Cheers guys for digging that out for us

 

Good catch, the correct part is 33506853919.


Cheers,

Charlie

 

I installed the NM 22mm rear bar today.
Loosening the upper endlink was the hardest part. It felt like it was far tighter than 34 ft-lb. Here are some tips/findings for future DIYers.

* I used a long socket and ratchet to hold the 4mm allen wrench.
* After you remove the nut holding the heatshield, you can bend the shield slightly by hand to gain access to the subframe bolt.
*pull the upper link out of the swaybar before lowering the suspension.
* I was not able to pull the springs out until the subframe was lowered.
* Raise the subframe with a jack to align the bolt holes.
* After reassembling the subframe to the chassis, if you realize you forgot to put the brake lines back into the clips, you don't have to lower the subframe again. The hard brake lines have a little bit of flexibility to be manipulated by hand.
* I applied small amount of blue thread lock on all bolts that I had loosened.

I set the bar at the medium setting. That way I will have to move just one bolt to go either soft or hard if I wish to change it.

 

How did if feel right after the install. Much flatter?

 

I started at medium too, but soon changed to stiff. The car is flatter for sure, but even at full stiff doesn't really oversteer. Oh, but I do have the OE Sports Suspension front bar, which is a little bigger, so maybe oversteer would be more with the softer standard front bar.

 

R Hi, what I am looking to do is stop the initial body lean you get on corners. Especially in a tight series of bends. Does the rear sway bar mod do this, or would I need both.
I have an F56 Cooper D 1.5 2015 on 195/55/16 Michelin energy saver tyres. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

the rear sway bar keeps the rear end in check, but the front of the car will still lean going in to corners

 

 

Try adding the CravenSpeed Big Pair chassis brace. It really stiffens the car and enhances the effects of the rear bar.

 

I don't think a rear sway bar is designed to stop body roll although it may have some effect. The rear sway bar ties the back wheels together somewhat. If it was super stiff the wheels would no longer act independently (independent suspension).
A heavier rear sway bar reduces the effectiveness of the independence of the rear suspension. This means that the back of the car will loose grip more easily than with a lighter bar. With MINI's and most FWD cars the front wheels tend to slide before the back (understeer). With an adjustable bar you can get the car to handle more neutrally. It makes it way easier to drive fast around corners as the car is more predictable. This does not mean however that on a track your car will go faster around abrnd than a stock car. Fact is you have sacrificed some grip to get neutral handling.
For most of us this is the single best mod you can do.....but if you want to stop body roll go with stiffer suspension.

 

I've always thought of sway bars like this- they act to increase the spring rate, only when cornering. Which is a pretty great thing.

 

They do. That is correct but the point I'm making is that a heavier bar will stop that back outside wheel digging in at a cost. Way more fun to drive though!
One thing to be aware of is that IMHO it is always better to have slight understeer as you can always button off the gas to regain control. With too heavier a bar the car will start to oversteer and this is harder to get under control. I have a NM solid and I feel that on the hardest setting it was getting close to this. I have mine in the middle.