BC coilovers installed (how-to & feedback)

[COR BLMY]

I have installed the new BC (BR series) coilovers.

here is a short how-to with photos of the units and the install.

The BR series are 30 way adjustable compression / rebound adjustable.
Have ride height adjustability both Front and Rear.
AND come with adjustable front camber plates.

All 3 of these features were what I was looking for in doing a upgrade.

An additional feature is flexable adjuster extensions for the rears that I wanted to install to be able to use the adjustability feature WITHOUT having to remove the unit or even lay on the ground

These coilovers are well known in other market applications.

HERE THEY ARE...(as delivered)


Tools and extenders included









Here is a short HOW-TO

Again I installed to be able to adjust from above. They can be set and then installed, but to then adjust the rears they would need to be partially removed to reach the knob on the TOP of the rear.

The main point of the install is to show the MODIFICATIONS needed to do the install.

BEFORE YOU START !
Measure your ride height on level ground with the OEM units on.
You will want to know this to brag about your drop ...LOL
you will want to know this as a base or starting point when setting rideheight after install.

Jack up the vehicle and use jack stands

































NOW to remove the fronts ... then do all the install











TIME TO INSTALL






I jacked up the rear so as to be sure that in the normal position AND under load the adjuster clears the hole. As the suspension works the top does move.





... about stock height.
My final setting is 1+" lower then this.
I set the rear were I wanted it THEN adjusted the front.











The ride height would be about stock with thr front set here.










Final shot of panel reinstalled and the flexable adjuster on.

This is about a "straight shot" up from the coilover.
I was going to put at the "cubbie" door in the back but the more than 90 deg. bend...
just didn't feel quite right.
I could feel the indent position but not as "clearly" as the straight position.

MORE photos to come of vehicle shots as soon as weather permits.

I have now had the coilovers on for just 2 days (the car will be having a full alignment and corner balancing this weekend).


My first impressions are GREAT !

Firm and good road feel.
Still trying different settings on the compression / rebound.
The adjustment stiffens up the compression.
OR adjusting the other way softens compression.

You can feel the difference.
I started in the middle (setting 15) and today reset to 5 and could feel the softer ride.

The springs are stiff... they feel stiffer then the H sport (with stock shocks ) that were on before.

When ALL adjustmenta are made I will put them through more testing and adjusting.

All in all the quality looks good and the features are great.

The price point is excelent.

Camber plates, shocks and springs OR camberplates and coilovers elsewhere are more $.

Nice to see other manufacturers and vendors supporting the MINI crowd.
We now have more choices.

[txwerks]

Great write-up on the install!

[AlaskaBlue]

Great write up. I am interested to see your comments as you have more time driving on these.

[CRRIKEY]

...and i get the hand me downs...haha, havent even installed the H sports, and i already want the coilovers. Justfor everyones information, think pricewise that with $200-$250 coils and a good $450 webb camber plate your already at $650 or $700. I think these coilovers at about $1000 are definately the smarter route with suspension. The adjustability alone not to mention new shocks (that would add more $ in a coil setup) is worth the extra $300 ish. I guess im all about doing things right the first time... My dad Cor Blmy is giving me his coils, but with the amount i have spent in preperation, its not much cheaper than the coilovers. I personally watched the install and it went really smooth.

[COR BLMY]

CRRIKEY didn't just "watch"...
he was my help, photographer, and "what if" sounding board.
For that the take offs are his. but like he said for the indroductry price (don't know how long that will be around) really hard to beat.

[meb]

Are you sure bound and rebound can be adjusted independently? I don't as an additional knob for rebound...

[COR BLMY]

Originally Posted by meb

Are you sure bound and rebound can be adjusted independently? I don't as an additional knob for rebound...

NO ...
There is ONE adjuster.
The compression/rebound are adjusted but they are lineal

[meb]

I sent you a PM...but after reading this I need to ask...if bound and rebound are linear, that means a 1:1 relationship. I would check into this as most single adjustable units are set to 1:3, or rebound is 1/3rd bound. A 1:1 will be a very scary ride Adjusting rebound a little higher in true double adjustable units can help stability under threshold braking, but I've never used 1:1...

[Partsman]

Very nice install, and clean. Excellent job.

[COR BLMY]

Originally Posted by meb

I sent you a PM...but after reading this I need to ask...if bound and rebound are linear, that means a 1:1 relationship. I would check into this as most single adjustable units are set to 1:3, or rebound is 1/3rd bound. A 1:1 will be a very scary ride Adjusting rebound a little higher in true double adjustable units can help stability under threshold braking, but I've never used 1:1...

Please forgive me if I missused a term ...
I do not know what the ratio is between compression and rebound.
BUT the 2 DO work together.

My understanding...
As a VERY simple example the internal valve is opend and closed by a single adjuster... so if the valve is opensd the oil flows more freely on BOTH directions... softer compression faster rebound.
I am NOT a suspension expert. and only want to share as much as I can

[goaljnky]

Excellent write up. I would also love to hear the long term reports as you continue to use them.

[ChrisW]

So when are you going to be in Fresno to help me with my Megans?

[meb]

I'm not knocking anything you're doing, just trying to clarify. And like others have already written, probably the most detailed install we've seen.

Originally Posted by COR BLMY

Please forgive me if I missused a term ...
I do not know what the ratio is between compression and rebound.
BUT the 2 DO work together.

