Front sway bars: Dinan vrs OEM E93

[bigjae1976]

My E90 non-ZCP, non-EDC is built and ready to be picked up. I've procured a Dinan stage 1 suspension with the racing rear toe link. I want to stay with dinan and/or bolt on upgraded OEM parts.

I planned on going with the Stage 3 dinan but I noticed that the E93 front bars are almost as thick.

OEM E93: 28mm
Dinan: 28.5mm

The E93 bar is less than half the price of the dinan bar. Is the dinan bar going to be that much better with their Stage 1 + camber plates?

[kitw]

The E93 bars are NOT almost as thick as the Dinan bar. The actual stiffness is hard to figure out, but the middle of the e93 bar is 26.5, the same as the stock bar. It's also hollow, where the Dinan front sway bar is solid.

That said, the Dinan bar may be too stiff.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by kitw

The E93 bars are NOT almost as thick as the Dinan bar. The actual stiffness is hard to figure out, but the middle of the e93 bar is 26.5, the same as the stock bar. It's also hollow, where the Dinan front sway bar is solid.

That said, the Dinan bar may be too stiff.

Thanks. I was hoping it would be close but I'll go with Dinan if that's the case.

I see you have the Stage 1, are you planning on going up to Stage 2?

[kitw]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Thanks. I was hoping it would be close but I'll go with Dinan if that's the case.

I see you have the Stage 1, are you planning on going up to Stage 2?

I have the camber plates and sway bar (stages 2-3) in my garage.

BTW, I'm not saying the Dinan bar is better, the e93 bar might actually be the right way to go, I'm not convinced a huge front sway bar is a good recipe for anything except a lot of understeer. We'll see. The E93 bar is cheaper.

I wouldn't run a front bar without additional front camber, though. I'm running stage 1 with -1.8 / -1.9 degrees of front camber, and with the plates and sway bar I will probably be more like -2.5+. Hopefully that will be enough to get the front to bite, we'll see. If not, I have a e93 rear sway bar on order as well, to balance it.

[bigjae1976]

I probably should have said stiffer, not better.

Please post a review when you get the plates/bar on! I'm definitely going to do the Dinan front camber plates.