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Suspension Why are new endlinks important for upgraded sway bars?
SuspensionSprings, struts, coilovers, sway-bars, camber plates, and all other modifications to suspension components for Clubman (R55), Cooper and Cooper S (R56), and Cabrio (R57) MINIs.
Why are new endlinks important for upgraded sway bars?
Someone explain to me why new endlinks are necessary for an upgraded rear sway bar like Alta 22mm or H&R sways. I plan to get lowering springs and a new stiffer rear sway. Thanks!
Someone explain to me why new endlinks are necessary for an upgraded rear sway bar like Alta 22mm or H&R sways. I plan to get lowering springs and a new stiffer rear sway. Thanks!
Necessary is a relative term. Will they help under hard cornering yes, will the OEM ones break, unlikely. BUT you will loose some of the benefits from the new swaybar purchase through.
Also on the adjustable links, you can do other things to help setup the suspension response, but I am leaving that out for now.
My thought would be if you want to do the 22mm bar and need that much uphm from it, then you SHOULD get the ALTA (or similar) endlink upgrades.
Since the OEM ones are not adjustable there will be some bar preload. But until you go with coilovers and start corner balancing it really doesn't matter.
Ignoring the adjustability side of things, OEM endlinks usually hold up just fine for an upgraded sway bay, yes. BUT they are lacking in the stiffness department. Eventhough they are not failing, they are reducing the effectiveness of the sway bar when they flex. Upgraded endlinks are much stiffer than OEM.
Flex where? They are a point to point connector with rotating connection points. Even the aftermarket adjustable ones. They are supposed to flex at those points. All they do is maintain a specific distance between two connection points.
Flex where? They are a point to point connector with rotating connection points. Even the aftermarket adjustable ones. They are supposed to flex at those points. All they do is maintain a specific distance between two connection points.
With the added force from a uprated swaybar, the endlink body itself can act like a spring, the distance between the two points can change as the body flexes under that load. We are not talking a lot of deflection here, but any compliance in the linkage reduces the stiffness of the swaybar.