I developed a squeak after installing my 19mm bar as well. After having the shop look at it, and taking it for a test drive with someone sitting in the back, it seems to be coming from the interior. The back seat, the plastic panels, etc, seem to squeak and squeal more now that the back end is a bit stiffer. Maybe you are experiencing the same issue?

 

I don't think so, but I'll keep it in mind when I go in tomorrow. I think I'll have him listen to it from outside the car, too. The reason I'm thinking it's coming from the front is that whenever I drop off the lip of my garage floor I hear it. Not when the rear wheels drop off, just the fronts. I also hear it with any uneven-ness like in my drive way, speed bumps, etc at low speed.

 

Squeaks!! Wish I could help but I am at least a month away from getting my first Mini (JCW 3Dr.)

Plenty of noisy experience in the past with squeaking sway bars and the bushings were always the culprit.

No matter what lube I used, within weeks the noise returned.

Good luck and feel free to highjack this thread anytime. I always was a "freedom of speech advocate.";o)

Ballyrick

 

I read that they should be greased once a year at the most and normal would be about two years.

From personal experience, I have not been able to get Way on the phone. Then he sent me a PM on this board and he has replied within 24 hours to my PMs ever since. You have lots of time to bounce mod ideas off him while you wait for delivery.
He will be at MOTD which is this month and I doubt he will be answering PMs or phone when he is there.
I don't know about you, but I'm doing mods in batches. Sorta Stage I, II etc. so I can enjoy and evaluate the changes.
Stage I was H-Sport 19mm RSB and NM Torque arm insert.
Stage II will be Red Stuff brake pads front and rear with WMW SS lines and NM short shift kit and cover plate + maybe exhaust(NM).
Stage 3 will be Bilstein HDs and camber plates.
Stage 4 will be light fancy wheels(Breyton) and non runflats plus AS tires, probobly Cont. DWS.

 

My cousin install springs in his 2010 Jetta. Shortly after one of the front springs started to squeak. We checked everything. Installation was done correctly. They eventually (2 weeks) seemed to settle slightly lower. Maybe an 1/8 of an inch. The squeak stopped at the same time.

 

Actually with the Hsport bars, I've only ever had to regrease one out of hundreds I've installed, The way the Hsport bushings hold the grease is superior to all the others so I've found that I just haven't had to regrease them.
You welcome to call my shop but if you just want to order you can do it on our website www.waymotorworks.com I spend all day on the phone so if you don't get me I'll call back when I can.

 

i apologize for this duplicate post from a different thread - i installed NM springs and H-sport 19mm rear sway (OEM end links). cornering and handling is better, but...

1) there's some sort plastic or rubber like squeaking from the rear. anybody experienced that? i believe it is spring related because as i sit on the rear bumper and bounce up and down on it i can hear the squeak. all suggestions are much appreciated.

2) i had H-sport 19mm rear sway in both middle and the stiffest settings. i really didn't feel the difference between the two settings or compare to OEM sport suspension bar. car feels more neutral than it was, but i was expecting the rear to "tighten up" while cornering or at the very least feel the difference. this one baffles me. anybody had this? did you guys with similar setup (NM spring and larger sway) feel stiffer rear while cornering? is it possible that dropping the car requires different end links to make it work? could the bar simply slide laterally at load (i.e. need to tighten the bushings)? all suggestions are much appreciated.

thanks a lot in advance guys and gals!
Alex

 

Just installed the H-Sport 19mm RSB (from Way Motor Works) on my Justa this morning. The install was a snap (2.5 hours, solo), even with just jackstands and hand tools. I also used NM Engineering's website instructions in addition to the Hotchkis instructions because the color photos are much clearer. Put it on the middle setting and took it out for a little jaunt around some of the local twists. Understeer is gone, and even kicked the rear out on one fast left-hander. Still has a nice ride over the bumps.

Best mod EVER!!!

 

I notice lots of complaints about squeaks. Most aftermarket bars use urethane bushings for better performance. The downside is, even if they are lubricated, after it rains a few times they will squeak. The permanent fix is to wrap the bar with teflon tape where it contacts the bushing. You may never need to disassemble, re-wrap or re-lube it again. This mod has been around a while. I've been doing it since the early 90's on all my BMW's for nearly 20 years of squeak free driving.

 

smoke05S - thanks for that. I just got the same solution from another owner locally. I'm not quite sure right now if mine is a sway bar squeak or something coming from a spring. It seems to me that it's coming from the front - the mechanic that did the install is going to take a look at it today to know for sure.

I may have him wrap the bar just to do it and get it over with, though.

 

Do you use any lube or just the teflon tape wrapped around the bar? any suggestion on what kind of teflon tape / size to use?

 

I have been looking at RSBs and I am pretty sure this is the one I am going to go with. How difficult is this to install? I have some decent experience working on cars/trucks/Jeeps, so I have a boat load of tools, I just need to know how much time I should set aside.

Thanks,
Matt

 

Sorry, I cannot help. Not only am I not mechanically inclined, I have hardly any tools and two "left hands" but one of those two is quite capable of writing a check from time to time.

Good luck,
Bally Rick

 

When I checked the NM Engineering website yesterday. they have changed the bushings on their 22 mm RSB. They now have grease/Zirk fittings like H-Sport. Price increased to $299.

 

If anyone is interested I spotted a 22MM Alta RSB in the marketplace this morning for like $140 I think. If I hadn't just installed the 19mm bar I would have snagged it!

 

8 months later (sorry about that). It really does not matter if you lube it or not with the teflon tape wrap mod. They didn't even have that super thick grease back in the day and it worked back then. I've done it both ways and it works on both. I'm in the market for a RSB for the wifes JCW. I think a 19 would work best on her std suspension JCW Clubman but I'll take whatever I can find for cheap.

update: the 19mm rsb is on. Stock is 17 with std JCW suspension on the clubman. I have it on full stiff and it is much softer than my 22 on full soft on the other car. First impression, I was kind of expecting just a tad more but I need a longer drive to really check it out. It should work fine though and can't beat the price ($70.00 shipped after coupons).