Interesting sway bar article from UK.
 

I was browsing some other BMW forums and found this on the X5.


Why would you need adjustable length anti-roll bar drop-links? Well, for the vast majority of road cars they are not necessary but when you get into the realms of sports suspension tuning then adjustable length drop-links allow the correct pre-loading of the roll bars.

Most people believe the adjustability of the link rods is used to alter the actual roll stiffness of the bar but this is not correct. The adjustable length allows the owner to correctly pre-load the roll bar for neutral roll transition in both left and right turns.

To explain this neutrality, lets assume we have a brand new, perfectly built, blueprinted car. With the car sitting on a flat, level surface, with no passengers or loading on the car, and perfectly matched suspension, then the roll bars will be in a neutral position and the distances between the roll bar ends and suspension attachment mounts for the drop-links will be identical, so the manufacturer fits two identical length drop-links which fit without any issues.

Now undo one end of the drivers side drop-link and get the driver to sit in the car. Lets say an average 95 Kg man. The drivers side suspension is compressed by 95 Kg and with a 100Kg/25mm spring fitted, the car will sink maybe 10 – 20mm due to his weight. Now try refitting that drop-link! It will be too long so you will have to compress the roll bar downwards by the same distance to refit the link, therefore pre-loading the bar.

Now, when approaching a corner, the roll bar is actually trying to roll the car by 95 Kg in one direction and by -95 Kg in the other, so during cornering, the weight of the car needs to shift by 95 Kg before the roll bar becomes neutral. In other words, as you corner, the roll bar works in one direction for the initial turn and then in the other once past the pre-load point upsetting the predictability and smoothness of the turn as the bar goes through this transitional state.

With an adjustable drop-link, (and only one is necessary), you remove one side drop link, sit the driver in the car and fit the adjustable link, setting the length so that it fits without pre-load to the car. The car is then set-up for neutral body roll when that driver is using the car. The adjustable links also take into account any slight manufacturing tolerance differences between the springs and can also take into account worn, aged and sagging springs.

The principle is as equally relevant to the rear of the car as it is to the front although this would be less noticeable when driving. These types of adjustable links also have the benefit of being able to replace end joints individually should they wear rather than replace the entire link.

Shown below is a pair of front and rear drop-links for the BMW E53 X5 from PhoenixMotorsport, and all our kits will come with Grade A2 or A4 Stainless steel washers and nuts so that any future maintenance will never be met with corrosion or siezures, even from off-road use.

As I will be installing the polyurethane subframe and thrust arm bushes next weekend, I thought I would give these a go whilst the car is apart and then I will get an alignment done. Will do a post on the whole install and post for you.

X5Girl, xxx

Do you sell this in the U.S.?

Does this mean they now have the polyurethane thrust arm bushings available and you have not yet provided us a link....?!? :wow:

I was waiting for this info since you mentioned it in an earlier thread :D

Yep, I will be getting the very first set. If they fit OK and everything does what it is designed to do, then full production will commence. THEN you will get a link. :thumbup:

X5Girl, xxx

They may well be available from Tom at WELCOME TO WUFFER.CA - Home of the BC 8's who import all of Phoenix Motorsport's other products. Shoot them a mail and enquire.

X5Girl, xxx

This is great stuff, please keep us posted...... Also lots of pic's of the install would be awesome!!!

bf

X5Girl, you have the right idea. In the Porsche world, with aftermarket sways, adjustable droplinks are used to eliminate pre-load on the sways. It just doesn't make sense to have too much preload.

I made this thread awhile back:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...rop-links.html

I had mine custom made from a company that makes parts for Porsches. I'll be using their toe links and drop links for my 996 once I have time this summer.

I wouldn't expect much from American drivers/owners though. It seems it's more about bling than actual functionality.

BTW, it looks like the Phoenix drop links are just modified OEM ones with the standard OEM ball end. The droplinks from Tarrett Engineering are fully custom with rod-ends. Here's the website from the company who made mine:

Porsche 996 & 986 Boxster Front Adjustable Drop Link Set

BTW, though the X5 is not a sportscar, I think there is still benefit in replacing the OEM droplinks with aftermarket, thicker, sturdier units -- Not for eliminating preload but for eliminating a common weak point in the car's suspension (at least one of them).

