, or just stay with stock.

You don't not want to eliminate roll, you want roll for grip. You're adjusting for the car to be as neutral as you like it for the speed you drive at (or the course allows for).

You can adjust for over/understeer in other ways besides sway bars if you wanted - tire compound/size/PSI, spring rates, dampening, weight distro, throttle control - power delivery/rear end (gearing/LSD), alignment settings, susp geometry (arms) changes, wang downforce.