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I was curious if the JCW strut brace made any diffeence to the new MINI platform so I ordered one from Morristown Mini (Ebay-$225 delivered).
Before installation I went on a 5 mile test drive coverening section of the worst pavment I could find around my house. My cars is a 2008 Clubman S with the standard suspension, 17" Pace wheels with Continantal AS RF tires.
The brace arrived just a few days after purchase on Ebay with no shipping charges. I have to say that Morristown Mini is the best source for MINI parts.
The brace is very well made and comes with new attachement nuts. A lot of thought went into the brace, its curved design allows service of the air filter without having to remove the brace. Also there is a cut-out on the right side so it doesn't cover the VIN # of the car after it is installed. Installation is straight forward and only take about 10 miniutes.
Following installation I drove the same 5 mile loop to see if there was any noticeable difference with the bar installed.
Results-It does make a diffeence, it makes the entire car feel more ridgid and less road vibrations are transmitted into the passenger compartment. I can't say this would make any noticable difference on the track, but it does make the car more enjoyable to drive on the street. Also, it made a noticable difference in torque steet, now almost none. I'm quite happy with it.
__________________ Big Jim Swade
2008 Clubman S
Sparkling Silver, Black Roof and Pillars
Pace Wheels, Hi-Fi, MFW, Black Leatherete, LSD
Manual Transmission, JCW Tuning Kit
MA-Northwest Mini, Tacoma WA
Last edited by Big Jim Swade; 10-23-2009 at 01:12 PM.
The JCW trut bar made a difference in my JCW. Just drive one with and then one without and the difference is very noticable.
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Some people say that I will never get the money out of my MINI that I have put into it. I say, "I get my money's worth everytime I hit the ignition button".
Mods: RMW tuned with many mods... 213.9WHP / 227ftlbs Wheel Torque
It made a difference in your cooper s with a jcw canned tune ?
???
Dive a R56 with the strut tower brace and drive one without the strut tower brace brace. It's a noticable difference.
__________________
Some people say that I will never get the money out of my MINI that I have put into it. I say, "I get my money's worth everytime I hit the ignition button".
Mods: RMW tuned with many mods... 213.9WHP / 227ftlbs Wheel Torque
Trust me on this the strutbar does NOT make a difference on my factory JCW.
maybe on the cooper s with a jcw kit it makes a difference
Well maybe if you did not drive your 2009 factory JCW like my sister drives you could tell the difference...
Actually the R56 is already pretty stiff to begin with so you might not notice it, but the difference is there. Just drive a MINI with it and then without it and you can feel the difference.
__________________
Some people say that I will never get the money out of my MINI that I have put into it. I say, "I get my money's worth everytime I hit the ignition button".
Mods: RMW tuned with many mods... 213.9WHP / 227ftlbs Wheel Torque
though I'm sure certain people notice a difference with the strut brace, I do believe that the money can be better spent. But if you feel a difference, then the money is well spent. I personally didn't feel a difference on my MCS.
I'd rather spend the money on adjustable camber plates, the MINI's desperately need them.
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Factory built 08/08 MINI JCW: JCW Aerokit, M7 C-Wing, Bilstein PSS10, Vorshlag camber plates, RennSport Racing Rear Upper and Lower Control Arms, Howerton Engineering HFS-3 w/ Race Tank, Whiteline 20mm RSB, RMW Tune, Dunlop Direzza Star Spec Z1, DoS CAI, Evolve FMIC, BSH OCC + Dual Boost Port, NM SSK, etalj-spec torque arm ;), Goodridge SS Brake Lines, Endless RF-650 fluid, Carbotech XP12s, ALTA PSRS, Powergrid adjustable endlinks, Challenge Decals
__________________
Some people say that I will never get the money out of my MINI that I have put into it. I say, "I get my money's worth everytime I hit the ignition button".
Mods: RMW tuned with many mods... 213.9WHP / 227ftlbs Wheel Torque
__________________ I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
Big Jim Swade
I say, boy, you dont seem to be apprehendin' the general gist of what I'm tryin' to convey here. Maybe you oughta take a second, let your head catch up to your tongue before it gets all sunburnt. That was a joke, son, I say - a joke! Nice boy, but he's about as sharp as a sack o' wet mice.
