Thicker front anti roll bar?

[chrismoose91]

Hello all!

I own an E46 320d tourer that is due some new anti roll bar bushes and drop links.

The bushes in place now have a 1mm gap all round the bar, not ideal, the body roll is hideous.
I'm replacing both bushes and bar as my bar is corroded heavily and I picked up this bar and bushes cheap!

Easy job, I just need to know if a thicker (24.6mm vs 22.5mm) bar will make any difference to driving feel?

Thanks in advance!

[227bhp]

Yes, it will roll less.

[chrismoose91]

227bhp said:

Yes, it will roll less.

But at the expense of more understeer?

[Evoluzione]

chrismoose91 said:

227bhp said:

Yes, it will roll less.

But at the expense of more understeer?

On the limit yes.

[HustleRussell]

It's still going to roll, it's supposed to- body roll is not the enemy. Increasing front roll stiffness relative to rear will increase understeer.

[chrismoose91]

Thanks for the replies! I was curious more than anything. I don't drive my car to the limit, merely spirited drives at times.
I'm only replacing the arb as the current one is FUBAR.

[Equus]

Evoluzione said:

On the limit yes.

Throughout the envelope, actually.

The ARB affects the balance of diagonal weight transfer, which is what causes the extra understeer.

Weight transfer is progressive, not an on/off switch, hence the understeer will also be progressive, not just at the limit.

[Evoluzione]

Equus said:

Evoluzione said:

On the limit yes.

Throughout the envelope, actually.

The ARB affects the balance of diagonal weight transfer, which is what causes the extra understeer.

Weight transfer is progressive, not an on/off switch, hence the understeer will also be progressive, not just at the limit.

No. Understeer occurs when you have exceeded the limit of grip that the components provide.
If you stay within the limits of the components you do not get understeer, ergo you only experience understeer on or at and beyond the limit, not within it.

[Equus]

Evoluzione said:

No. Understeer occurs when you have exceeded the limit of grip that the components provide.
If you stay within the limits of the components you do not get understeer, ergo you only experience understeer on or at and beyond the limit, not within it.

Incorrect.

Understeer occurs whenever the front slip angle exceeds the rear slip angle: in vehicle dynamics terms, that is its very definition.

And your tyres are operating at some slip angle at any time you are not running in a straight line.