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Wanted: Aftermarket Spring info. More details needed:
Brand/Name:
MC Drop Front/Rear: (inches of drop as compared to stock)
MCS Drop Front/Rear: (inches of drop as compared to stock)
Spring rate Fr/Rr: (please specify rate in lbs-in and if progressive, then specify the different rates)
Stock Springs Sport Suspension (linear)
MC Drop: 0.0" fr / 0.0" rr
MCS Drop: 0.0" fr / 0.0" rr
Rate: ???? fr / ??? rr ( Did some quick searching and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on what rates are used for a stock MINI. These could be changing from year to year. They also appear to be dependent on the options installed on the car as to what rate is used. I've seen as low as 179 and as high as 225. So your guess is as good as mine)
Alta MC Drop: 1.5" fr / 1.0" rr
MCS Drop: 0.95" fr / 0.75" rr
Rate: Alta claims the 5th on spring rates :LOL:
APEX Sport
MC Drop: NEEDED!!
MCS Drop: 1.2" fr / 1.2" rr
Rate: NEEDED!!
Whiteline (progressive) (found info on MINI2...Austrailian springs)
MC? Drop: 0.6-1.0" fr / 0.6-1.0" rr
Rate: 180-264 fr / 192-234 rr
p.s. Still for the progressive rate springs, I'd like to know not the average, but the high and low rates. Thanks!
p.s.s. I've also found that some websites list "drop" based upon Cooper or Cooper S. It appears when Aftermarket springs are put on the Cooper it is not lowered as much as putting those same springs onto a Coooper S. The difference is close to a 1/2". So I think this is why sometimes you'll see apparently "conflicting" reports on amount of drop. So lets be sure to know which is which. :-)
The extensive, albeit incomplete list, is from Randy Webb.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dominicminicoopers
This is all I found with my search
(link here)
H&R (supposedly progressive, but only one rate mentioned)
Drop: 1.4" fr / 1.4" rr
Rate: 280lbs-in fr / 280lbs-in rr (supposedly progressive, but only one rate mentioned)
Come' on people. There must be someone out there that knows these things off the top of their head (or at least has them written down somewhere). You know others like, M7, h-Sport, etc. Post here and make this list complete.
__________________ Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor, not a scientist! Puresilver 05 JCW Blackleather Anthracite BBS RGR Chrono Xenon Coldweather HarmonKardon iPod
You know, I can't find the spring info now...found it very easily three or four times in the past couple of weeks. The info is a reply from Randy, but not his thread. You will unfortunately have to pick thru some of the earlier spring threads. ...the end of the first page or someplace within the entire second page of threads. It's worth finding.
__________________ Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor, not a scientist! Puresilver 05 JCW Blackleather Anthracite BBS RGR Chrono Xenon Coldweather HarmonKardon iPod
I added the M7 springs to my 04 MCS and very carefully measured the wheel arch height before and after installation and again several thousand miles later.
The drop on my car was exactly 1 inch & has maintained that dimension.
Bill
__________________ MINI COOPER S = Miles of Smiles!!!! :):):):):):):):):):):) MMC #162 FOR SALE - Click here for list of mods
I recently went to 215/40/17 tires instead of the stock 205/45/17 and that dropped the car another 1/4 inch.
The springs ride great on the street and handle great on the track. These springs coupled with a 22mm rear sway bar result in very flat cornering and very little unloading of the inside front wheel in tight corners on the track.
Bill
__________________ MINI COOPER S = Miles of Smiles!!!! :):):):):):):):):):):) MMC #162 FOR SALE - Click here for list of mods
I recently went to 215/40/17 tires instead of the stock 205/45/17 and that dropped the car another 1/4 inch.
The springs ride great on the street and handle great on the track. These springs coupled with a 22mm rear sway bar result in very flat cornering and very little unloading of the inside front wheel in tight corners on the track.
