2 questions:

What advantage do adjustable swaybar drop links offer? I understand they allow you to fine tune your suspension setup - i'm just curious what affects different adjustments will make etc... Also, I assume they are stronger than stock - does less flexing improve performance of the suspension...?

What sort of alingment (toe included) would you all recomend for street? For track? Is there an alingment that will work for both? What are the stock settings? Also, how do various adjustmants in this arena affect the handling and tire wear of the vehicle?

 

Adjustable links give you the oppotunity to pre-load one side or the other - say if you want the car to oversteer more while turning left as opposed to right. Other than that, adjust these links so that the bar ends are parallel with the road...hopefully the links will vertical too...

I've not yet begun to play, so I cannot comment on actual toe/camber settings for the Mini. There are plenty of threads about the subject. Good luck.

Aggressive camber and toe settings up front for example will cause excessive inside tire wear. Negative camber, to a degree - excuse the pun - will aid cornering grip. The stiffer the suspension, the less negative camber you will need for the same amount of grip. Some suggest simulating 5 degrees of roll in a car as a guide to defining optimal camber settings...this requires knowing where to jack the car up so that a 'natural' roll is simulated. Trial and error works too. MacPhearson struts require a bit more neg camber than say double wishbone to generate the same grip, generally speaking. Toe out aids initial grip and can make the steering more responsive upon initial turn-in...it can also make the steering feel a bit vague and darty while traveling in a straight line; tires that are toed in generate forces that cancel one another out. Toed out tires try to pull the car keft and right - over simplification. I feel rear toe affects stability more than the front; I've set-up a few of my past cars with heavier (50%) rear spring rates, big rear bars and then added a little rear toe in for some stability. You can also stand the rear tirs up more if you want the back end to step out a little...or add more neg camber and it'll stay put. I do not like any toe out in the back; dynamically, this will lead you to trouble at least once.

Imagine trying to bring several lenses into focus at once, suspension tuning is no different. Change on thing, including your assumptions, and everyhting else is affected.