The other day I dropped the front subframe of my mini to change the control arm bushings and I noticed that there was a nice rust bubble around my sway bar where the bushing attached to. I was thinking of getting an aftermarket adjustable one. Does any one have one and do you use it for track/autocross? Any recommendations?

 

I do not track my car, but I do have the H-Sport front sway bar paired with the H-Sport competition rear sway bar. They were suggested and installed by Way Motor Works and I love them. Probably sounds like overkill for a daily driver, but upgrading both bars made the handling better and also stiffened up the whole car.

If you track your car, I'd say it's a mod you'll definitely appreciate. Make sure you upgrade your rear sway bar at the same time to keep things balanced, otherwise you'll just get more understeer. Give Way a call for professional advice.

I'm glad you can install it yourself because depending on where you live it might have been difficult to find a place to get it done!

 

Sway bars are tuning devices. All things being equal, they reduce body roll by transferring more load to the outside tire which will also reduce cornering traction at the end of the vehicle at which it is installed. Ideally, you should decide on what steering balance you want and select sway bars accordingly.

 

If your goal is track and auto-x don't put a stiffer front bar on. It will make the inside wheelspin so much worse.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using NAMotoring

 

Don't install an aftermarket front sway bar unless you pair it with a rear sway bar.

Like bee, I have H-sport adjustables front and rear. Love 'em.
Inside wheel spin, over/under steer will be dictated not by the sway bars alone. The ride height, springs and shocks will also have a significant effect.
With my current set-up, I have a neutral balance and find it nearly impossible to spin the inside front wheel no matter how tight the turn. Seriously, there's seemingly no limit to this car's cornering ability despite how much gas/brake I give it. Finally, the suspension has caught up to the engine's power.

My set-up:
JCW 200HP
Koni adjustables (set about 2/3 stiff, rear slightly stiffer than front)
H-sport springs
H-sport sway bars (front full soft, rear medium)
Powerflex CABs front and rear.
Conti DW 205/55R16 with relatively low psi