Hello guys

I am new to upgrade suspension. I never upgrade suspension my life
I have been researching my self but I am not sure about what to do?

1. Lowing with spring only (people said will go badly any soon.) Is that true?
2. Should I install coilovers? (extra $$$$)
3. How much should I pay for install? (Call few place and they asking about $350 to $500)--- OMG I wish How to do it.
4. Sway bar rear 19mm or 22mm what for???

I Really wanna do it for only spring but If the car will go bad I dont wanna do it...

P.S I never drive Track and I think I will not drive in track.(I dont even know where track location is.....)

Please Help

Thank you guys ^_____________^;;

 

My suspension/performance shop recommended the following for me...it's a daily driver...aggressive driving style...no tracking...but wanted better handling and wanted a more aggressive look(close the gap between the wheel well and tires)...
1. Alta rear sway bar(i got the 22mm)
2. Eibach Pro Kit Springs
3. Hotchkis Camber Kit(the eibach drop is not as aggressive as the h&r's but was recommended to install the kit to ensure proper tire wear)
4. Strut Tower Bar(front- i got the M7).
I'm very happy with this setup. I originally was going with the H&R's but for my purpose(daily driver, no tracking), these were determined to be a bit too aggressive. The rear sway bar made amazing improvements(did this first). I would highly recommend this setup to anyone, if the goals are similar to mine and the driving style matches.

 

A few notes;

1. Lowering via just springs will wear out stock struts faster. The lower the drop, the faster the struts are going to be worn. It's part of the cost of lowering via springs. If you cannot accept this, don't do it. Frankly, coilovers aren't that expensive when you take into consideration replacement costs for your busted struts. Go with Stratosphere VMAXX coilovers. Read the latest issue of the NAM magazine, they talk about the coilovers.

2. 19mm sway bar at the stiffest setting is more than sufficient for a street vehicle. Especially so if you lower it further via coilovers. The 22mm sway bar will introduce oversteer, something most drivers(even if they don't want to admit it) don't know how to control.

3. Read the instructions, get a buddy and do it yourself. It'll help you learn the in's and out's of your vehicle. It's not hard.

4. Once lowered, you will need only one other part- rear lower control arms. Skip the camber plates. The front camber is rarely an issue with lowering your Mini.

5. Read the different threads about suspension upgrade on NAM and also pick up a book. Knowing how systems work when doing modifications will yield the best driving experience.

 

Hello
VMAXX - your think is that good coilover? I drive a lot, sometime going to CT to FL ...... or Other is that OK with long time drive?

Most my buddy they are not into it lol......

thank you anyway

 

see below
3. "It's not hard" is a very relative statement. It's not hard if you've done suspension work before, if you have the right tools, and you have experience. I would strongly advise against anyone doing any suspension work on their car. Not only can you hurt yourself but you can mess up the alignment on the car, drivetrain, and cause you to be buying new tires every 6 months.

4. Again, "SKIP the camber plates", it's rarely an issue with lowering your MINI. If it turns out to be an issue not only is the alignment screwed up but you'd be burning through tires like bubble gum. Once again, have a professional help you here.

My advice is to have a professional do this type of work for you. Don't build a house if you're not a carpenter, it may end of collapsing.....

 

OP: Ryephile had mainly good things to say about the VMAXX. It's definitely the way to go for street driven Mini's. For track driven ones though, I would go a different route. Personally I chose the M7 coilovers but that's definitely in a different budget limit.

mzangari: I just finished installing M7 coilovers on my 09 Clubman. It was not hard, and this is coming from someone who's never worked on suspension, let alone a Mini. Isn't that part of the Mini modding experience? As long as proper precautions are taken(much of which are the same for any vehicle work), your risk of self injury is minimal(unless you're not taking precautions and are doing things stupidly). Many of the tools required is easily rented for free at any chain stores(spring compressors) and others are basic tools(wrenches, sockets, etc.).

