I had run my 'stock' car at the track and found the braking performance and handling to be just fine, this was with the runflats. I did feel that maybe some brakes would be better, since I did have a bit of brake fluid evidence around the resevoir. I was late braking nice and deep, making time on other cars without problem. Everything was nice and smooth and stable, but I was on line, ect. I felt the tighter sections (hairpin) would benefit from a swaybar change.
I changed to ATE blue and SS lines, and EBC greenstuff, mostly to cut down on the dust. Also the H-Sport competion rear bar (mid setting). I have not had the car back to the track, but I have found it gets 'loose' under braking and turning manuvers, like passing on two lane roads where you need to cut back sharply.
I have also driven some other Minis at the track, and also seen instability from changes in tires and suspension. It can be frightening, since I was expecting greater stability. I was also passenger in these Minis, and I found the experience to be very uncomfortable, perhaps part driver not being as smooth as they should, but also possibly the effects of tires and sway bars. I suggested higher tire pressures to improve the characteristics, and I think that helped.
Just thought I would pass these observations along, since my experience seemed to apply here.

 

The stiffer rear bar is to REDUCE understeer. Try it with lifting throttle in a decreasing radius turn and it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end!!!!!

The thing that makes me nervous, is that (and I have H-Sport springs) it feels ponderous before the front suspension has loaded up and the springs are in the stiffer part of thier operating envelope. They almost feel too soft as they get to that point.....

Matt

 

Quite Right DrO!

I just was recounting that moving away from the 'stock' set up enhances the effects. For normal highway / touring, the stock set up is very good, stable and less likely to make people uncomfortable. For tighter sections of the track, I think that [my] new bar would be good, and probably for autocross the stiffer setting a real improvement. My thought was that making lots of changes,as some have said above, like wheels & tires, springs, shocks, control arms, swaybars - have I left anything out?! - can have a lot of impact. That maybe working one thing at a time, and finding out what it changes is the best way to go. And, if you aren't happy with whats happening, go backwards a little. I now realize how nice and stable the stock setup was on certain sections of the track, and they were the fast sections, where the Mini needs to be as fast as it can.
The begining of this thread sounded a lot like my experience, although not as pronounced, and I haven't made many changes, so I thought I would put in my .02.

 

Reading the last few posts I thoght of something else, I have the sunroof in my car the extra weight on the high side of the car could also be the culprit.

Who else that has the tail wagging also has the sunroof?

 

Adding a little rear toe-in can help reduce some of the tail wagging without removing the purpose of a larger rear bar. It is a compromise, yes. But as I wrote someplace else - can't remember...wine does that...no amount of suspension tuning will turn a car with 63% of its weight over its nose into 50%/50% barn stormer. It ain't gonna happen. Too much rear bar helps compensate for the heavy nose but also makes the Mini a wee bit nervous at speed. You can add a wee bit of toe-out in the front so as not to lose the initial bite and quicker turn-in that rear toe-in will erode.

time for bed...I'm old...where's the Geritol mother?

 

Hey guys,

My 84 year old father (he has '03 MCS) has been very ill, so I've been off the forum recently. I have a track day at LRP on 6/16 coming up. I'll be realigning the car in advance and will try higher tire pressures at the track. I'll keep you posted...

Cheers,

 

Hope all works out for your dad. Keep your head clear at speed, though.

Michael