It's true what they say about the back end being too tight. Drove on my 22mm rear sway for about 2k with no problems. At about 11pm last night I went over a hill that is also a turn. As I got to the top, my car being so light, I had barely any traction. I hit some water that had built up on the top of the hill and the rear end kicked out. I was going a little bit fast, but not anything near what it would have taken to oversteer to that extent normally.
I tried to correct, but was in too high a gear at that point and had no choice but to take the hit as it came or risk hurting someone. I hit a curb rear hard, went up an embankment and (after checking both ways) went back across the same road and onto a side street.
A friend was following me and say I may have hit a pothole before the crest of the hill that threw me sideways and that it wasn't the water on the road. Either way it could have been much worse.

Tore off that lip thing under the front bumper, but It seems to have come off easily and not damaged my bumper at all. The radiator hose and (i think) the washer fluid hose got broken, but it seems everything else is okay. Overall I think I'm pretty lucky to have hit that the way I did. Had I been braking I would have nosed down and probably set off the airbags and had I tried harder to fix it I could have wrapped myself around something a lot harder than grass.

All in all, Jeremy took it like a champ and barring a deductible/insurance going up, I'm not too upset about the damage. Like I said it could have been much worse.
I'll be checking out the pothole tomorrow in the daylight to see if that was a factor. If it was then I'll be taking to the town about that before I have my insurance go up over them not fixing that.

 

yep. 22mm is pretty aggressive.

Glad you came out ok. Sounds like the MINI got only minor damage too. I doubt I would report it to the insurance company and just pay out of pocket to fix it.

 

Check your alignment as well.

 

Drive with spirit.
Not so fast as to become one!

 

I wouldn't report it to insurance.

 

Which sway bar do you have on Jeremy? I'm running the 22mm NM Engineering sway bar and it's adjustable. I went with the middle hole/medium setting.

 

I'm running Alta in the middle slot


Normally I wouldn't report it and just have my body guy do it, but at the moment I just had a lot of expenses come up and don't have the money to pay for it as of yet. Last thing I need is to shell out $1500 then find out something else is wrong and have to shell out another $2500. I'd rather live with an extra $60 a month for a few years and pay the same amount. By then I'm sure my premium will have dropped a little bit anyway.
I'm 18. I work full time to pay for gas, insurance, and food as it is while I go to school. I wish I had money to fix stuff.

Thanks for the advice and everything. I'll be toning down that rear end and dropping it for some extra stability first thing when I get it. Not sure where that cash is coming from, but thats life right

 

Adjust the rear sway bar to the soft setting, the holes furthest from the bar.

 

Yea I know

Update: Talked to the body shop. Looks like I might have some suspension damage. I already assumed the control arms were shot and the right front strut was blown. Some radiator mounts are broken.

Once I find out what needs to be replaced I'm going to just order aftermarket stuff if it comes cheaper. At this point I think Intercooler, Lower control arms, cosmetic damages, and radiator/other mounts are about the total of it. Right from rim has a nice chunk taken out of it so that will get repaired under my wheel warranty.
Wishfully thinking I'll get a JCW front bumper and a Forge/Helix FMIC out of it, but I really just want my car back lol.

 

Look at this site:

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Mini/2008/R56S

It may help you.

 

I think you are in for a shock if you think your insurance wil increase by only $60 a month.

At fault accident, 18 years old, your insurance could DOUBLE. So what ever you pay now.. multiply that by 2.

what company do you use?

 

Good luck with the repairs and the insurance company!

 

I got in an accident two years ago when I was 18 in my Chevrolet Malibu. My insurance was 90 bucks a month, now it's $178 for my Cooper (the accident was my fault).

Don't report it.

Although I think I remember that bottom front spoiler thing being pretty important for keeping the engine heat down. I could be wrong, but you might want to get that fixed soon.

 

Yeaaaa, ya gotta hate when water sits on top of the hill......




Glad ya made it okay... it's kind of like the saying that bikers say.... "there's only two kinds of bikers. Those that have gone down and those that will"

Tis cool, everyone looses it sometime.

Mark

 

Ouch! That's no fun at all...

My best friend got into an at-fault accident and it gave her a decent bump up. She had it at around $110 a month I think and now it's $180.

Luckily I'm a year younger than her and I pay $70/month (usually, I've seen it up to $109... not sure why it flipflops so heavily...) for full coverage on the MINI due to discounts and good driving...

 

State Farm. I already spoke to them and she said I'll lose my no accident rebate and I may incur a 10% increase, but thats debatable because it was an accident and I was not technically "at fault" (wrote it up as hit a pothole/water and slid out).

 

There's a reason the car has built in understeer lol.

 

You guys make me incredible jealous. Insurance here in BC for a driver under 25 in a reasonably new car is easily $300/month... :(

 

Lesson learned. Happens once and it's an accident...happens twice and I'm an idiot. It will definitely be toned down. Endlinks too.

 

I went to the lowest setting on my 19mm bar after my mishap. I'll also be careful to brake earlier before turning.

 

This morning in Charlotte I took a sharp right from Rea Road onto a straight downhill ramp to I485 and lost grip in the rear. Ended up sliding down the ramp sideways about 60ft in a cloud of smoke. I think I'll adjust the rear bar down a notch tomorrow as opposed to taking that turn again slower next time.

 

Glad to hear you're okay and didn't damage your car. Funny how we're all in the same boat after hearing that this happens so many times lol. **** happens right?

 

Ill go to the softest setting on my 22mm, but really as much as it was the sway bar it was also me. I misnavigated the turn for my speed and regardless of water or a pothole or whatever, in the end it is still my fault. And yes, I will be breaking earlier. You can be sure of that.

 

Geez..makes me think twice now...since I have a 25MM set at the hardest setting...

 

Accidents happen to everyone. Glad your Mini isn't damaged too bad and insurance is covering it.

However, I wouldn't blame it on the rear sway bar being too stiff . Maybe I'm old and bitter, but...

speeding + 18 year old driver + sporty car= trouble