Just wondering if anyone has it and what their thoughts are on it. I am considering getting one since it is the only rear sway bar Auto X Cooper has and just want to order all my stuff from one place.

 

Mixed feelings. The adjustability is great, the quality seems very good..... The rattling can get a bit annoying if you don't have the best roads where you live. My wife DESPISES it........ So maybe it's perfect .


Michael

 

It is a nice piece. Just use a poly lube on the busings and anti seize everything and you will avoid the noise issues. If your MINI is lowered you may need shorter end links to adjust a parallel line. But that is a cosmetic thing. For the money it is hard to beat.

 

The lube works well, but my problem is that 3 roads into my neighborhood are either heavy truck traffic or old country roads that haven't kept up with the new mega subdivision. The bar creaks, moans, rattles, and generally annoys. On a well paved road or track, it is beautiful, just barely noticeable, except to my wife.


Michael

 

Find this product. Easy to use it pours..you WILL thank me later.

 

Great bar! I had some issues when I first installed it, but they were quickly solved. Now it works great and is quiet too!

Good Luck,
Mike

 

The bar itself is quiet......it's the new endlinks that rattle. No real way of quieting those down.

I liked mine, but ended up going to a solid 22mm. The hollow bar just wasn't enough (it's a 19mm solid equivilent)

 

I just installed mine today. It was a harder install than I thought. But I managed after I read the "How To" section.

Two questions.
First is where did you all put the end links on the bar? Meaning, how far in did the make them. I didn't know for sure so I measured 3 inches from the end of the bar and made the links there. Seems to have reduced the budt roll. Nothing super drastic like "Wow that was the BEST mod ever!" but I think I notice something. I still have springs and IE camber plates to install so I will have to do another test later..

2nd question is about the little circle "keepers" or whatever they are. I thought they went on the inside of the bar on the inner side of the mount. But when I tried to bolt the sub frame back up they hit the body. There was no way they would have worked. Then I thought they might go on the outside of the mount.. But they didn;t fit there either. So I left them off. Was that a bad idea?

 

1. there is no starting place for where you begin your adjust. Play around with it. You are fine at your starting point.

2. ??? what? how about a picture?

 

I guess I will leave the settings where they are. Maybe when I do a parking lot Auto X I will adjust it. Maybe put it on the hardest setting and then see how it feels while in a safe place to do it. Don't want to mess around on the streets with the settings.


http://www.autoxcooper.com/ie_suspension.html

This is Auto Cooper X web page. You can see the little silver things next to the poly mount. Looks to me they keep the bar from moving from side to side. Mine came with them. But like I said.. On my car they will not fit where they should go because the body hits them. I was just squashing the undercoating trying to tighten up the rear sub frame.

 

Well I'm glad to hear others have had the same issues I guess.
I helped pyrrhusmj put his in and we ran into the same things you are.
1. We did the same thing but not sure about how far in they went. Just made sure the where the same on both sides.
2. Had a hell of a time with those as well. We finally got them in on the inside, but it was a struggle.

I have to agree with this statement on my own car. I got a great deal on a 19mm H&R, and after hearing all the talk about how this is the best suspension mod you can do, I was pretty underwhelmed. I buy no means an expert, and I don't track, but I don't see what the big deal is.

 

I think after I play with the settings I will learn more and get a feel for the bar. Anyone just not install the circle clip retainer things? Think the bar will move from side to side? When I installed the bar itself I made sure to measure the bar on both sides and make sure it was the same distance from the breaks. Just used them as a general guide.

 

"2nd question is about the little circle "keepers" In the picture they are not in the correct place. I have talked to Jeff about that. When I install the bar they go on the outside of the end link clamp on the bar as an extra measure so the end link will hold its adjustment. Also for all of you who have this bar try the extreme end of the bar and move inward from there. That is the stiff setting. You may suddenly like the bar at that adjustment. If it is to stiff or the steering to quick you can easily adjust the end link inward toward the front.

This picture show medium setting from autoxcooper.

 

That looks about where I have mine. I put my link 3 inches in (twards the stiff setting). They could move about 2 inches or so to the stiffer area if I wanted. It's hard to tell with this bar. Not like I only have 3 settings like other bars. They should put little marks on the bar for newbs like me..

 

I think that is one reason it is so inexpensive "no newbe marks"

The only issue I ever had with the kit on lowered Minis. The end links are to long and the bar angles up to high. Does not really hurt function just doesn't have the semitry look.
The important thing is to make sure both sides are the same.

 

I almost made my own newb marks. But I think with a tape measure It's east to adjust the links. I am going to use the TSW springs. They are going on tuesday night.

 

Good you may wait and do fine tuning adjustment after you get the springs on.
Good combination

 

Went down the grade again today. I have this rattle from the rear. Went to my parents to use their driveway.. Backed the car up on some ramps and started looking around. I know I double checked all the nuts and bolts while doing the install. I thought it was the exhaust I just installed also.. It's not touching anywhere.. It's not a squeek. Just a rattle. I think it's the end links. I didn't want to jack it up and take the wheels off. Way to hot today to do that.. But I checked them as best as I could and they look ok.. I thought I read the end links from IE rattle. I alsi used teflon tape on the bar itself. so its not the squeek sound. Does it at all speeds.

 

You said you installed a new exhaust? If that is correct go out and move the tail pipe aggressively and see if you can hear the rattle. I am sure that is where it is coming from. The IE end links are fine as long as you used the lube anti-seize on all the moving parts.

 

I shook the exhaust. No rattle. And when I rev it up there is no rattle. I didn't lube the end links. Didn't think about doing that. But do you think the lack of lube for that short time would cause it to rattle?

 

 

There really is no reason that the end links should be making any kind of noise lubed or not?

pm sent

 

I had to hunt to find pictures of a brake job I did that he had a I/E bar on.Notice lots of lube and that the c-clamps are at the end of the bar unlike the other picture.

 

I have talked to IE. The above pic is NOT where the ring is mounted.
The ring is not NEEDED on ALL COOPERS.
It only fit's some of our Coopers based on build dates. The ring is designed to keep the bar from moving side to side under extreme load of one wheel and unloading of the other wheel. However the bar will return to it's correct position once the Cooper is back to a flat road. The Ring can be mounted on the inside or outside of the U mount bolted to the sub-frame. Due to changing body seam fillers it doesn't fit all Coopers and again is not needed 99% of the time and the 1% it is needed the bar will self correct. I have left them off most of our installs.

The end link may chatter some, it's a racing part, and IE tells me that it's within reason for some chatter. The chatter however is amplified inside and sounds worse then it really is.

I hope this helps, Dustin

 

Hey Dustin everything is correct except the ring mounted in this location s if not used in its original intended location can be mounted for extra clamping to the end link for the extreme mounting position. While you may have talked to I/E I actually discussed this with Jeff I.

Because many are going to the extreme end of the bar we thought that it would act as a safety device so that the end link would most certainly never come off. Which would not be really good for the wheel. Dustin you may consider instead of not installing the clamp at all but to mount them here them here.

I have only installed 4 of these bars the only one that ever had a noise issue was one installed by a shop.

I/E does not have installation instruction for most of their parts. I/E is basically a performance car builder and parts maker second so they feel that in the end it is up to the installer to have a little knowledge of the apprentice or to find a competent shop to do the installation. There is always room for modification or improvements on I/E parts and Jeff welcomes the input.