What exactly would a 19mm adjustable rear sway even do for my 2002 MCS. I want to know if its worth my limited funds. HAHA.
thanks NAM... All your help wont go overlooked. I should throw a huge MINI BASH in NC soon and invite you all.

 

put a much bigger grin on your face in the corners!!!!!

I just put the Alta 19MM RSB in.

even on the least agressive setting, its much better than stock.

much less body roll in the corners, if you push it really hard you get some nice oversteer!

best mod for the car bar none..

 

It dials out the inherent understeer characteristics of the stock MINI. When you enter a corner (and as long as your not hard on the brakes), the front wheels will loose grip sooner than the rear. This results in plowing which is called understeer. A larger rear swaybar causes the weight to transfer from the inside rear wheel to the outside front resulting in a more balanced loss of grip.

The problem is that it's all give-and-take. The stiffer the rear bar, the more it takes from the rear wheels and gives to the front. If you are on the brakes (or even let up mid-corner) with a thick rear swaybar, there's a chance that you'll oversteer (spin). On the street, slight understeer characteristics are desirable so you don't want to go to crazy on the rear bar. I have a 25mm (hollow) h-sport comp on the softest setting and it's just about right for the street. I would think the 19mm on the stiff setting would be comparable to what I'm running.

 

Well said, kapps! I run a 22mm solid on full soft and it feels good to me.

 

kapps said it well. But... on early 2002 cars the rear swaybar was already thicker. You most likely do not need to change anything. In 2003 they reduced the size of the bar, and again in 2005 because of complaints about the harsh ride.

 

Get better tires instead!

 

Just got brand new tires...... Hmm. Maybe a pulley?

 

Good to know. When is "early 2002", and may I ask if anyone can point me to a listing of the things that were changed along the way after my June 02 MCS was built? Thanks!

 

I don't think they changed swaybar thickness. They changed dampers to make the ride more comfortable in mid '03. I have one of the first '02's and don't think the swaybar is any thicker than others. It's a toothpick compared to the H-Sport (well not exactly but you get the idea).

 

The gentleman is mistaken about the rear sway (stabilizer) bar size; it has always been 17mm for the MCS. The front strut changed in March of 2002 and at a later date the strut oil viscosity was supposedly reduced, but the oil change demarcation date is unclear.