The Hsport Rear Sway Bars have proven to be the most popular rear sway bars for the MINI over the years. We've found them to be reliable and fit perfect. We've personally used them on each of our personal MINI's we drive.

So If you have an Hsport rear sway bar please post which one you have the Comp bar or 19mm bar.
How long you've had it?
And what did you notice after installing it.

 

I have had my Comp Car for almost a year now. I had 2 hardtops ('02 R50 and '09 R56) previously and it needed some help but I had just bought my R55 and it seemed to push harder and understeer at every opportunity.

I bought the car and in less than 3 weeks have the comp bar installed. With the stock summer RFTs I could easily get the back end to step out in any turn with snapping off the throttle. Not with 215/45-17 Michelin PSS it isn't as easy and the car just sticks. I get one wheel off the ground a couple of times a week but usually only because I want to or the terrain dictates it.

So with a new-to-me car (had it 3-4 weeks) I hit the Dragon with some buddies from work and all 5 of them were on Sportbikes (one 750 and four 1000 bikes). The guys did there very best but I could slowly pull away from them in the tighter turns. The car was absolutely transformed, even with the stock RFTs (at this time). I thought I would be trailing the guys and they would wait for me at each stop, but just the opposite, I led the pack most of the week.

So the long answer to Way's short question. I have about 27k miles on it in 11 months and have loved it, wish I had added it sooner. The bar is sleek (black and looks OEM to most people), has grease fittings to stop any squeaking, and can't be beat for the price. It makes the car more neutral and fun if you want to get a little tail happy. I have it on the middle setting and thought about trying the stiffest but just never "needed" to.

 

I had an 09 jcw with a comp rear bar on the stiffest setting and 4 kw v3 with stiffer progressive springs. I installed those items all at once so I don't know exactly what it drove like with only the bar. With those changes it handled GREAT!!! I am certain that the RSB had alot to do with that. I will be changing my GP RSB for the comp bar within a weeks or so.

 

Well I had mine installed about 4 months ago or more. Chad at Detroit Tuned installed my competition bar. Let me tell you, it made the biggest difference in the world. I love taking super hard turns now every chance I get on empty streets at night. Don't worry I'm not a maniac. But the way the car still sits planted on the ground without much body roll is incredible. Best mod for people looking for their first mod to their MINI.

 

thanks for the feedback, love to hear more.

 

I have the big bar too, on my 2009 Clubman S, when I run on the roadcourse at Heartland Park I set it all the way stiff, the biggest change I see is that I don't smoke the front tire coming out of slow turns, the car never feels loose in back. However, in street use it's just too stiff, overamplifying any potholes or bumps in the middle of turns and such, so when I come home from the track I reset it to the softest setting.

 

I have the Comp bar (25mm) with JCW springs and front bar. I definitely notice the bar (in a negative way) when going over bumps slowly or going into a sloped driveway diagonally.

On the autocross, I keep the car on the softest setting and it is fairly easy to get the rear to step out/steer with the throttle. I lift the inside rear wheel on a lot of corners - probably too many.

On the street, it is mostly fine. I did notice one misty/ rainy day on a cloverleaf off ramp that the rear end swung around unintentionally, but the stability control fixed it.

I think I may have gotten one size too big a bar for an essentially stock spring/shock combination. Perhaps if I had stiff coilovers, the rear bar would be a better fit?

Bob

 

I have the 19-mm rear H-sport bar on my 2004 "S". It went on about 88,000 miles ago, and I love it. Initially, I set it at the softest position, and that removed some of the understeer I was getting in sweepers. I drove with it that way for about 10,000 miles, then moved to the middle position. That gave me nearly neutral handling on my favorite sweeper - about 95 on a left sweeper leading onto the freeway. If I keep my foot in it, the car just plants and stays solid. If I lift slightly, I get just a tad of trailing-throttle oversteer - just what I wanted. I have kept the stock end links, and have had no problems with them.

The bushings have been lubed with a grease gun about once a year, but I've just had to replace them because they were becoming oval and there was noticeable slop in them. Hotchkiss got me the replacement bushings in just a few days - they're not listed on the website, but they are available via phone call - for about $17 including shipping.

