[TheRealJA105]

After seeing @Badmojo post on a Facebook group that he had the same issue with his BMR Front Swaybar bushings while tracking his car, I decided I should make this post. I think I have a good solution finally, but I will tell the woes of the story.

First of all, I love the BMR swaybars and how they have transitioned the handling and body roll of my car on the track. My buddy @LS6Larry actually had this same issue before me and we had been trying to figure out a solution. His is the pic of the red bar, mine is the black hammertone bar.

When tracking the car hard the BMR Front swaybar bushings can not handle the forces due to the much narrower bushing bracket and the bushings split after a few track days. I myself have split 2 of BMRs poly bushings and 1 GM truck rubber bushing that was a good fit. The rubber truck bushing lasted longer than the BMR poly, but it was still obviously a problem. The passenger bushing is always the one that split for us running CW tracks. (Not sure about @Badmojo)

When comparing the BMR bushings and brackets to the stock pieces you will notice how wide the stock components are for better load distribution. I tried to remove the stock bushings from the bar, but they cannot be removed. Looking at the stock brackets I got the idea to modify the BMR bushings by cutting off the protruding edges and have them fit inside the recess of the stock brackets. Everything mounted up fine the first time, but when i went to the track i heard the dreaded rattle of the swaybar again and thought it failed. When i got home i found it didn't fail, but the bushing stop on the BMR bar was too large in diameter and was rubbing on the stock bracket. With some crude grinding work while the bar was still on the car I think I have effectively come up with a solution to the problem. I have a TNiA Wednesday if the rain holds off to test this again.

Edited to clarify that I have never had a problem with the rear swaybar bushings.

[TrackClub]

Very surprised! I thought anything aftermarket was far superior to anything OEM. I am crashed!

On a serious note, curious to see what the solution is.

[1LE76G]

I had this happen on my car, and called BMR about it. They have a different bushing and bracket now that's supposed to prevent this.
Just curious, how come the stock bushings couldn't be removed? I was looking at removing mine.

[TheRealJA105]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Very surprised! I thought anything aftermarket was far superior to anything OEM. I am crashed!
On a serious note, curious to see what the solution is.

The handling effects are superior. I know you have slight sarcasm here, but you do preach OEM a little too hard sometimes. OEM is a compromise plain and simple of price/reliability/comfort/performance. Sometimes when going aftermarket you have to do a little extra work. I'm sure BMR didn't test these to the extent we are on the track. They will probably get mad at me for this thread, but it is a real problem for anyone tracking their bars and i think they should hire me as a test driver

Pretty sure my solution is going to work, but i did drive it last night and it was still rattling. So i think i need to actually remove the bar from the car and grind the entire circumference of the bushing shoulder down for clearance.

Also another possible fix here that my friend was running (only for 2 trackdays so not proven yet as the normal bushings sometimes lasted 2 days) is another 32mm bushing set from Energy Suspension (who BMR uses) that uses a much smaller (less give) bushing and mount. I think it is this one https://energysuspension.com/energy-...mm?search=32mm With less bushing deflection the narrow bracket may be enough for the bushing to withstand the stresses.

Now that i am on their site looking at it, depending on dimensions these Mustang bushings look like they are wider and could be a perfect fit for the stock Camaro brackets. https://energysuspension.com/energy-...ch=32mm&page=2

Originally Posted by 1LE76G

I had this happen on my car, and called BMR about it. They have a different bushing and bracket now that's supposed to prevent this.
Just curious, how come the stock bushings couldn't be removed? I was looking at removing mine.

Yeah BMR tried to sell me those as well and I didn't bite because they don't fix the problem. Badmojo bought those brackets and his still blew out because they aren't any wider. More surface area to support the bushing is needed to lower the stresses, which is why i am doing this with the stock bracket.

Perhaps you can cut the stock bushings off of the swaybar without ruining them, but they aren't removable. They are either bonded or glued on.