My understanding...
As a VERY simple example the internal valve is opend and closed by a single adjuster... so if the valve is opensd the oil flows more freely on BOTH directions... softer compression faster rebound.
I am NOT a suspension expert. and only want to share as much as I can

[COR BLMY]

Well my son who helped me is sold on these

He is taking my old springs and is buying camper plates.
Even with my hand-me-downs the price is GREAT

He may not even go to the trouble and cost of using parts and old stuff.

One ride in the car even now before the alignment and corner ballance and these are at the very least way better than what I took off.

[Dr Obnxs]

As is his big brother, the sawzall!

Good write up, nice customization!

Matt

[etalj]

Originally Posted by meb

I sent you a PM...but after reading this I need to ask...if bound and rebound are linear, that means a 1:1 relationship....

Come on meb! y=3x is a linear equation. 1:3 ratio is linear too....

[defylogik]

these are from the same factory as the megans. would be interesting to see if they have the same problems as the megans.

at your set ride height measure from center wheel to the fender trim. put car on a jack so the wheel is off the ground and jack the control arm untill the shock hits the bump stop. measure distance from centerline to fender trim.

subtract. that is your estimated travel. i think a lot of people have seen these on the tubes, especially ebay, and would be interested to see what the overall travel of these is!!!

overall though, great writeup!!!

[COR BLMY]

drfylogik...

I will do your test and give you the #s

3 things though:

1...That system of test does NOT give travel.
Watch a car next to you next time your on the road and the wheel can and does move down from its static resting position.
The measurement that will come up with your test is an indication of travel.

2... They may well be from the same factory and I honest I do not know that as a fact or not. However factories make a product to their customers specifications. The materials used the specs and the build is not the same as Megans. Even factories that change the name of a individual product can be very different. Chevrolet makes Chevettes and Corvettes. 2 different uses and therefore specs. Cheep wine good wine.

3...It is my understanding that Megans got a bad wrap due to improper specs AND a lot of improper use. I know several Megan users who have them and they are working well.

Please also note that these are not sold as a $5K + SUPER system...
and we do not drive $100K + supercars.
This at the very least is a great value alternative for the MINI

If I had bad shocks and my springs had some hard use on them this $1000 is an amazing parts replacement.

My decision took the intended use, function, features and $ into play.
If I had $3K for suspension alone, I would have looked at different alternatives.

If you search Ebay right now there is 1 set of old style used BC EVO coil overs listed.
I don't know if being there is either good or bad and don't understant your intended ebay reference

Thanks and I'll get you the info

[COR BLMY]

Here is some interesting reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspens...ehicle)#Travel

On another positive note...

I forgot to mention that the studs on the fronts are nice and long so that if you have a strut tower brace the nuts will have plenty of thread.

[jimz68]

Great write-up and photos!!!
Now get back to work on that wing!!
See Ya!!
Jim

[slvrmni03]

t

[slvrmni03]

Thanks for the write up, I will be using it soon as I have a set of coilovers sitting in the garage. BTW, your headlights look kick-a$$. How are you liking them?

[COR BLMY]

Hope the info is useful "slvr"

I do like the Yellow lights. thanks

[meb]

According to Steve from Megan, my problems are not bumpstop related, but spring related - the springs reached block height - same as binding.

Here is a calculation I used in the past. This example is for one front corner - mini

My corner weight 852lbs
Desired spring rate (just an example) 375lb linear

852 divided by 375 = 2.272" This number is the number of inches that spring will compress when 852 lbs is placed on it. Now, you need to use a spring chart - Eibach's is great - to select a spring that is (1) the correct diameter, (2) has enough travel left after the 852lbs sits on. The spring cannot reach block height during the compression stroke period! The remaining travel required is a function of the limitations and needs of a given suspension at a given ride height. Basically, a Mini lowered by 1" needs 2" inches of travel left (this includes some margin). So in this case, we need a spring that has at least 4.272" of travel before reaching block height - the height at which the spring will bind.

Preloading a linear rate spring is a bunch of hoopdala. It gets one nowhere.
Take two 10" springs...compress one by 5" (lets assume it has not reached block height) Now, compress the 10" spring by one inch and the spring that has been compressed to 5" one more inch...the amount of force required to compress both one more inch is EXACTLY THE SAME! Why? Because they are linear. However, if we take two 10" springs and measure the force required to compress one by 1" and one by 6", the one being compressed to 6" requires, as you can plainly see, a hell of lot more force. The exact force is a function of the exact spring rate.

Pick a spring rate that suits your needs, but make sure it is the shortest spring to fit that need. This saves weight and helps remove any buckling or non-linear motion that a very long spring may have. That's it.

Ask me why I've had so many problems with my Megan springs, given that I know how to size springs...I just never thought I had to check. But I also on occasion get confused with calculations I do not use often.

Don't assume the BC coilovers are exempt either...and as I wrote to COR BLMY, make sure that the cylinders are screwed as far into the lower sleeves as possible. This will help your setup to retain as much suspension travel as possible. Then set spring perch height just tight enough to keep the spring in place when the suspension reaches full droop. ride height is then fine tuned by adjusting the cylinder in the lower sleeve.

Progressive rate springs are a different animal.

[exbumblebee03]

great write up! from i can tell they looks to work the same as my Tein Flex coils on my old car, wich is very nice! now the question where to buy them!
THX
Peter