I am getting ready to order a rear sway bar. I have a 2009 Cooper, non S, with the factory 15mm I believe. I love the way it handles, but keep being told it will handl a million times better with a new sway bar. There is a local guy here who will sell me the factory 19mm off his new Roadster for $50.

OR, i can order from Way a 19, 22, or 25.5.

Which sway bar size would you guys recommend to get? This is my daily, that will just see canyon cruising, and very little track time, maybe 3-4 times a year.

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

The last that I checked, the largest the factory puts on is 18 mm in the sports and JCS suspensions. Yours, being a non-S has a 16mm. If you measure a bar it will come out a little over because of the powder coating.

IMHO - the 18 mm factory or 19 mm aftermarket bar would be great for the street. Any larger and you may find your car swapping ends in the middle of an on or off ramp when you hit it going too fast in the rain.

BTW the 22 and 25.5 mm bars are basically the same stiffness. The 25.5 is just hollow for lighter weight.

 

I wouldn't go with a 19mm, if you want aggressive and you're talking Autocorss, then the 22 is the only way to go. You will notice a night and day difference with the 22mm in the canyons too, you know the saying "Bend the Rules...Rule the Bends", that's what the 22mm Sway Bar will do for your MINI gauranteed!!
Because of the adjustments you can make on the Alta Sway Bar you choose what kind of feel you want, Soft, Mid, and Stiff...Molly's is currently set in the Mid range, thinking of testing out the "Stiff" range too, just to see what the difference is.

I've only done 2 Track Days, one with the Rear Sway Bar @ The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA before it was even a true event track facility. http://www.ridgemotorsportspark.com/

Then one with out the sway was @ PIR, I don't think Molly was even 2yrs. old then. We did some class time, and a few Autocross runs, then headed out on the track for a couple more runs.

I should have some opportunities to do, if I choose, a few Track Days this year...will have to wait and see. A fellow female club member and her new '06 Mini S, just did Thunder Hill last month along with a few other PDX MINIacs and is wanting me to go next year...that's a definite possiblity.

Her "Justa" was totalled by some MORON who couldn't control his Explorer on a curve in the rain??!! Unfortunately she did not come out of that unscathed, she did fracture her neck, but is doing a whole lot better. She now has a PW/Blk Conv '06 Mini S named "Mini Pearl"!!

Sorry Eddie07S, but your statement is false!! I live in "Rain Capital USA" and I put a 22mm on Molly almost 1 year ago, I have never had an issue either on on/off Freeway ramps or on the Twisties when its raining. With a good set of All Season Tires designed for wet roads, Molly is set up just the way I like her.

I already had Sport Suspension (19mm) and wanted something that would hold her to the road...the 22mm Alta Rear Sway Bar and Alta Endlinks does just that.

 

There are plenty of posts on NAM by people who put on that size RSB and then had problems with on/off ramps, especially in the wet where you can be at or near the limits without knowing it. Plus I have my own experience with a 20 mm Whiteline RSB both on the track and in autocross to support my statement. With that experience, I can say that it doesn't take much of a lift to swap ends with just a slight lift in a corner when you are at or near the limits. Yes, a really good driver will never lift in a corner. Possibly, you have the talent and experience to never make that mistake and I applaud you. However, on the other hand, I believe that "my statement is false" is a little bit of a strong rejoinder to what I said, especially when offering opinions to someone who may not have your experience and training. I found, with the 20 mm RSB, that lifting slightly in a corner would make the car rotate quite easily and, if not caught quickly enough with the application of the throttle, would swap ends. So, please don't say that it can't happen.

Also, you have a much different car than the OP has. You have the sports suspension which has a much larger front sway bar than what is in the OP's car. You also have stiffer springs and shocks than the OP has. All of that results in less of a change to the front to rear balance with 22mm RSB than the OP will get if that is the bar they go with. In other words, the OPs car with the 22mm RSB will rotate much more aggressively than your car. So, your experience is not exactly an "apples to apples" comparison. And, just a small correction - the sports suspension comes with an 18 mm not a 19 mm RSB.

BTW - My '07 S had a suspension that was much closer to the OPs car than your car has and that is the car that I put the 20mm RSB on and from which I draw my experience. My current car has the sports suspension and I have no trouble making that car rotate with the throttle; don't see the need for a larger RSB. What the car really needs is more front camber and less wheel offset in order to make better use of the front tires. It doesn't need less traction in the back, which is what a larger RSB does.

 

Now I have access to a full "sport suspension" setup for $250 with the sway bars as well.... Would that be worth it? Or should I just get the stock 18mm from that guy, or an aftermarket 19mm?

Im not a terribly great driver. I have never had anything that was meant to handle well. Coming from airbagged mini trucks

 

I would love to read some of these stories.

 

Changing the front sway bar is MUCH harder than the rear. I just read thru the steps in the Bentley manual and it looks like a 6 hr job at least. The rear is much easier, about 2 1/2 hrs. Just swapping out the rear with the used sport suspension rear bar (mine was 18.2mm) might yield some benefits with your smaller non-sport front bar remaining in place (and it would be cheap). I installed a 22mm Alta rear bar recently and I really like it; much crisper handling with less understeer. After the install, you just need to test it's limits a little to become accustomed to the new steering. The Alta bar can be had for about $180 (delivered) if you shop around.

 

i'm planning on doing the hollow hsport 25mm - the lightweight is a benefit and effectiveness of 22

 

I am looking to upgrade to either the Alta 19mm or the Whiteline 20mm. Other than the size difference, how does the quality compare?

 

25mm FTW, why not, as stated earlier, 22mm performance w/ less weight.