[TheRealJA105]

Did a little more digging and apparently BMR makes Delrin bushings for their Mustang bars. I bet that would also fix the problem, but the Mustang bars are 1-3/8" not 1-1/4" like the Camaro bars. Maybe they will make some for the Camaro and send them to me to test

[kropscamaro16]

hmm im going to have to check my afe power bushings next time my car is up in the air lol

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by TheRealJA105

The handling effects are superior. I know you have slight sarcasm here, but you do preach OEM a little too hard sometimes. OEM is a compromise plain and simple of price/reliability/comfort/performance. Sometimes when going aftermarket you have to do a little extra work. I'm sure BMR didn't test these to the extent we are on the track. They will probably get mad at me for this thread, but it is a real problem for anyone tracking their bars and i think they should hire me as a test driver

Pretty sure my solution is going to work, but i did drive it last night and it was still rattling. So i think i need to actually remove the bar from the car and grind the entire circumference of the bushing shoulder down for clearance.

Also another possible fix here that my friend was running (only for 2 trackdays so not proven yet as the normal bushings sometimes lasted 2 days) is another 32mm bushing set from Energy Suspension (who BMR uses) that uses a much smaller (less give) bushing and mount. I think it is this one https://energysuspension.com/energy-...mm?search=32mm With less bushing deflection the narrow bracket may be enough for the bushing to withstand the stresses.

Now that i am on their site looking at it, depending on dimensions these Mustang bushings look like they are wider and could be a perfect fit for the stock Camaro brackets. https://energysuspension.com/energy-...ch=32mm&page=2


Yeah BMR tried to sell me those as well and I didn't bite because they don't fix the problem. Badmojo bought those brackets and his still blew out because they aren't any wider. More surface area to support the bushing is needed to lower the stresses, which is why i am doing this with the stock bracket.

Perhaps you can cut the stock bushings off of the swaybar without ruining them, but they aren't removable. They are either bonded or glued on.

Yep, you have rightly spotted a bit of sarcasm there
And i agree that OEM may offer a degree of compromise, which at times depends on a specific model. And hence some models absolutely do better with aftermarket parts for all out performance (such as your car).

Yet many folks dont realize, that many aftermarket parts, even those sold widely by big names, are conceived in somebody's garage and "tested" by a few willing amateurs getting parts for free.

To make matters worse, very few, if any, post about failures. So, good on you to post about your experience.
Who cares if BMR "gets mad at you"?! They took your money, haven't they? I say, they should now refund it prompty and willingly, or offer you a free fix asap. Clearly, they must be well aware of this issue?

Anyway, you may wish to try Strano perhaps? He's been making bars for a long time now. Dont know anything about his Camaro solutions per se, but his Vette bars have been solid and very popular based on feedback ive heard from many. He also tracks his car - as far as i recall. Mind you this was a few yrs back.

One way or another, hope you'll get it fixed soon. Cheers!

[Mountain]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Anyway, you may wish to try Strano perhaps? He's been making bars for a long time now. Dont know anything about his Camaro solutions per se, but his Vette bars have been solid and very popular based on feedback ive heard from many. He also tracks his car - as far as i recall. Mind you this was a few yrs back.

One way or another, hope you'll get it fixed soon. Cheers!

Strano does not have a bar for the 6th Gen Camaro's. He isn't, at least so far, looking to invest into making one either. There was a FB post in the "1LER" group about him playing with some GM sway bars on the SS 1LE, but his view was that the car is setup pretty good from the factory and he was trying to see if a GM combo would suit him, first. He seemed to be of the opinion, for his driving style, the front FE4 was fine and the rear might need attention. He was playing around between the FEA and FE4 rear bars.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Mountain

Strano does not have a bar for the 6th Gen Camaro's. He isn't, at least so far, looking to invest into making one either. There was a FB post in the "1LER" group about him playing with some GM sway bars on the SS 1LE, but his view was that the car is setup pretty good from the factory and he was trying to see if a GM combo would suit him, first. He seemed to be of the opinion, for his driving style, the front FE4 was fine and the rear might need attention. He was playing around between the FEA and FE4 rear bars.

