Did you buy the Eibach

E10-57-004-08-22

I have ST coilovers on my car and the only problem they had to align it was in the rear in getting the toe in spec which is all perfect except my right rear is a little out. I will eventually buy some adjustable control arms to fix it but I'm not in a huge hurry. The car doesn't pull either at all.

I would ask your installer to give you the alignment specs and see where the problem is. It sounds like the something is off. Maybe it just needs adjustable control arms in the back to help get it in spec.

Yea, Tuner Shop is good, and my order was canceled on the German site! HA. Yes, the US site was good though.

If your car is pulling, the alignment is off. PERIOD.

Even though you'll get it from Germany,
Tunershop has a US rep/importer. So distributor rules kick in.

Keeping left?

These are the questions I would ask a client when I was a tech.

Does the car move to the left when you let go of the steering wheel?

Is the steering wheel turned to the right when driving, but goes left when you straighten it?

Is the steering wheel turned to the left but the car drives straight??

Agreeing with you!!
On a Mini when lowered, the Toe is adjusted first, and it will return to spec with adjustment.
However the toe adjustment affects camber, and camber can not be returned, thus need ing adjustable camber arms.

I thought I had read that the SE was raised effectively by using spacers in the suspension, was I misinformed? I'm sure they are using stiffer springs too due to the weight but I was hoping you could remove the spacers to get a decent drop just to start with.

The SE has a different subframe in the front and back which raises the car.

The weight balance is different in the SE and at least for the KW/ST coilovers, the spring rate is lower in the front but stiffer in the rear when compared to the S model.

If you are feeling lucky, you could try the H&R springs designed for the F57 because the H&R site in Germany lists the same part number for the SE. It is TUV approved and I read somewhere about the drop but I would be worried about hurting the OEM struts/shocks when lowering the car.

Oh no I plan on getting full coilovers regardless if for no other reason than to get camber adjustments, I just liked the idea of being able to remove spacers to get an extra bit of drop from the start.

Along these same lines, I've been looking into Koni sports/yellows to pair with the Eibach lowering springs as I don't really like the idea of pairing them with the stock shocks (plus it's very little extra work to swap them out while you already have everything apart.)

Koni doesn't list a specific application for the SE, which isn't surprising. The front struts are likely ok to use given the similar weight up front. However, I don't know that the regular rear Koni's would have suitable compression damping given the extra weight out back (only rebound is adjustable on these shocks.) First step was to see if there's a Koni application listed for the F54 Clubman since that would theoretically be a better match for the stiffer F54 springs, but Koni doesn't have an application listed. However, in looking around for F54 Clubman shocks I noticed that there are a few coilover applications that list crossover compatibility for the F54 and the BMW X1 (F48), leading me to believe that the rear shock length is similar across the platforms, and this is important as Koni does have an application for rear shocks for the X1. So, my theory at this point is you could do a similar trick with Koni's that Eibach is doing with their SE spring kit by mixing and matching the F56 front struts with the F48 X1 rear shocks. I have a message out to Koni to see if they'll confirm the differences between the "regular" F56 rear shocks and the F48 rear shocks. I'm assuming the length and mounting configuration is the same/similar, but the damping curve is more aggressive on the F48 shocks. If I hear back from Koni I'll post an update.

I would just do the ST/KW coil-overs I think at that point.

But going with coilovers (unless you've been able to find a set specifically for the SE) doesn't necessarily solve the problem of the SE's wonky weight distribution vs an ICE F56, right? The rear spring rate will still be too low out of the box, or at least the ratio of rear/front spring rate will be off. If the coilovers have double adjustable dampers you should at least be able to dial in the rear compression/rebound after some trial & error, but the rear spring rate will still be too low.

Being located in the northeast I'm averse to coilovers as the goo they treat the roads with around here in the winter makes a mess of the threaded spring perches in short order. For that reason alone I'm content to go with an uprated traditional spring/shock setup. I'm cautiously optimistic that the X1 rear shocks could turn out to be a viable solution for providing increased compression & rebound over the F56 rear shocks.

KW has specific coil-overs for SE. Some have used them here.

I hear what you are saying though about the weather!

KW does not list the spring rates but the TUV approval lists some details of the springs.

SE Front Springs
Wire size: 11.4mm
Untensioned length: 235mm

SE Rear Springs
Wire size: 12.4mm
Untensioned length: 175mm

S Front Springs
Wire size: 13.1mm
Untensioned length: 200mm

S Rear Springs
Wire size: 11.6mm
Untensioned length: 180mm

If you dig into the Eibach spring kit, the SE springs use the same front springs as the S but uses the same rear springs as the F55.

H&R lists the F57 spring kit as compatible with the SE too.

So I really don't think there is much difference between the two kits. Especially when you think about how the base model SE weighs less and uses 16" wheels than the Signature Plus and Iconic trims with the heavier sunroof and heavier 17" wheels.

Huh, didn't realize the SE-specific KW coilovers existed - thanks for the info. I'm still inclined to go Koni/Eibach if possible, especially at 1/2 the cost. Haven't heard back yet from Koni but I have plenty of time still...my car won't likely be built for a couple of months yet.

Eibach does sell a kit for the SE but it isn't directly available in the US from Eibach USA. You will have to purchase it from a vendor in Europe. I don't think Koni supports the SE just yet because they haven't tested it. There is one member on here that has the Eibach kit and is using the OEM struts.

