This Noob Wants to Attempt a Rear Swaybar Install

Nope not at all. Now when I have done the install I take them all the way out "one at a time" and thread them back in a little bit just so I can have the rear sub frame is as low as I can get it.

Space to get the old bar out and the new one in is very limited so the more room you can make the better.

 

This has just become the only thing I want for Christmas! But I better buy them by the case...I'm sure to use em up like crazy. And there's a toy inside!!

 

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On my R53, and I bet your car is similar, you might find it helpful to back off the bolts for the fuel tank straps and let the tank drop down a little. Doing this created a little more wiggle room to sneak the old bar out and the new one in. Snaking the sway bar past the wiring harness is the tricky part, but it's not that bad.

Just make up your mind that you're going to attack it like a puzzle and finesse the parts in and out rather than using brute force.

I swapped mine by accident sort of. I had just washed my car and pulled it onto the car port. At the time, I was taking care of my mother who was bed ridden with MS. She was engrossed in a movie, so I told her I was going to be just outside looking at the MINI and scoping the sway bar job. I jacked the car up, removed the wheel, and just started looking with a flashlight. I disconnected the end link on a whim, and before I realized it, I had the bars swapped. I didn't even pull it in the shop. All I really planned to do was look the job over...

If we weren't on opposite coasts, I'd say to bring it over to my shop and we'll use my lift, jacks, air tools, HVAC, etc. You can leave my house with a full tank, run the Dragon, and make it back here without buying gas, so testing it out isn't an issue. We also have plenty of challenging but unknown roads within 15 minutes of here.

Try to do as much of the work yourself as you can. It's a great "learner" project, and you won't be a noob anymore!

The hardest part is convincing yourself that YOU CAN DO IT!

 

Also if Code3_Mini cuts himself we need to see bare wound pictures so we can make fun of him. :lol::lol::lol:

 

Oh c'mon Dave...since when have you needed an actual reason to make fun of me?

 

I had to loosen the sub frame enough to drop the rear end about half an inch. The sway bar won't squeeze in unless you do this. I think it's either 4 or 6 bolts. 16mm

 

Yes I had to do this too. I'm sorry but these details get shoved to the back of my brain as I get older. I have the install file in there, but can't find it. Old fart syndrome.

 

See post #59 above.

 

Oh yeah, put a dab of antisieze onto each bolt's threads before you reinstall it. It helps prevent bolts from becoming rusted in place.

 

I run mine on my Clubby on the softest setting, I only stiffen it up when I go to the track, otherwise it's just too harsh, in town especially.

The softest setting is the end hole, the stiffest is the one closest to the bend, just FYI.

Congrats on getting it done.....

 

Woo Hoo...

 

You might want to consider getting new endlinks also. The OEM ones are rather fragile.

 

Look how clean the underside of your car is. :eek6:

Did you wipe down all the blood....oh that right you live in Cali and you only have one season. (Summer)

 

Looks great, and you ain't a NOOB anymore!

Tell us more about the job. Easier or harder than you expected? How's it drive? Learn any interesting new curse words as a stream of blood mysteriously appeared?

 

Swaybars, I've seen a million of them...

I think the collective royal we are wondering where are the sandwich pictures.