Hey everyone, I've got a stock MC with the sport package. I'm looking to get a new sway bar and have a friend that may be willing to sell me a sway bar from his JCW. So my question is: is there a huge difference between, say, a 19mm Alta sway bar vs a new JCW sway bar?

 

.5mm difference in diameter(18.5mm for JCW), and Alta is adjustable

 

So in your opinion does the 0.5mm make a big difference? Would the extra expense be worth it? I'm just looking for something to improve the handling, but nothing extreme. Take my car to the track for fun 1-2 times per year.

 

The adjustable part is going to make the biggest difference. You can adjust the Alta, Minspeed or many other aftermarket sway bars to give more flex for comfort on the road and then tighten them up for a track day. As for the .5mm difference it probably wouldn't be noticeable, but if you track the car you may want it to be adjustable. Granted if he is going to give it to you for a good price it would be hard to pass up for something thats like $200

 

Ah, that's a good point. In order to stiffen it up, is the adjustment process the same as the installation, or can you make the adjustment without taking the wheels and subframe, etc, off?

 

The answer is no you have to take the back wheels off. If you have tiny fingers and a non lowered mini you may be able to get it adjusted without taking the wheels off but I wouldn't recommend it. The adjustment is fairly easy, just jack up the car, take off the wheels, unbolt the swaybar endlinks from the sway bar and put them where you want them and bolt them back in; shouldn't be much harder than that! You don't need to drop the subframe because you aren't doing anything but adjusting the sway bar end links

 

I have the H-sport 19mm on the middle setting now. Where do I move it to go to the stiffest setting? The hole near the back of the car or the hole near towards the front of the car?

I have the JCW suspension with the JCW front sway bar and the H-Sport rear sway bar. I am thinking about moving the H-Sport 19mm to the stiffest position.

 

Toward the front is stiffer.
Toward the back is less stiff.

 

I had the H&R 19mm on my 02 MCS ( nice bar no squeeks!) I never tracked so once it was set I never touched it again. I now have the JCW bar on my 06 JCW (obviously) and it works really well, I certainly would never change it, I guess in your case it would depend on the $$ difference and your budget.

 

On the tightest setting the 19mm swaybar is roughly a 250% increase over stock. Also dont forget we make a 22mm swaybar as well for only 10 bucks more!

 

Thank you!

 

Just to clarify, his JCW means he has the JCW car or JCW suspension package or both? If he just has the JCW car without the KCW suspension, it's a stock bar you already have.

 

Mine is jcw suspension not jcw car.

 

I have a 2009 JCW without the sport suspension and my sway bar was 16mm so i installed the Alta 22mm and i think it improves things significantly. I can make the back end trail out in the corners and the car is not so prone to understeer.

 

Sorry I meant the OP.