I am happy to announce that our 22mm adjustable rear anti-sway bar is now available. What makes the NM rear anti-sway bar different from others? Afterall, when I look at pictures of all the different kits out there, they all pretty much look the same. Here is the low-down:
Material:
Everything starts with material - it is the foundation of the part. Companies typically have a wide variety of material to choose from when they decide to manufacture an anti-sway bar. As such, many factors come into play (i.e. cost, availability, cost, strength and durability, cost, etc.).
During this evaluation process, our engineers chose to use 4130 chromoly. Cost was not the primary factor, as 4130 is a more expensive material. The choice was made because of 4130's superior fatigue resistance, high tolerance and zero-memory - even after repeated cycling.
Hardware:
I have seen some other kits and typically they will include polyurethane bushings, clamps and bolts. As we all know, most MINI's are driven fairly agressively. Because of this an OEM-type steel clamp would not be reliable. Looking at the original OEM clamp and clamps available from various suppliers, we quickly realized that we needed to come up with our own solution.
As you can see from the picture on the left (click to enlarge), we machined our own clamps from 6061 aluminum alloy for supperior durability. The clamps are mil-spec hard anodized for a long lasting finish and to protect the material itself from the elements. In addition, we include new grade 12.9 bolts to attach the clamp to the car (the OE bolts are grade 8.8).
Rounding out the included hardware are low-resistance, graphite impregnated poly urethane bushings and special synthetic bushing grease.
Manufacturing and Finishing: The rear anti-sway bar features machined ends with exacting tolerances. In comparison, other manufacturers have chosen to use forged ends (where the material is heated and literally pounded into shape) or welded end (where the mounting points are welded to either end of the bar). Both those manufacturing methods are not as precise, when compared to a CNC machined end.
After the manufacturing process is complete, each bar is powder coated with an ultra-high luster finish that looks great, while protecting the bar itself from the elements.
Installation Instructions:
One of the few areas that are overlooked are the quality of the installation instructions. For parts that are a little more involved, we print full-color instructions on ledger size paper (11" x 17") to make sure all pictures and text are legible. A detailed parts list, along with a list of tools required are provided to make sure you can complete the job before you start it. Lastly, proper manufacturer's torque specifications are provided so that you can put the car back together properly after installation.
If you have any questions, drop me a line...I'd love to hear any feedback you may have!