Alright...

I'm in no way a car n00b but certainly a Mini n00b. My last car was a C6Z06 and there was no changing out swaybars or anything like that really going on. Just a matter of going to coilovers or not.

I see all these threads about 19-22mm sway bars. It seems the larger the stiffer. And from what I can gather there are different settings (holes) on said swaybars.

Now here's what I don't get. Why would anyone get a 19 instead of a 22? Why not get the stiffest possible? You're not changing out the springs so I can't imagine a 22 really negatively effecting the drive. I can see how superstiff springs may become a pain in the *** for a daily driver but why not the stiffest of everything else under the car?

Secondly...say I get a 22mm...what do these settings differences do?

Thirdly...I have the sport suspension from the hypersport package. I don't really plan on changing out the springs as it really wont be used on the track just driven very hard on the street (15.4mpg currently). I would like to lower the car and add 17" rims and 215mm tires. What should I get or not get? I don't want any rubbing issues....ect. Can I lower on stock drivetrain without worry?

Lastly I hear about getting the *** end to kick out from either clever trailbraking or just taking a turn very hard. My car understeers when taking turns very hard at low speeds. I'd much rather oversteer as it's what I'm used to and frankly more fun. One time braking on a highspeed sweeping exit ramp I was able to get the *** end to start coming around. That was a lot of fun. I want to be able to do that easier and without the ground needing to be wet.

So yeah...that's my story. Can anyone help me out here?

-Gene

 

Getting the 22mm rear sway bar will make the car tend to oversteer much more than with the 19mm bar...depends on how much you want the car to rotate in the center of the turn. The different settings on the ends of the sway bars allow you to fine tune the handling, as the hole closest to the bar stiffens it even more, and the hole furthest away from the bar makes it affect less dramatic.

 

MINIs with too much rear swaybar can be a handful to keep pointed in the right direction.

To get rid of the understeer, you can go with a huge rear swaybar... it will give you a car that goes to oversteer quickly and not very subtly.

A better solution is a medium sized rear bar and some front camber plates.

 

From the way you described how you want your MINI to handle, get the stiffest biggest sway bar you can and put it on the most aggressive setting to get maximum oversteer.

 

When you talk about a stiffer rear bar causing oversteer, are you only talking about lift throttle oversteer? I'm assuming that at best, the stiffest rear bar will eliminate most of the front end push under hard acceleration but will not, in any circumstances, allow you to tighten the line with more throttle.

 

Yeah, it mostly has an effect on lift off throttle oversteer....but will still help a little to eliminate the understeer in general.

 

Thanks guys!!

What do these camber plates do?

I'm thinking I'll get the 22mm...I want the car to be as involving and as much of a handful as possible.

 

Camber plates add negative camber to the front wheels. Negative camber gives the front wheels more grip in a turn, which removes some understeer. They also increase the lifespan of the tires by evening out the tire wear. Without increased negative camber, you will wear out the outside shoulder of your front tires well before you wear out the rest of the front tire. They also provide some reinforcement for the somewhat weak front strut towers.

The downsides to camber plates are that they are expensive, they increase the noise in the car and make the ride harsher, they (to a minor extent) lessen grip in a straight line - while braking and accelerating, and many raise the front of the car up a very small amount.

 

I have found that in my mini cooper it is impossible to trail break. it just cuts throttle when you tap the breaks. I really wish there was some way to eliminate this. Saw in your post you were talking about trail breaking, i dont know about yours but mine wont trailbreak. I wouldn't count on this method to swing the back end out

 

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....this is a weird forum....first time i've ever heard of a driver wanting more oversteer....is this for parking lot fun?..

....but, your comment on trailbraking is confusing...basically all it means is to ease off the brakes at turn in, rolling off somewhere before the apex, and then rolling on the throttle...are you referring to left foot braking while on the throttle? as in Go Karts?

 

i can heel toe downshift in my R50 (requires brake and gas at the same time) don't quite have the rally skills for left foot braking
maybe this is a r56 thing?

i have the same question as NoModMini did u mean heel-toe or left foot?
cuz it shouldn't affect trail braking

 

I've done it before, I turned the dsc off.... I really thing this car absolutely needs camber plates before anything else. the turn in is HORRIBLE, the rear follows willingly (I'm dropped on H&R springs and alta endlinks) The car is still really poised and balanced, but I'm concerned that a 22mm swaybar is not helping the real problem. A 19mm may keep the car a bit more neutral once you have some front camber and keep things more neutral with a bias for oversteer than just totally oversteery. Camber= turn in, the rear will rotate to follow. Thicker the bar, the more the rotation. Shouldn't be a band aid for no front camber. I'm on -.7F -2.0R, need some front camber.

camber plates
rear sway & endlinks all around
and springs if you want.

Thats my list. And pfadt has wonderful swaybars for the c6z06, I don't know what you're talking about that you cant do anything but coilovers.

Enjoy,
Josh

 

i can heel toe downshift in the r56 also. but if your rolling down the road and apply the breaks the throttle cuts. i also tried to turn dsc off and it still cuts throttle