Just got my 08' Clubman (justa) manual in Chili Red. I have already done the channel swap for the speakers and installed a K&N Typhoon intake. I was just curious as to more mods or 'must haves/do' to the R55?

 

Fist things first, have you checked for the recall on the timing chain tensioners, yours may be under that recall. They also had a recall on the turbo models, the little radiator mounted on the turbo if I recall correctly, and there is a recall on the Turbo's to put a heat shield on the oil line to turbo that runs by manifold.

 

From what I understand the timing chain program does not include the N12 justa engine.

 

Rear Sway Bar. I got the HSport Comp (25.5mm hollow)

 

Rear sway bar first! Best bang for the buck.

 

rear sway mean much for my S??? How much better will the ride be if so? Can I install it myself?

 

S or non S, it doesn't matter. It made my car so much for fun, no more understeer.

The ride is the same with the exception of turning into or out of a driveway or road with a pitch that is sharp or a valley gutter that is deep, you will 3 wheel pretty easily. It isn't any harsher though, just stiffer/flatter in turning.

I installed mine myself. Not too bad, a few bolts removed, a few loosened, swap the bar out and reattach.

 

Where do I get this bar?

 

Way Motor Works..

I'm installing mine on Friday. Stoked!

 

Watch out for potholes on the corners...

But definitely the rear sway bar is a must! I got the H-sport as well. I corner hard every day and it never gets old:-).

 

HOLLOW is good?
I plan not course racing or anything, just DD car. Is it worth switching and if so to what setting on the bar???


The Hsport (Hotchkis sport)Competition Rear Sway bar is the same as a solid 22mm swaybar. The difference is this bar is a hollow bar allowing us to save almost 8lbs over any solid bar. To do this the bar is 25.5mm, tubular, 4130 chrome moly sway bar weighing in at only 5.5 pounds! So the effective rate of the bar is equal to a solid 22mm bar.

 

I'd recommend an H-Sport 19mm solid bar. Set it at it's stiffest setting & enjoy the ride. For a daily driver that will not see track use it's the one. Just my .02....

 

Installed the H-Sport comp. bar on Friday. Middle setting... Yeeeeeeaaahhh! It's good!

Two notes on the Clubman..

I dropped all 4 bolts out of the rear subframe- HAD to in order to clear that big ole-fat *** bar. Used jack stands held it up of course. Marked bolts before the removal. No need to remove heat shield.

The new brackets are big as well, it's a super tight fit. Lots of wiggles with shifting the bar to get them to line up.

It's a tight fit, but it fits. No rubbing, no noise, just smiles!

Shot a TV show on it, will post the video once it's out of edit in a few months.

 

The first upgrade I would do would be the Torque Arm Insert. I have the Powerflex Yellow in my 2009 R55S Automatic Transmission and the NM Engineering in my 2009 R56S Manual Transmission. It is a noticeable change and fast and easy to do.

 

I've had this bookmarked on outmotoring for awhile but wasn't sure if it'd make a big difference. Is it just take the old insert out and bolt this one in place?

 

Thanks of all the replies guys! I've been looking things over and decided to go for wheels next...just waiting on my stud conversion to come in so I can install em. Keep the advice coming though! It's my first Mini so I'm new to the major mods and improvements :P

 

The inserts slip into the holes in the original ones. If you go with the Powerflex, just get the torque specs for the bolts (the NM Engineering directions have it, they are downloadable). Do not take the bolt towards the front of the car out, just loosen. Try to get the car level when you have it off the ground. Took about 10 minutes or so to install each one by myself.

 

For the members that installed the sway bar, did you have to remove the struts? Also, can you provide the torque specs for the bolts that were removed for the install? Thanks.

 

See file attached.

 

This is perfect. Thanks!

 

Oh yea, I forgot.

You do pull the rear struts (as a unit, no need to take them apart).. its just three bolts 2 - 13mm bolts into the body, keep the paper spacer up there, its there to prevent noise.. and then one jumbo *** bolt in the rear trailing arm/strut mount.

The subframe was held in with an "e14" inverted torx head bolt, not a regular bolt.

You can download the installation directions here - http://www.hotchkis.net/_uploaded_files/22800R.pdf

Again, my only two issues were really with the new brackets, and having to drop the subframe. If I did this again, I would install the new brackets onto the rear subfame (with the new bar installed) before I bolted the rear subframe back up. You need quite a bit of wiggle room to fit the new brackets..

I had no reason to drop the heat shielding or mufflers as some have said.

 

Thanks again, Dan. One last question: Where did you buy your e14 torx socket?

 

I had a set at work. But if you google it, sets are reasonable.

 

Bookmarked for future reference... I have upgraded my RSB in my last two car and I can't belie the difference that it made. Although it seems much more complicated... I look forward to doing this modification in my Clubbie.

 

Another mod thread mentioned vipcustomparts.com. While perusing their site, they have a R55 turbo muffler delete tube for $29. Yes, $29 and its powdercoated aluminum vs silicone.

That seems dirt cheap to me. Now, granted, its just the tube and I'm assuming only fits with the stock intercooler. However, FMICs aren't cheap, and this appears to be a worthwhile mod in the meantime.

Hell at that cheap its a throwaway part if you do a FMIC later on.