So I finally got my NM Springs, Alta 22mm swaybar(lowest setting), endlinks and controls arms installed and everything aligned. Pulling into my garage is often hairy as it is off of a main road and kind of hidden so most people do not expect my to be turning and usually have to do it fairly quickly to avoid horrible Boston drivers from rear ending me. Over the last few days I have noticed that if I am going anything about about 5 mph that the car now has a problem with the rear inside tire lifting while going up the ramp.

Is this a common thing with the MINI lowered only 30mm? Is it something that can be fixed? What causes this issue?

Any insights on this is appreciated greatly as it gets annoying when my brakes stutter and throw the car in a kind of crazy twisting motion.

Oh and on a side note...Mech. had asked me if I had a recommendation as to the endlink length with the lower springs being installed. I obviously had no idea, anyone have some insight on this?

 

It's not the springs. It's the swaybar causing the tire to lift. There's nothing wrong with it. The stiffer swaybar just causes the tire to lift cause the suspension travel on the opposite side is twisting the bar and making it pull the tire up. Don't worry about it, if you are removing the bar or going to a smaller sway bar will help.

 

Actually, Lowered 1.25" I doggy squat on corners all the time, even before my 19mm sway upgrade.



No big deal, short wheel base + stiff springs will do it.
I'm from boston too actually, and my brother lives in brookline, right on beacon st actually. How do you feel about your decision to go with stiffer/lower springs in the city? The roads sure aren't pretty around here.

 

Way is correct that it is the 22 mm seay bar that is causing the lift. If you are concerned about it, either set the bar to full soft or get something smaller such as 19 or 20 mm. Or you can get larger front sway bars to counter balance. The lifting of the unloaded wheel does not cause any real issues.

I run the NM front and rear endlinks and when the car is on the ground, you can adjust them to be horizontal. Make sure the sway bar does not bind as well.

 

Adjust the endlink length so that there is no preload on the swaybar when installing. And install them with weight on the wheels, meaning on ramps or something.

Add IE fixed front camber plates and replace the 22mm rear bar with a 19mm and enjoy a better handling car IMO. Though lifting the rear doesn't matter much with a FWD car from a handling standpoint.

It's not stiffer and lower springs, they're actually probably reducing it.

- andrew

 

I have a stock swaybar and I three wheel almost every day. Not a big deal.

 

Haha yeah I'm right on beacon too. 1440 to be exact and pulling into my garage is often a bit hairy with the speeding on beacon. As far as being lowered. Love it. I always avoid what I can and the soon to be gone ringlets don't help but I don't regret it at all. Worth every penny so far

 

Thanks everyone for the answers. Just scared the shot out of my when it first happened.

 

Sorry, but did you see my post? It doesn't have to do with a larger sway bar, even with the stock 17mm bar it'll do it.

 

My sway is on the softest setting already given that Alta didnt have the 19mm and gave me the 22 when I ordered.

BostonR56S - Where in Boston you at? Havnt seen you amongst the million R55s in the area. Would love to see your ride in person thats for sure.

 

I'm around boston once in a while. My parents actually live outside boston due west in Sudbury. However, I've since finished school in CT (UConn) and work outside of hartford currently so I'm temporarily living here in CT. You'll prob see my car around sooner or later. I'm also frequently around the framingham/natick area.

 

It may do it with the stock bar, but a larger one will make it even more likely to happen.

- andrew

 

+1

 

I can agree to that. But the statement was that way was right in that it is because of the larger sway bar. That statement would be in fact false because it happens with a stock bar too. I did not experience it with my stock heigh suspension because there is greater suspension travel. When lowered, I loss 1.25" travel, which played into the dog squatting (before my sway bar).

 

Three wheelin is fun stuff. My 02 GTI with coils and sways did it all the time. Freaked people who had never ridden with me all the time.

 

The stock "sport" suspension does this as well.

 

 

A larger rear bar will make the car more likely to do it. Without knowing the exact situation of the car and driver, if it didn't happen at a certain spot before and it does now, then it is almost certainly because of the recently installed larger rear bar.

Lowering the car 1.25" means you have 1.25" less bump travel, however your droop/extension travel is then increased by that amount. The springs are not really affecting it as Way said.

We're really just arguing semantics and it's stupid. It can happen with the stock suspension but it's more likely to happen with the larger rear bar. That's all.


- Andrew

 

Really guys, lets breath a little. Just wanted to know if it was a common thing, if it could be fixed, and what caused it the most. Seems there is debate as to what does cause it but that was the less important part of the post.

Hope to see you around BostonR56S and congrats andyroo

 

Look at my original post 4 for that.

 

As with all forums.

1. Read first 4 posts
2. Process
3. Create self answer based on posts
4. Watch the arguing pursue.

Thanks everyone