I just installed an 18mm H-sport rear sway bar off of tirerack for just under 90 bucks. I put it on the tighter setting and the handling on my cooper (non-s) feels better. When I look at my car the back wheels look ever so slightly off perpendicular in relation to the ground now. The top of the wheel looks closer to the center of the car than the bottom. I double checked the torquing on all the nuts I had to remove, I just want to know if this is normal. I really don't want to push the car until I get some replies.

 

Yeap, about 1.5 degree tilt toward center. That's factory setting for rear camber: -1.5 degrees. Plus or minus .3 I think.

Alan

 

It looks like more than 1.5 degrees. But there's a bunch of stuff in the car right now. Could this be related to the re-tightening of the stabilizer bar link? I had to bolt steady with a hex key while loosening and refastening the nut. I'm worried that I didn't hold it totally stationary and retightened the nut with the new bar.

 

It's more likely related to the bunch of stuff in the car.
The sway bar should not affect camber.

 

sway bar cant change rear camber. It gets much more negative as the car gets lower. Was a bunch of stuff in your car?

Matt

 

No, nothing was in the car when I put the bar in. It was up on stands and quite empty. It's possible that this is all in my head. I've got 5 new tires and a 20lb rim in the back right now. I'll take some pictures when the new tires are on and you can take a look. Thank you so much for responding this quickly! This is the first super serious mod I've done (I don't count an exhaust self install) and I'm just afraid the rear suspension will just tumble off because I missed something and the wheels are some ominious clue.

edit: ninja edit

 

You need to tighten the sway bar end links with the weight of the car on the rear suspension. If your suspension was at full droop when you tightened them that could be your problem. You may have a bunch of preload dialed into the rear bar. Jack the car back up. Loosen the end links, now put a floor jack under the suspension & jack it up so it's loaded. Retighten the end link & then go do the other side.

 

I did as you said chuck, eyeballed the amount of load, maybe about 4mm of that gold/silver underbrushing in the shock on each side showing and tightened the thing back up. It definately looks like it is riding higher than before, but now I'm a little worried that I over did it with the jacking up. Tomorrow when I get my new tires mounted I'll ask the tech to take a look at it, maybe he could place the shocks under the exact load they have when the car is resting it's full weight on them. This loading thing isn't mentioned in my bently manual but I imagine it's basic car mechanic sense that I just don't get in my psych phd program.

 

Sorry, but... baloney!

 

Your way over thinking this. Your camber sounds fine. The fact is that it's just something that you have never really noticed before.

 

i agree. ur just being picky cause you just put the bar on. i do it all the time. hey onasled u get my pm?

 

Nice, I'll clear my mind to zen levels and enjoy driving!