Thanks for the heads up on his new 1le!

Indeed he's not done anything regarding gen6 but he does carry Hotchkis and Pfadt bars and likely would have a constructive opinion about both vs the others. One nice thing about doing biz with him is:
1. He is an active driver and knows what works vs not either directly or indirectly.
2. He likes to do biz over the phone and doesnt mind sharing his views based on experience et al.

Cheers!

[kropscamaro16]

pfadt was sold to afe power btw the 6th gen bars are orange now not the gray and made by afe power pretty good stuff and 3 way adjustable !

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by TheRealJA105

The handling effects are superior. I know you have slight sarcasm here, but you do preach OEM a little too hard sometimes. OEM is a compromise plain and simple of price/reliability/comfort/performance. Sometimes when going aftermarket you have to do a little extra work. I'm sure BMR didn't test these to the extent we are on the track. They will probably get mad at me for this thread, but it is a real problem for anyone tracking their bars and i think they should hire me as a test driver

Pretty sure my solution is going to work, but i did drive it last night and it was still rattling. So i think i need to actually remove the bar from the car and grind the entire circumference of the bushing shoulder down for clearance.

Also another possible fix here that my friend was running (only for 2 trackdays so not proven yet as the normal bushings sometimes lasted 2 days) is another 32mm bushing set from Energy Suspension (who BMR uses) that uses a much smaller (less give) bushing and mount. I think it is this one https://energysuspension.com/energy-...mm?search=32mm With less bushing deflection the narrow bracket may be enough for the bushing to withstand the stresses.

Now that i am on their site looking at it, depending on dimensions these Mustang bushings look like they are wider and could be a perfect fit for the stock Camaro brackets. https://energysuspension.com/energy-...ch=32mm&page=2


Yeah BMR tried to sell me those as well and I didn't bite because they don't fix the problem. Badmojo bought those brackets and his still blew out because they aren't any wider. More surface area to support the bushing is needed to lower the stresses, which is why i am doing this with the stock bracket.

Perhaps you can cut the stock bushings off of the swaybar without ruining them, but they aren't removable. They are either bonded or glued on.

I am of the opinion that if you are a performance shop and manufacturing performance parts, you should damn well be doing rigorous testing on said parts in track setting environments.

Especially a big name like BMR and for parts that will see performance driving duty. The number of performance shops out there these days that care just as much about the quality of the stuff they make as they do about the bottom line are becoming very rare indeed.

It is for this reason I try to stay with OEM or OEM specced performance parts.

Before I got my ZL1 1LE solid cradle bushings, I went back and forth between their lockout kit and while I know there have not been issues with those, I ultimately went with OEM performance parts for this very reason.

I have had more headaches than I care to remember when dealing with the aftermarket, from spacers, to coilovers, to sway bars. It is hard to sway from the OEM performance parts (if they are offered for your particular vehicle) because they have to meet certain quality and have more R&D into them.

[TheRealJA105]

Well, i think my current setup actually is enough grinding. In kind of an admitted brain fart moment during this i realized when driving the car again last night that I haven't checked the end links tightness in awhile (especially considering the TSB for stock endlinks). Listening to the sounds it was making it also wasn't as bad of a rattle as when the bushing broke. So when i got the car on the lift at home to my delight the end links were loose! They are now tightened, but i didn't drive again, so i will find out today on the way to the track.

This reminds me to bring up another point. No fault to BMR on this as the bar is clearly much stiffer and this should be expected. The stock front endlinks will break with the bar under hard track use. Get aftermarket ones right away. Stock rears have been fine.

Originally Posted by kropscamaro16

hmm im going to have to check my afe power bushings next time my car is up in the air lol

You would hear a very bad rattle if they split, but please post back here if you see any issues or not.

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Yep, you have rightly spotted a bit of sarcasm there
And i agree that OEM may offer a degree of compromise, which at times depends on a specific model. And hence some models absolutely do better with aftermarket parts for all out performance (such as your car).