I'm delighted with the bar and the way it tightened up the handling, and would install an H-sport rear bar all over again in a heartbeat.

 

I have the 25mm Comp bar on my JCW Coupe with NM springs and Koni yellows. It's the best street combination that I've ever had on a MINI (including coil overs on my R53). I have it set on the mid setting and the Coupe rotates well into a corner with minimum body roll. The quality of the H-Sport bar is excellent. Powdercoated, grease zerks and a one piece design it looks as good as it did when installed 24,000 miles ago. I'll never buy another brand.

 

I installed a 19mm rear sway bar 5 years ago and really like how it complements the H-sport camber plates put on by the "Way team" the year before. The sway bar is currently on the medium setting and I am pleased with it there ... at this time anyway. Sure is fun having the products on the car going through the twisties!!!

 

Does anyone else with the H-sport get their rear wheel to lift off the ground coming in and out of driveways?

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I've never had that happen. Now I'm gonna double check when I do it again.

 

Rob,

I think I have the 25.5 on mine. I'm not 100% sure, since I didn't have it installed, but mine is on the middle position. I'm thinking about loosening it up a notch, just because around where I live the roads are garbage, and the car loves to sling shot itself over rough pavement.

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Damn that's something. I also have the competition bar and it's on the medium setting. But man, that sounds sound safe if it's throwing you all over the pavement. Loosen it up and you might be fine.

 

I wish I could adjust the endlinks without jacking up the car.

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Interesting. Also would like to know.

 

Comp bar, full stiff on my R53 JCW. Handling was made much more neutral. I have to try to get it to over rotate. And even then it is easy to correct with the throttle.


I pick up a rear wheel going into steep driveways.

 

Mine is going into my S Roadster today along with a set of TSW springs that Way Motor Werks set me up with! Cant wait to see how this setup works on the car!

 

Wow love this bar! Started off on soft setting. Car feels natural yet rotates easily. Will start trying firmer settings.

 

Getting ready to install mine and am considering the middle setting to start off. 2013 R56 JCW. Looking forward to your feedback.

 

Finally getting ready to install my sway bar. Best to start out in the middle position?

 

It doesn't take much to change the position of the end links - two jack stands, pull rear wheels, couple of small wrenches and about 20 minutes max.

Since the softest position on the H-sport is stiffer than the OEM bar on your car (as was the case with my car) you might want to start on the softest position and drive for awhile to see if that's what you want or not. If you start off too stiff and overcook a corner, you might find yourself rotating more than is desirable. Ultimately, my test was to drive the Dragon with the bar at the softest setting. After doing so, I decided I wanted a bit more rotation on turn-in, and moved to the middle setting when I got home. The bar has been in that position ever since - more than seven years and close to 75,000 miles.

 

i put this rear bar on the middle setting - car is very very neutral, and very controlled - that said, I have custom valved bilsteins as well, but stock jcw springs and fsb.

my understanding is that the endlinks need to be tightened while the bar is loaded - see the pic at the bottom of my blog lol:

http://r56hs.com/2014/03/29/fat-cat-...pension-is-in/

 

Installed my Comp Bar a few months back. Love it. Middle setting for now. Very controllable. No noise. I installed it as part of the TV show that I do. Once the edit is done and its online I'll pass the link to you Way.

On my R55 I had to drop the entire rear subframe to fit it (that is all 4 bolts out, but supported with stands..), I think the R55 has a few added rear braces under the rear floor that make it super tight. The only other thing I had an minor issue with was fitting the fatter bar mount brackets.

Great fit and finish, and best of all, it really transformed the car from "fun" to "super fun".

There is one jug handle I take (Jersey...) each day on the way home, generally I'm the only car on it.. and I puuuuuuuuussssshhhh my Mini hard on it... weeee! Sweet, sweet throttle steer from the rear. Who knew a FWD car could be so much fun?

 

After a lot of great advice I am going to start out on the middle setting and ease into it.