When you jack the car evenly at both rear mounting points, is the swaybar "in tension" with (resisting the movement of) the springs?

I had the H-sport comp rear swaybar (among other things) installed at Helix last week and, after getting used to the changes, I want to move it to a stiffer setting. Last night, I jacked the car up at both rear jack points, pulled the wheels off, and was about to loosen the bolts holding my Alta sway bar endlinks, but then it occurred to me that the sway bar might be in tension with the rest of the suspension... meaning that when I undo the endlink bolt it will spring out of place and I won't be able to bolt it back up to the endlink.

In searching on this topic, someone suggested jacking the car at the front jack point and using a second jack under the rear suspension to compress it enough to take the load off the endlink so it can be disconnected. The reason I don't want to do it that way is because I'd like to see if there's any preload on the swaybar and I can only do that if I jack it up evenly on both sides...

Thoughts, anybody?

 

I just drive back onto a ramp and set them.

I don't remember having to have to remove the wheels... maybe that was on my other car...

 

You should be able to get at the end link while the car is on the ground. This is how it's supposed to be done with adjustable endlinks in the 1st place to eliminate pre-load. Unhook both end links and you should be able to free the bar up. You'll probably have to lengthen the end link to compensate for the different hole in the bar. Just do one at a time. Get one end link adjusted to the position you want it to be in then hook the bar up just snug to that link. Then go to the other side and lengthen the end link so it will slide over the bar (for it to fit on the bar, it should be the same length of the other link). Tighten both links up and your done.

I haven't tried this on the MINI yeat as I don't have adjustable endlinks but this is how we did it with my friends MR2.

 

You don't need to extend endlinks to adjust. that I know for sure. :smile:

 

Things are pretty tight under a lowered Mini. I can't see any way to get around the wheel and up above the hub to access the endlink where it connects to the swaybar unless the car were on ramps. Ramps would be ideal, but unfortunately I don't have them.

Is the swaybar in tension with (i.e. resisting the force of) the suspension springs when the car is jacked up at both rear jack points? If not, it's trivial to pull off the wheels and the endlink is right there.

 

Let the car settle overnight on even ground, unbolt one link and adjust it until it will freely slide into the bolt hole, tighten:smile:

 

There should be no tension on the endlinks unless your bar is bent if both wheels are off the ground. :smile: you can use your hydraulic under the
rear control arm to raise it a tad on one side if your bar is slightly bent.

 

Cool. The bar is straight when it's off the ground. No worries there.

I'm curious now... Is the rear suspension fully uncompressed when the car is up in the air? If not, what's resisting the force of the springs? I just thought it looked like the springs should be in tension with something and the swaybar seemed the most likely candidate.

 

just remove the bolts holding the rear shock tops and see what happens.


(btw, it's not so unusal for swaybars to bend out of shape if you
corner like a maniac all the time. then you need to either replace
the bar or get adjustable endlinks so your car doesn't tilt.)

 

as long as you don't jack up only one side, there will be no tension.Ramps, ground, jack stands... all ok. Adjustable end links allow you optimise the angle of force. (swaybar ends parallel to the ground normally) I wouldn't suggest using any preload unless you only drive on a circle track or loose the pretension once your overweight mother inlaw plops in the back seat

 

Not having done the Mini, but several other vehicles in the past.......

If you’re still concerned about any “residual” tension, once the rear of the car is up on jack stands and the wheels removed…..position your floor jack under the shock/spring on the side that you are going to unbolt, and pump it up to put just a little upwards pressure on the assembly. This slight pressure should place everything in a “neutral” state and the bolt can be removed with easy.

 

Here's my (probably overy-complicated) way to do it. Jack up on side and put the mini on jack stands. Remove the wheel. Partially loosen the sway bar bolt. Use the jack to raise the assembly until the is no spring tension on the bar/bolt. Remove the bolt and move the bar to the position that you want. Tighten the bolt, replace the wheel, lower the car to the ground and repeat on the other side.

Edit: DOH! Just read the above. Yeah, what he said.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

Hello everybody,

I have the H Sport 'sport' sway bar. I want to stiffen it up and I also have a suspicion that it may be loose. I hear this weird rattle coming from the back right corner of the MINI. Could somebody please tell what tools you need to adjust it. I want to set it to the closest hole.

I never installed it myself and I do not have the instructions. Actually it was Mr. JCampos who was nice enough to do it for me. I'd appreciate any info.

Cheers,

Daniel

 

IIRC all you need is a 9/16 ratchet and a 9/16 wrench to keep the bolt from turning. That (and the advice provided in this thread) should be all you need. (Edit: it just occurred to me that my Alta endlink bolts may be different sizes than yours... in any case, it's just two bolts - one on each side.)

BTW, I have rattles too, but they're from my Alta swaybar endlinks. I'm told it's normal for heim joints to rattle. Perhaps your factory endlink is loose? I don't remember having a rattle on my car before moving to the Alta endlinks.

 

Thanks P&S

All I need is the time to do it! I'm anxious to see how the MINI handles in the stiffest position.

BTW.. I have SSR Comps too! Excellent choice.

Daniel

 

As noted above, just jack the car up from the rear (both sides off the ground at once) and take the wheels off. No matter how you do it, there won't be any load on the swaybar as long as the suspension is at the same height on both sides. So when the car is sitting on level ground, no load on the bar. Car up in the air with the suspension at full droop, no load on the bar. Up on ramps, no load on the bar. Jack one side of the car up, with the other still on the ground, now there is a load on bar. That's what it is supposed to do (resist relative movement between the left and right suspension).

I jack the rear of the car up and take both wheels off to adjust the rear sway bar. As a note, if you only take one wheel off, the weight of the other wheel on the far side of the car will cause that side to droop ever so slightly more and put a bit of load on the swaybar. Just take both wheels off at the same time. When you do, the endlink bolt will easily slide right out of the hole on the swaybar when the nut is removed. I don't have any problems reinstalling it in another hole on my RDR bar on one side at a time.

Scott
90SM