For me, that is. I need a little help in making a decision. For my birthday, my husband has promised me a rear anti-sway. I just need to decide which one and let him know .
I have an '06 MCS w/LSD,and an Alta CAI. I love DE and am planning on attending at least 2 more this year. For me, DE is about control and precision and not about being the fastest or most impressive, so I'm not trying to burn up the track, just do it well! Aside from that, El Kabong is my daily driver and what I use to get the kids from A to B, etc.
From what I understand, a 19mm should be fine, right?
Also, I was recently informed that certain types can be greased easier than others, is this something to think about when making my choice?
Finally, how easy is it to adjust these and am I likely to do it, or is it a huge pain and I should just find a setting a leave it? Which also makes me think about a 2 or 3 setting bar?
Thanks all,
Annette

 

We have had good results with the H-Sport bar in our area. It is a 22 mm bar with 3 posistions of adjustment . The biggest differance with the H-sport is that it is one of the only hollow bars out there which will save you weight yet still perform the same as a soild bar. I have over 25,000 miles on both front and rear bars and have no noise issues and have not had to re grease either one.

John

 

I've got the 22mm Rspeed rear sway bar and like it very much. It was easy to install, came at a great price, and is easy to adjust if needed though I have it on the softest setting.

 

Funnily enought, those are the 2 brands at the top of my list.
I'm confused about greasing the sway bar. Do some of them have to be taken off the car to grease?
Thanks,
Annette

 

If not the Webb, then go with the H-sport. It has the grease fittings and is lighter. Anytime we can take weight off our Minis is a good thing.

 

So I'm ok with a 19mm, correct. 22 would be overkill is what I'm thinking.
Annette

 

The MCS really could use a 22mm bar. If you look at the stiffness measurements between the H-Sport Comp and Sport bars, you'll see that even the most stiff setting on the Sport isn't as stiff as the softest setting on the Comp. I have the Comp on the softest setting and still understeer at the limit unless I'm on the brakes.

 

Would the H-comp bar be a good choice for the street? I plan on some track time, but spend the rest of the time on the street and want to be sure the Comp bar isnt too much for everyday use... Thanks

 

I put the Rspeed 22 mm (Solid) on the back of my 2004 MCS recently.
It is on the lightest setting. The car no longer understeers in hard corners, (I think) it drifts.

I am relearning how to drive the car. The rear end now slides, just by lifting my foot off the gas in a corner where previously the car would have understeered, and lifting would have corrected that.

I have considered going down to a 19 mm adjustable.

John

 

I too asked this question. I PM'd Kapps, and this is what he said:

"I like it a lot. It's much beefier than stock and I only have experience with it on the soft setting so far. This setting is great for street use as it dials out most of the MINI's tendancy to understeer but still allows you to be safe. You can still brake (lightly) in a corner without the rear end stepping out. I've heard the middle setting makes the MINI neutral so it will oversteer off throttle and understeer on throttle. That's as high as I'd go, especially on the street. The stiff setting is mostly for auto-x where you can keep your foot on the gas as you go through a corner. If you lift, you'll spin."

 

Larger swaybars are helpful in autocrossing because speeds are slower and weight transfer slower. On a road course speeds are higher and weight transfer faster.

 

Don't you mean:
autocross speeds are slower and weight transfer is FASTER
road corase speeds are higher and weight transfer is SLOWER

 

It sounds like you don't need the stiffest bar so I'll skip that. Easiest to lube H-Sport. Easiest to adjust, no lube required (permanently self lubed), most expensive, largest adjustment range and infinite adjustment within that range get the Webb Extreme.

 

Not necessarily. If the bar does start to squeak (and you don't have the HR with the zerk fittings) you just have to remove the bushings to regrease. The space is a bit tight, but it's not (IMO) that big a deal. On my Miata I've done this once in 12 years.

WRT adjustment, it's pretty simple. Just take off the wheels, use an allen wrench and a box wrench, undo a bolt, move the endlink, tighten bolt. Unless you go with the WMS extreme, then you just loosen a bolt and slide.

FWIW, I went with the 22mm. Currently on the softest setting and it's great. I haven't experienced the rear sliding on the street, but it sure made that nasty understeer go away. I've done quite a few track days, but I'm by no means a hot shoe...

 

I have the H sport comp on my daily driver and love it, I would say it is great on a daily driver.

Forgot to mention I'm on the softest setting...

 

If you can get both rear wheels off the ground at the same time, it's pretty easy. If you only jack up one side of the car at a time, you'll need to remove the wheel, then put something solid under the rear suspension and lower the car a bit to compress that spring and remove the load from the swaybar before you can adjust it.

 

I have the Rspeed 22 that I have on the middle setting. Best part is Rspeed often has new bars on ebay for auction and I got mine for $116.

 

No...think about it in very general terms. A swaybar setting that provkes too much oversteer on a road course is perfect for an auotcross course...the very reason an autocross car (mini) needs more rear bar. Weight transfers faster at higher speeds.

 

I have the H-sport competition and like it a lot. It's still my number one must have mod for a MINI. I had it on the softest setting when I initially installed it and it felt much better than stock. A few months ago I went to an auto-cross school and the day before I moved to the middle setting on the bar. I wasn't sure about how much stiffer it would be so what better place to spin out than in a parking lot. I've kept it on the middle setting since then. It feels great.

 

Happy Birthday Annette!