Bill
__________________ Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor, not a scientist! Puresilver 05 JCW Blackleather Anthracite BBS RGR Chrono Xenon Coldweather HarmonKardon iPod
KW V1, V2 and V3 coilovers come with 278 lb. front and 222 lb. rear rates.
I think their web site says 35 mm lowereing but lowering more than 3/4" requires some thinking. You can actually lower the car apx. 2" if you know what to do with the parts they give you.
Their Competition 2 way coiloverrs are built to order and have rates available to over 1200 lb.
__________________
2003 JCW 207, headers, custom 2.5" cat back, 5" SuperTrapp, 15x7.5 SSR's and 16x8 ce28n's, KW Competition 2 Ways, Quaife, Webb Extreme bar
2001 & 2002 SCCA, STS Pro Solo National Champion. 2003 SCCA, STX Solo II National Championship, me 8th co-driver, Courtney, 2nd in 03 and 04.
Dominic - This is a great thread and the information contained here will be *extremely* useful for anyone considering an aftermarket suspension. Ride stiffness and handling performance is all very subjective; one person's stiff ride could be quite comfy for another.
Even though the new Mini has been out for 3 model years now, it appears that there is still a lot of missing information regarding suspension. At a minimum, ride height drop and spring rate needs to be known before an educated buying decision can be made. Ideally (but difficult to find, even in a "mature" aftermarket), dyno charts for the dampers should also be available.
I would like to suggest a couple of things to add to the list:
1) Add a note to indicate a coilover suspension (for example, H&R has both regular springs plus coilover springs)
2) Add a note to indicate a shortened (and/or adjustable) strut (do these even exist for Mini Cooper?)
3) If dampers are included (as with coilovers), indicate dampers that have damper adjustment
Lastly - How do we make this thread a sticky? Thanks for this thread!
Dominic - This is a great thread and the information contained here will be *extremely* useful for anyone considering an aftermarket suspension. Ride stiffness and handling performance is all very subjective; one person's stiff ride could be quite comfy for another. ...it appears that there is still a lot of missing information regarding suspension.
Yes thank you. However, for this thread I'm relying upon vendor and customer knowledge, as I do not have it myself. You'd think I would have at least a few responses in this thread from the vendors themselves, but I don't. I've even PM'd ___ (a prominent NAM vendor) to post info here, and they didn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by matma92ser
I would like to suggest a couple of things to add to the list:
1) Add a note to indicate a coilover suspension (for example, H&R has both regular springs plus coilover springs)
2) Add a note to indicate a shortened (and/or adjustable) strut (do these even exist for Mini Cooper?)
3) If dampers are included (as with coilovers), indicate dampers that have damper adjustment
These sound like they'd be useful. I wish I knew. Again, this is where customer or vendor knowledge comes into play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by matma92ser
Lastly - How do we make this thread a sticky? Thanks for this thread!
Nice, I think may be more helpful if adding another point in each of them for sample pic (thumbnail size lead to the actual size pic) for before and after.
e.g.
Alta MC Drop: 1.5" fr / 1.0" rr
MCS Drop: 0.95" fr / 0.75" rr
Rate: NEEDED!!
Pics: [ before ] [ after ]
Yes, that would be nice. :smile: Do you have links to pix I can put up?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fs-mini
Nice, I think may be more helpful if adding another point in each of them for sample pic (thumbnail size lead to the actual size pic) for before and after.
e.g.
Alta MC Drop: 1.5" fr / 1.0" rr
MCS Drop: 0.95" fr / 0.75" rr
Rate: NEEDED!!
Pics: [ before ] [ after ]
Yes, that would be nice. :smile: Do you have links to pix I can put up?
Sorry I don't, but I bet there should be a number of pics showing H-Sport, M7 and Alta in this Suspension category. Or, any one who wants to post theirs, here is the place, and you can find the best ones to post.
...the end of the first page or someplace within the entire second page of threads. It's worth finding.
