Having problem looking for bigger front sway bar for my r56 MC....
anyone know any aftermarket supplier for the 07+?

 

1fastmini.net lists an H-Sport front bar on their site, though when you go to the detail page it says 02-06 MINI Cooper... I have been under the impression the front bar is redesigned and incompatible but I could be wrong. I know the rear sway bar design is still the same, which is why there are lots of options already.

 

My first question is: why do you want a larger front sway bar?

If you're really hellbent on getting one, order one from your dealership! The front R56 swaybars are available in 22.5mm [standard suspension], or 23.5mm [sport suspension]. Allegedly the JCW suspension comes with "larger" sway bars, however I can't find the diameter anywhere.

 

The JCW front sway bar is 24mm... assuming this information is correct

http://www.motoringfile.com/2007/08/...-at-the-track/

i think the shocks are the weakest link on the factory suspension and upgrading those will address traction issues more effectively than just increasing sway bar diameter but that wasn't the OT question.

 

IMO, a larger front swaybar on the R56 would cause severe wheelspin coming out of corners. I personally would be interested in trying the smaller 22.5mm swaybar sometime on an R56 prepped for the track or autox. ;-) Not that I have an R56 or anything. ;-)

 

yes the bigger bar will cause the car want to understeer more, but I believe that is a better way to go...

 

Better how? The only reason to add a larger front swaybar is to make the car very stable during high speed transitions. Is this your intention; to trade low speed cornering for high-speed stability?

 

As you know, the R56 JCW suspension kit includes larger front and rear bars along with springs and shocks. Are you suggesting that someone looking for low speed cornering should just skip adding the front bar and upgrade just the rear sway bar and springs/shocks if they are planning to go with the JCW kit?

I have been seriously considering the JCW kit and would welcome your thoughs on this. I already have a larger 19mm rear bar and was planning to just sell the rear bar and maybe I should sell the front bar as well...?

Another idea --- If I go ahead and install the JCW front then I might want to move my H-Sport rear 19mm to the stiffest setting. I would welcome your thoughts on this as well.

 

If you're looking to get your MINI to rotate around corners more than a stiffer front bar, JCW approved or not, will hurt that goal. If you do decide to have the JCW front bar installed then you'll probably want to adjust your rear bar to full-stiff to keep the balance. Go for it.

 

Thanks for the info but I am still unsure what to do with the front bar if I install the JCW shocks/springs. Do you suggest that I just skip on the front bar? (... if I install the JCW springs/shocks..... I already have the H-Sport rear set on the middle setting)

I could also save some money on the install if I skip the front bar install as this seems to add a lot to the overall install cost.

 

If I installed a larger front bar AND a larger rear bar, would I notice increases in handling AND high speed transitioning?

 

It all depends how you want the car to feel. Stiffer sway bars will make the chassis have a higher transitional frequency, usually at the expense of low-speed mechanical grip. If you want a car to feel tighter and quicker than going for stiffer sway bars front and back are you ticket. The negative of that is the car will become twitchier and you're ultimately losing mechanical grip, so you'll need better tires. Softer sway bars will have more body motion but also be more comfortable and forgiving to drive.

 

Augie05, that's not a bad idea... is it possible to order just the JCW shocks and springs? it certainly would save money. I can't seem to let go of considering JCW as an option. Though I know I'd get a LOT more performance out of a set of fully adjustable coilovers, JCW is the only option that shouldn't kill resale value.

I have the factory sport suspension with a 22mm sway bar at the rear, using the softest setting. I almost get the inside rear wheel in the air in a hard turn. I can feel the front roll more than the back and I think it's a little out of balance. Though I prefer the feeling of less body roll on the street, I would rather have maximum traction and contact patch at all times. I am still waiting for more suspension options to roll out before I dump more money into it (already tried lowering springs and took them off). I think shocks/coilovers and stickier tire compound will make far more of a measurable difference than stiffer sway bars.