23 replies to this topic

[MRA]

Hi Guys,

I am trying to find out peoples views on heavy duty tie bars with respect to the overall feel of the Mini before and after.....

Thanks in advance for you honest answers.

[lrostoke]

Might be an idea throw bushes into the mix, its probably a sure bet that if tie bars are changed bushes will be also. Possibly even changed for poly bushes. So wouldn't this also contribute to any percieved change in the feel of the car.

[MRA]

Yes it would, however fitting uprated bushes to standard tie bars is not recommended for safety reasons.....

For that reason a heavy duty tie bar and uprated bush is a complementing assembly...

Also I can't change the questions above to add uprated bush in to the equation

[monster_mini]

Can i ask, why in theory would they help the braking and accelerating feel?

thanks

Nick

[lrostoke]

Could be a bit misleading some of the replies then really.

Can you really compare an old rusty original tie bar possibly even slightly bent with worn or perished bushes to a brand new heavy duty tiebar with uprated bushes.
It's possible changed from old and worn to new and shiney of any part would maybe show a difference.

I would imagine the braking and acceleration differences if any are down to possible slight flexing of the thinner original tiebars under load

Edited by lrostoke, 26 May 2011 - 08:58 AM.

[icklemini]

Be interesting to add ask if once the bars have been fitted... they have been adjusted correctly to sort the castor angle out...

Have known them to be fitted just and adjusted to move the wheel into the 'right' position in the wheel arch (bodge) with no regards to the castor angles and the mis-match caused...

TTFN,
Dave

[the_r_sole]

this is something i have been considering upgrading on mine, as i like to drive on windy single track roads quite hard (sometimes) so the answers on here will be interesting

[minisilverbullet]

I have HD bars fitted along with the bushes you supply. car feels great under breaking.

Now I remember seeing on minispares that they did a kit with a mix of soft and hard bushes (rubber on the inside and poly for the outer), are they real benefits to this?

[MRA]

The mixed bushes we sell as a rally kit, we have a lot of our customers who use the mixed kit for rallying hence the name.....

[bunch1980]

Yes it would, however fitting uprated bushes to standard tie bars is not recommended for safety reasons.....

For that reason a heavy duty tie bar and uprated bush is a complementing assembly...

Also I can't change the questions above to add uprated bush in to the equation

I see, I have from mini spares up rated bushes to go on, now one side is purple poly ones and other side black normal rubber ones
i think, cant remember which way they go on. So is it best not to fit until I get some better tie bars?

[jaydee]

i use them..what really heavy duty tie bars improve is handling cause you can set castor angle to optimum, obviously, compared with the ridicolous tiny standard bars, there will be a better feel under brake/acceleration due to their improved stability.
Yes it is a very slight difference, and once fitted you NEED to track the car correctly (either castor and toe) asap. Just putting them bolts-on with no setup will be very dangerous..

Edited by jaydee, 26 May 2011 - 10:10 AM.

[Pete93]

Can i ask, why in theory would they help the braking and accelerating feel?

thanks

Nick

I think it's because they don't flex like standard ones so the wheels are kept more square to the road. But a more detailed explanation would be nice.

[MRA]

Yes it would, however fitting uprated bushes to standard tie bars is not recommended for safety reasons.....

For that reason a heavy duty tie bar and uprated bush is a complementing assembly...

Also I can't change the questions above to add uprated bush in to the equation

I see, I have from mini spares up rated bushes to go on, now one side is purple poly ones and other side black normal rubber ones
i think, cant remember which way they go on. So is it best not to fit until I get some better tie bars?

I wouldn't use uprated bushes on standard tie bars because they can and do cause the bar to bend this bending will result in cyclic stresses that may eventually lead to failure...

[Sprocket]

What people do not consider with 'heavy duty' tie bars is that in the event of a severe impact to the wheel or suspension, the tie bar is less likely to give, which will result in damage else where, such as broken ball joints, broken wheels, bent and even cracked subframes.

The standard tie bar when it is perfectly straigh should cause no adverse effects to braking, steering or acceleration, and in the event of the unfortunate, sacrifice itself, absorbing a fair chunk of the impact and limiting damage to the parts it is attached to.

I fitted the Minisport Group A bushed tie bars, since they are adjustable on car, and have a 'weak' point as a result of thier design.

[Sprocket]

I wouldn't use uprated bushes on standard tie bars because they can and do cause the bar to bend this bending will result in cyclic stresses that may eventually lead to failure...

What a load of crap! Thats a sales pitch if I ever heard one