Yet many folks dont realize, that many aftermarket parts, even those sold widely by big names, are conceived in somebody's garage and "tested" by a few willing amateurs getting parts for free.

To make matters worse, very few, if any, post about failures. So, good on you to post about your experience.
Who cares if BMR "gets mad at you"?! They took your money, haven't they? I say, they should now refund it prompty and willingly, or offer you a free fix asap. Clearly, they must be well aware of this issue?

Anyway, you may wish to try Strano perhaps? He's been making bars for a long time now. Dont know anything about his Camaro solutions per se, but his Vette bars have been solid and very popular based on feedback ive heard from many. He also tracks his car - as far as i recall. Mind you this was a few yrs back.

One way or another, hope you'll get it fixed soon. Cheers!

BMR is aware of the issue, I emailed them last year about it and they tried to sell me on the machined aluminum bracket of the same width with the same bushings. I didn't fall for that and told them i thought it wouldn't work because the bracket was still narrow. Well Badmojo proved they didn't work because he had them. All BMR would send me for free was a new set of originally supplied bushings and brackets, so at least I had extra bushings to play around with leading me to my own solution.

I think if they would make the Delrin bushings for the Camaro bar that would be a winner with the machined brackets, but they are charging $200 extra for those in the Mustang fitment!

Originally Posted by Mountain

Strano does not have a bar for the 6th Gen Camaro's. He isn't, at least so far, looking to invest into making one either. There was a FB post in the "1LER" group about him playing with some GM sway bars on the SS 1LE, but his view was that the car is setup pretty good from the factory and he was trying to see if a GM combo would suit him, first. He seemed to be of the opinion, for his driving style, the front FE4 was fine and the rear might need attention. He was playing around between the FEA and FE4 rear bars.

FYI guys, Sam totaled his 1LE at a time trial event. He posted about it on FB some kind of brake failure causing a hard pull into another car and an ensuing spin/airborne barrel roll, so not sure if he will be buying another one or if he will get away from our platform now.
Before that he was talking about only changing the rear bar, but his driving style must be way different than mine because he wanted a softer rear bar. Hence why he was going to try the FEA rear.

Originally Posted by TRZ06

I am of the opinion that if you are a performance shop and manufacturing performance parts, you should damn well be doing rigorous testing on said parts in track setting environments.

Especially a big name like BMR and for parts that will see performance driving duty. The number of performance shops out there these days that care just as much about the quality of the stuff they make as they do about the bottom line are becoming very rare indeed.

It is for this reason I try to stay with OEM or OEM specced performance parts.

Before I got my ZL1 1LE solid cradle bushings, I went back and forth between their lockout kit and while I know there have not been issues with those, I ultimately went with OEM performance parts for this very reason.

I have had more headaches than I care to remember when dealing with the aftermarket, from spacers, to coilovers, to sway bars. It is hard to sway from the OEM performance parts (if they are offered for your particular vehicle) because they have to meet certain quality and have more R&D into them.

I agree and can't fault you for that. I have no doubts that BMR did test this setup on track and they probably went out there and lowered their laptimes, as i did. However they must not have tested the long term reliability while continuing to chase laptimes and that is where the fault comes in.

[TrackClub]

Holy crap, hope Sam is alright! Thanks for posting the news. That must have been something completely catastrophic, or a major driver error? Just speculating of course. Would be good to find out for sure...
As one famous driver once said: "after a 3rd roll i completely lost control". Or something to this effect...

[TrackClub]

As and aside, testing for reliability and longevity is one of the issues for aftermarket firms. They dont have free access to Milford afterall. Or hi tech to test for stress, etc. So i take any "track tested" claims with a large grain of salt. As in, tested by whom? How long? Where? With what results? Etc. Would not surprise me if mostly they subscribed a few willing volunteers gifted free kit to test things by the seat of their amateur pants. I know of such approaches first hand, but will protect the innocent as they gotta eat too (and i respect it). But that doesn't stop me from having my personal opinion of their products.

What gets me going is when aftermarket marketing types start spewing BS about OEM on BBs. Like a recent post about OEM 1le pads.