As for misalignment, any post suspension work should be followed by a professional alignment done at a reputable shop(search for one that can do before and after print outs and can get specific adjustments based on your needs). Hence, misalignment is not an issue. And yes, I will say this again, skip the camber plates. I went ahead and lowered mine all the way on the M7 to check camber(and to see what clearance it gives with my front splitter) and the fronts barely shifted. Furthermore, most owners will add negative camber to increase handling(obviously this is based on your needs).

Since we're nitpicking, let me put it in a precise manner;

1. Take proper precautions.
2. Plan in advance(regarding tools, time, etc.)
3. Take your time, it's really not that hard. Follow the instructions given. It is pretty much just bolt on and off. Obviously learn how to use a torque wrench to tighten to specs.
4. Get an alignment afterwards if you're unsure of what you're doing.

Just to emphasize on the ease of the modification, I'll count out the number of bolts I needed to remove and install for the M7:

Fronts: 6 bolts each side; 5 of which to release it from the frame(3 was from the strut towers and 2 from the swing arms). Last one was from the stock strut itself to reuse some parts(this is specific to the M7 coilover, other systems might not reuse stock parts and might skip this part) I guess you can say 10 if you add 4 lug nuts for the wheel.

Rear: 4 bolts each side; 1 from control arm, 2 from the frame. Final one was on the strut itself to reuse parts(which is like I mentioned, specific to the M7). 8 total if you include wheel lug nuts.

Rear lower control arms: 1 on each side(the other was already disconnected when I removed the stock strut). This was tight but doable when done slowly.

So basically, you jack up your Mini and place jack points on all 4 sides. Remove all 4 wheels. Remove all 4 struts. Remove rear lower control arms. Disassemble the stock struts(held by one bolt) if parts need to be reused. Reassemble coilovers, install new lower control arms, install coilovers, install wheels. Lower vehicle and check rear camber and ride height. Bring in to shop to get alignment after you've decided on ride height. Doing this myself, it took 4 hours. If I had to redo it, it'll take way less. And if I can do it, majority of the population can.

I'm a firm believer of doing many of your own mods(or at the very least learning about the more complex ones before you bring it to a shop). This protects you as a consumer(you know what the shop will be telling you so you won't get screwed and you can maximize the mod), and will react appropriately if something does go wrong(yes even shops can screw up)

Note: If you're really not comfortable, find a shop that will allow you to watch the installation. At least you know what's going on and what to look at if things go wrong afterwards. And you can also do adjustments if you want to later.

 

Does anyone here have the suspension torque specifications readily available for the R56? I am installing the JCW sport suspension next week on my R56 (to be followed by a professional alignment). I have all of the tools but not the torque specifications (sometimes gorilla torque is not cool...).

 

you can find them here:

http://www.m7tuning.com/techinfo/ins...7coilovers.pdf

 

Thank you very much. Better to do it right than twice...

 

Okay I agree with pretty much everything Izzy said except the above. The "drop" isn't the only thing to do with it. It's the change in rate, too. Some heavier weight springs can actually lengthen the life of your shocks (or at least not kill them faster).

I've heard many people say that doing a slight drop with fixed camber plates is a great setup and can really help neutralize the steering. I've seen a butt load of posts with people being very happy with a TSW spring/IE fixed camber plate combo. With NO rear swaybar. Dustin at AutoXCooper.com was telling me yesterday that he's had a lot of customers do this setup, too.

Just my $.02.

 

its hard to quantify how damper life will be affected by lowering springs. I don't think anyone pointed this out but this is good to know about lowering springs: The total available suspension travel OEM is about two inches. If you put on lowering springs, you lose travel distance equal to how much they lower the car. i.e. with Mach V or H&R lowering springs your total available travel will be under one inch. Your suspension will completely compress when you hit a good bump or dip at speed and the force of that hit will then have to be absorbed by the tires, bump stops, and your spine. Many older MINI's suffered from mushrooming strut towers as a result of the suspension bottoming out. This doesn't mean lowering springs are bad, but going with linear rate springs is probably safer than progressive. They're much more resistant to compression. Getting stiffer damping to go with a spring upgrade is a really good idea to keep the system in balance better. Coilovers that retain the full suspension travel independent of height adjustment are probably the best overall option but also the most expensive.