2nd Gen R55 Clubman Most liked posts in thread: Sway bar, lowering springs and rear lower adj. control arms install?

Not that bad. Good to have a Bentley manual for torque setting and don't forget to use anti seaze where needed. Take your time and you will be fine.

Be sure to take it in for an alignment afterwards.

Good luck!

 

Very important to do this^. Lowering your car will cause it to go toe-in & make it push like a pig. It will also dial out the excessive camber out of the rear with those adjustable bars. The alignment will correct this.

Since your car is going to be apart I'd recommend a set of camber plates up front. Heck you will be doing all the work anyway with your spring swap. I use IE fixed plates on my MINI. When you are done you should have one sweet handling MINI.

 

I have an almost new set of Swift springs and Bilsteins for sale, absolutely killer set up!

Just saying...

 

+1 wut Crashton said.....

Installed the fixed Ireland Engineering camber plates myself, Chad @ DT installed the Hotchkis rear control arms at the time of my front and rear alignment.... My very best mod so far......

 

+2 to what Crash and MM said. Wish I had done the camber plates when I had the chance.

Jim

 

+++ on the camber plates!

The only hard part would be the rear bar as it entails having to partially remove the rear suspension to be able to snake the new bar in.

 

Agree and agree. Having a helper on the rear sway install makes it 10x easier. You have to pull down on the rear subframe while pulling the old bar out and stuffing the new one in, while avoiding damage to the fuel tank.

Camber plates make a huge difference in the car's turn-in and cornering, but they're a big source of noise, vibration, and harshness. Make sure you're ready to hear and feel a lot more pavement imperfections, bumps, and expansion joints.

Rent a spring compressor from an auto parts store, and figure out how you're going to torque the top strut nuts. You need to hold the strut shaft in place while you torque the top nut. You could use an impact gun on medium pressure, a strap wrench, a deep socket with a window Dremel'd out, or a go-thru/pass-through/Max Axess socket set.

 

As far as noise from camber plates go the IE fixed plates are dead quiet on my car. IE uses a large rubber mounted bearing. I have read it is a BMW Z4 bearing. I know some camber plates can be loud. That is why I went with the IE plate. IE = Ireland Engineering.

As far as installing the rear bar goes. You will have the shocks off to change springs anyway. Might as well go a bit farther & do the swaybar. A helper is the way to go.

 

There is a video in the library "How To" by Agranger on replacing the rear sway bar. Granted the video is a 1st gen, but the steps are pretty much the same for the 2nd gen. The link in the library is being repaired by management but until then, here is a working copy....

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FhIEoelAK4]Rear Swaybar Install on MINI - Windows MP for Broadband - YouTube[/ame]

 

They are not hard job's to do. Just make sure use jack stands and be safe.

Dont forget what everyone else has said "Be sure to take it in for an alignment afterwards."

Happy DIY modding.

 

For the rear sway bar: only lower the sub-frame a little bit - just enough to get the old bar out - it will actually flex the hard brake line on the passenger side when you lower it, so don't over do it or you may damage the line. Support the subframe with jacks like in the vid. I believe I actually inserted the new sway bar from the passenger side, not the drivers like they said in the vid. Not sure if that's an R56 thing or if I just did it wrong. ANyway it worked out fine and wasn't difficult, just awkward.

 

I did all 3 items install last month... Go ahead, do it... You will love it!