Hotchkis Front Sway Bar DIY and Review

[RPM8300]

All,
BLUF - This mod was relatively easy install, and IMO is the best effect/price mod for people wanting to push their 135s.

As my last DIY, I dont have pictures but there is really nothing that you wont be able to see for yourself.

I bought the bar online from ESE Tuning - they were out as were other suppliers but ESE was pretty helpful on the phone and had a bar shipped directly from Hotchkis. After everything was said and done it was about $300, very reasonable for what this mod will do for you.

Installation Notes/Recommendation:
-If you can find a DIY garage with a drive on lift, this is your best bet. If you have to use jacks, as stated in previous DIY, you will have to use the front L and front R jack points; youll probably have to use the front C jack point to get your baby high enough to put jack stands under the L and R points.

-I did NOT take off the wheels. I did leave the stock end links - it make the entire job very easy. Using the drive on lift the whole job took 2 hours and I worked by mysefl.

-After getting the car up, there are 18 little screws securing the plastic shield. There are 2 screws which are not visible from under the car; they are near the rear L and R corner of the shield and they screw in from the side, not bottom.

-After you remove the shield, take a few minutes to identify the bushing mounts, the end link config, and the orientation of the bar. I had to use 2 wrenches to loosen the end links. Note how tight they are from the factory - very tight. Additionally, the 4 screws holding in each of the 2 bushing mounts are also pretty tight.

-After you unscrew everything, you should be able to slide the bar all the way to the left or right, rotate it around, and work it out. Youll end up bending 2 small alum screw mounts vicinity the bushing mounts. Its ok because its really slim metal and youll have to bend them back in place after you install the bar; these 2 screw mounts are for the plastic shield you removed and youll want to get them back in.

-Use ALL off the supplied grease for the bushings and do an orientation check with the bar. Its pretty obvious but you dont want to struggle to get it in wrong only to have to take it out.

-I stayed with the stock end links for a couple reasons - I dont plan on having adjustable suspension; the stock end links were just fine; taking the stock ones out and putting in the Hotchkis ones would require a significant amount of more work, i.e. taking off the wheels, and then getting the car to base load on the wheels to get the length of the new end links just right.

-When screwing everything back together, my recommendation get the bar settled in the right spot and then slide the bar end holes on the end links and hand screw the washers in just a few turns. Then come back and get the bushings screwed in with a few screws. At this point its key to ensure everything will fit right - specifically with the bar ends and then end links. If you tighten down one side or something unevenly, the bar ends wont be flush against the end links when doing final tightening. Just keep an eye on both ends as you tighten.

-I tightened down all screws little by little up to the point where I had to apply a descent amount of force. I tightened as hard as I could the end links, then came back and did the bushings, and then did the ends one more time. I dont know the torque spec for these but I would say err on the side of tighter.

REVIEW-
-I havent been able to do any track or autocross yet, but pushing the 135 hard around town and in some empty lots you can feel the front end staying tighter and more compact. I would say the improvement in body sway and understeer is at least 50%. You can do sharp lane changes at 60mph and the car wont shift towards the change and then countershift, itll just shift and resolve.

-With understeer - I have the 6MT and Im starting to learn how to control the tighterfront end to turn previous understeer situations into oversteer for fun, or just neutral otherwise. When taking a hard left or right, as you can go into the turn agressively you can push the throttle without worrying about grinding into an understeer situation. I wouldnt say the understeer is gone due to the suspension set up - I would say you can push the car through the turn and throttle steer it into an oversteer situation. KW V2s with this bar would probably move it into the 'sick' category.

[bluemoon]

Good write up...thanks for posting!

[BMW750]

thanks for the post, wish they had good karma button here. i'd give you one

[Upgrade+]

Nice write up. I've had my bar sitting for almost a year in my garage lol. My buddy's business just moved to a new shop that has lifts for their work trucks, so this will be a snap now.