I'm driving along and start hearing a metal clunking sound coming from the rear. I pull over and figure that it has to do something with the suspension because as I turn into the parking lot I find that the steering feels loose, at least more so than I'm used to.

It's a missing swaybar clamp. Apparently the clamp and the bolts became undone, and now all that's left on the right side is a bushing and that's it.

Irvine MINI wants to charge me about $15 for each of the two bolts and about $20 for the C-clamp!!! That can't be right. And they would have to order it which takes about 4 days.

Is there an aftermarket option that you guys should suggest? I might as well go aftermarket since I'm going to have to wait for them to get it in stock anyway. And where is a good place to get the bolts for cheaper?

My swaybar is an Eibach 19mm. I don't need the bushings since the one that came with the bar is still attached to it.



And is it safe to drive the car around? Of course I'll be driving safely and will be taking no sharp turns. It's that metal clunking sound that worries me. Will it damage my swaybar if it's just hanging like that, and bumping into things? Is it gonna add unwanted stress to the swaybar links since only one side is secured? Any immediate help would be nice.

I need my car for work and school. I probably do a mix of city and freeway.

 

Ideally, if you were going to continue driving the MINI, it would have been nice if they had just removed it all together....The rear bar is the easiest to replace. The front bar is a bugger, and takes over an hour to perform properly.

I saw a vendor selling billet aluminum brackets for 19 mm bars, but who it was selling them escapes me at the moment. Either way, I would think shipping is going to be a few days though. Glad to hear it's a rather inexpensive fix.

PS: Maybe some loc-tite can be used when bolting them back up. And have them check the other side while its up on the lift ?

 

Yeah $50 or $60 doesn't sound that bad. But then I'm a starving college student, haha.

At that price, I'm sure I could get something aftermarket with new bushings too. I just don't get why a little bolt would cost so much. Maybe I'm cheap.

I checked it myself. Taking off the rear bar would be a pain to do by myself. I'll probably end up using some zip-ties and wrap up the parts that make contact for now.

 

There is ALOT of force upon these bars. If attached to the other side it may just rip that quick tie in half.

I have a 22MM hollow Hsport bar. I regularly pull into parking lots with high aprons with only three wheels on the pavement ( only one rear wheel on deck.)

I wouldn't do that, my 2 cents.

 

Since you have a 19mm swaybar the bracket the dealer is ordering isn't going to work because it will be for a factory swaybar.
As for driving it in the meantime I'd unhook the swaybar endlink from at least one side. That way the stress on the bar will only be the bar twisting rather than having tension on it.

I have some of the best bushings from Hsport with grease fittings in stock I can ship you a set if you still need.

WAY

 

How often should I be greasing these fittings Way ? When they need it or is there a general schedule I should follow.

 

I have the HSport Competition Bar (25MM, hollow) and quite often I only have three wheels touchin' pavement. I've had friends following me and they think it's the coolest thing!

 

lol ....yeah 25mm what I say 22 ? doh.

It a funny feeling every time I do that, I still dont expect it, it's like....ah what the he_ ?" oh I'm driving on three wheels"

 

Thanks. Do the bushings come with new clamps to match them? That's probably my best bet if it comes with both.

Supposedly, Eibach's instructions say that the stock clamps are supposed to work with the new bushings that come with the bar. I wasn't so sure when I installed it myself as the fit was extremely tight. They didn't seem well matched together, IMO. I contacted them and still haven't gotten a response back yet. Let me know about those bushings and clamps if you have it.

 

Yes the Hsport bushings come with a set of matching brackets.

As for greasing them ONLY do it when they squeak, otherwise you shouldn't mess with them.

 

Eibach says they don't stock those brackets and that the stock ones should be good enough. I'd rather get the Hsport bushings and brackets for my 19mm bar.

Sent you a PM. Thanks for the help. Now I finally can get back on the road once those come in.

 

And besides the Loctite (blue) when you re-install them, two words: torque wrench ...