Here are mine installed:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/7937/img0040k.jpg

Tarett Engineering vs OEM:
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/3937/dsc06894.jpg

Question, I have a squeak in my front which i think its the link.
Just wanna get something straight, since i have lowered the X I now have additional load on the sways? more stress on the arm links correct?

So, if I were to buy one, this would more less bring the X back up into the correct preload? as it was prior to being lowered? Thanks

No, lowering makes no difference to the load on the sway bars or links. You can only adjust pre-load with at leastone adjustable length link.

Whilst the links look great on the post by Icer006, they will not last on a road car because the ball joints are completely exposed to the elements. These are race parts meant for limited mileage and VERY regular inspection.

This type of joint, known as a "rose" joint needs rubber seals fitted either side of the joint. Like the lower joint on this sway bar link.

Sorry I was talking about the ones you have. Ive spoken to the guy who made Icer006 and he said its hard and not worth it to make a set again unless there are a few more. Is it worth to buy one adjustable vs oem one, would i have a diff. feel of the drive? Thanks

i have to disagree with you here as i can tell you from experience that a good quality "heim" joint like those made by QA1 will hold up just fine to even the worst road conditions. i have adjustable sway links that i built on my dodge 3500 with a plow and sander that goes for about 20hrs everytime it snows and i have had them on for 2 yrs which is 4 times as long as a OEM link lasted.
do they look new? no
are they still tight and functioning like they should? yes

i am intrigued by the rubber seals that you posted have never seen them before. happen to have a manufacturer or supplier.

Actually, it's hard to see from the pics but the dog-bones have a teflon seal/lining.

This similar config are run on race AND road Porsches without any issues.

That's unfortunate. He does good work. I guess his shop is busy with the race teams that one-offs don't make sense anymore.

How are yours keeping up? (Icer) Yeah he would make em but he said it be a bit pricey, but I might bug him again to see.

Mine are holding up fine. It's a "set it and forget it" type of part to me.

Since I have upgraded my susp. would it be worth it for adjustables? Even if I go with the Pheonix one? Thanks

The main reason for going with adjustable endlinks is to eliminate pre-load on the suspension after you lower the car.

This means that when the car is not loaded, the sway bars do not have tension. If the swaybars are not pre-loaded as such, then you have full availability of the swaybar's tension when you DO load the suspension (i.e. on a turn).

Some may say that once you sit in the car, the car is pre-loaded. That's why I had my 911 corner balanced when I was *in* the car so my weight is taken into account.

It's your call, ultimately, if you want adjustable endlinks. The X5 isn't a race car, so I imagine a little bit of pre-load doesn't matter at some point.

.......Its like everything, just because you can make it better doesnt mean you need to or would actually feel the difference, but there is definately something satisfying knowing you have actually improved something.

If you assume (or hope) that the springs are equal and both springs lower the same amount. There's no way to assume/hope that. Actually, even putting a certain amount of fuel may affect weight distribution.


Agreed.

:)

Yes, but lowering the car in itself does not alter the load on the bars. The assumption here is that if both original coil springs are the same and both new coil springs are the same, then simply changing the ride height will not affect the loads on the bars. Adjustable drop links are as applicable to a stock suspension set up as they are to a modified suspension.

Any change in vehicle weight distribution would alter the pre-load on the bars, but if everything else is unchanged, the ride height will not affect bar pre-load.

Also, as per my previous post, here is a statement from a spherical bearing supplier

Problems
A lot of work, time and money has gone into designing the suspension setup for your car, and while fitting rose joints may have some benefits, there are certainly disadvantages. The argument that they're used on racing cars so they must be better is fundamentally flawed for a road car.
The first disadvantage is the cost and maintenance schedule. Race cars tend to be rebuilt every race, so the fact that rose joints wear quickly is not such a problem. On a road car, particularly with more dirt and grit around, they will wear far too fast, even if rubber boots are used to prevent ingress of water and dirt.


X5Girl, xxx