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So, I'm noticing quite a lot of roll from the rear of my 3 series Touring, which would be best to reduce this, new springs (the current ones are at 90k miles) or a stiffer anti roll bar?
at 90k i'd look at bushings as well, certainly if you're looking at a fatter ARB you'd want to be sure that shocks, springs and bushes were top notch first.
Do worn shocks really effect roll that much?
Roll bar bushes and droplinks would be the first port of call, then perhaps the shocks.
Just done the front droplinks on our civic and apart from stopping the rattling, it now steers straight a bit more positively.
Did the rear rollbar bushes and droplinks on my old van and it made a HUGE difference, turned it from a wobbly old barge into something that felt like a gokart (as much as a 6 metre hightop van can feel like a gokart!)
Do worn shocks really effect roll that much?
They won't stop rolling in the first place, but ineffective ones won't stop it rocking as quickly as they should.
On something that's not top heavy though, you're far more likely to notice the lack of traction going around corners, than through excess rolling.
Check anti roll bar links.
Stay away from cheap links that wear after a year.
Replaced a pair of springs on a 2003 touring today.
They are very prone to breaking - on this one one side had broken in the middle
of the coil spring but on removing it it was clear that the same spring had already broken at one end .
I would replace the springs = not expensive or hard job 1 hour and its done.
Check the rear brake steel pipes as they need doing on every older 3 series
they corrode where they meet the flexible rear pipes - which will also need changing if the pipes have rusted - poor design allows water to pool on brake
union and joins rigid to flexi for ever.