ECS sells both the ST and KW coilovers but if you contact KW or ST USA, they will tell you that it isn't available. I have the ST kit.

That one member is me - eibach on oe shocks.

They are not difficult or expensive to get.

People interested in upgrading their SEs should check out what Tifosi has done to his on this thread. His resume is impressive and so is his SE.

Ah - I blush! Thanks eMINIman!

Did you ever get those coilovers? I just bought a 2022 SE 5 weeks ago and am wanting to lower it some. Trying to decide between coilovers and springs. I'd love to hear about your experience with them.

Eibach and H&R really dont have a presence in the US, only independent distributors.
For example they sell F56 springs, and tell you they work on an F55, that will make the F55 sit low in the rear

H&R and Eibach make springs specifically for the SE

Contact
https://www.tunershop.com/
They are based in Germany, tell them you want these

https://web1.carparts-cat.com/defaul...5468004&12=130

If you want Eibach the SE springs are E10-57-004-08-22



They are reputable, as in my case H&R dont import sway bars in the US,I bought my H&R sway bars through them, shipped in 2 days for $20 shipping.

Boy could this not be more wrong.

H&R is located in Bellingham, WA
Eibach is located in Corona, CA

Both have extensive and large US based teams and warehouse/distribution.

Both are made in Germany (close to each other). I have been to all 4 locations (US headquarters and German plants).

This is also where I bought my SE springs - ONLY because it was cheaper and quicker as there were none in the USA when I ordered.

I talked to the vendors at SEMA and informed them of the need for MINI E (SE) springs.

So it might be a while but they have been informed. :)


Some of the SEMA MINIs : https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ema-minis.html

https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/ima...r-173493_1.jpg

IMHO, unless the springs are TUV (German Made) I would not use them. Too many horrible experiences!

So that leaves KW, Ebach and H&R basically.

I purchased ST X coilovers from ECS Tuning. ECS is the only place I found that sell the correct part number coilovers for the SE.

ST coilovers are the same as KW except the shock bodies. ST uses a zinc coating and KW are stainless.

I picked the fixed dampening (ST X) vs the adjustable (ST XA) because it was cheaper and I didn't think it was really needed. I had KYB AGX adjustable struts on a car and never really messed with it.

Front
The springs are progressive so the more you compress it, the higher the spring rate. And, the higher the ride height, the more the springs are compressed. This seems a little counterintuitive too but I guess you are just increasing the preload on the springs as you make the ride height higher.

Since I can't adjust the dampers, I felt like I had to adjust the ride height to make the springs have the right balance of preload for a good ride. Maybe with the ST XA coilovers, you don't have to do this as much.

I also had to trim the air diverter in front of the front tires so that it wouldn't drag on driveways. It is pretty simple to do. I just cut 1/2" off with a pair of scissors.

Rear
The dampers are noticeably shorter than the OEM ones and a lot stiffer.

The springs just sit on a perch that is threaded. Also, if you look at F56 pictures for coilover installs and compare it to where the spring sits on the body on an SE, you'll see the spacer Mini added for the SE. It has seam sealer on it and it is painted so you can't just pop it off.

Adjusting the ride height in the back can't be done with the rear shocks fully mounted. You have to remove the lower bolt for the shock so you can lower the control arm and get perch out of the car. Then you can turn it and adjust it how you want. It is a time consuming process.

Tires
My car is a signature model that comes with 16" 195/55 tires. The ride wasn't great with the coilovers so I thought it was the tires. I replaced the runflats with Michelin Pilot Sport tires hoping it would be better but I was wrong. The car was a lot quieter with the better tires and much better grip but at certain speeds, the bouncing was worse. The sidewall of the tires flexed too much for the stiffness of the dampers.

I recently purchased new 17" Mini wheels that have 205/45 runflats and the bouncing is gone. It is amazing how tires and sidewall height impact how dampers feel. It is louder and I have less traction now but the uneasy bouncing I would get from time to time is gone.

The sidewall stiffness and height makes a big difference in ride comfort but with coilovers, it is amplified. The fixed dampers are just too stiff for 195/55 16 tires.

Height
I tried many different heights in an attempt to make it ride and handle well. The installation guide tells you how to measure the front and rear correctly and the front has an adjustment range of 20mm but the rear only has 13mm. So I would make sure in adjusting it, I would use the same percentage within the range in the front and the back. For example, if I wanted to make the car sit in the middle of the range (50%), I would set the front 10mm from lowest setting and the back at 6.5mm.

Adjusting the rear ride height is a little strange too. Before I figured out that I needed to strictly follow the installation guide as I mentioned above, I tried raising or lowering the back by looking at the wheel gap. I would drop the rear a 1/2" but then I wouldn't see 1/2" change in the gap. It just made the car ride terribly.

I now have the car at the highest setting according to the installation guide. There are still more threads to make the car higher so you can't just eyeball it. You have to really follow the directions.

Since I now have OEM 17" wheels with OEM runflats and the coilovers at the highest setting recommended by ST, the car handles great. This is probably how KW/ST designed the fixed dampers too so it makes sense that this combination works well.

If I were doing this over again, I would pick the ST XA coilovers so that I could adjust the dampers so it is more compliant at different ride heights and different wheel/tire combinations.