Hey all,

I now have the intake, exhaust, pulley, springs and swaybar....and I must say that the best mod to make if you REALLY want to notice the difference is....

drum roll please...

H-sport springs and swaybar! TA-DA!

really, no kidding, it's amazing!

You can add power (I sure did) but it just makes you MINI faster...we'll never beat many cars in a 0-60 competition...

Suspension? now we're talking...the biggest fun in the MINI is the twisties...correct? why not work on the one thing that makes the MINI best and make it even better.

You think that you can smoke those chumps in the twisties now? wait till you get these mods...it's not even fair to compete anymore, they don't stand a chance!!!

Ok, but in all seriousness, the suspension mods will be extremely noticeable and make the MINI so much more fun. I have the H-sport springs and the Madness bar .

If you still aren't convinced, check this out...the ride is smoother at "normal" speeds and conditions. You get rid of some of the wheel gap so it looks nicer and when you corner...oh when you corner, the body roll is way reduced so...well...you latte doesn't spill anymore! wahoo!!!

Anyway, there you have it. Now that I've added both power and handling, if you can only afford one....do the handling stuff first!

Pico

 

Your post is timely!! I've got an appointment at Helix next Tuesday to do the above recommended mods. Helix just got the H-Sports in and I will probably be their first install. It's great to hear your praises of the springs and sway bar.....this from someone who has done the other mods, too. For those of us with the Cooper, there's not much power to be gained, so the handling improvements are definitely the way to go.

 

Harmini, with all the twists and turns on the route Cooperspeed has planned for the 20th, you're sure to give those a workout if you plan on coming, thank goodness I have the pulley now, so I can catch up to ya on the straights.

X2

 

I would get one of the limit slip packages. Too much wheel spin coming out of corners while autocrossing. Power is great but you've got to be able to use it.

 

Picoman,
I thought for sure you were going to say "the pulley". I am also going the same direction you are. I have the H Springs in my garage, I am just waiting for the Madness swaybar which I should have by early next week. Do you have the H Sport Camber and Control arms? If you don't, do you wish you had them? Your right about power, there will always be faster/quicker cars, but I hope to have one of the best handling cars out there. I glad to hear how this mod worked out for you. I am really stoked to get them installed.

 

Truckeecollins: If you have the H-sports and the rear sway bar on, you have very effectively changed many variables in the suspension. In all the cases, it seems the front wheels can do their job even better, so it's hard to say the LSDiff would still be the best mod in comparison.

Picoman: How are the H-Sport springs as far as driveability? I don't mean comfort, i'm sure that is like stock, I mean as far as rubbing the bottom driving around the city, entering slopes, etc. I had a passat and the front end of that car would rub the ground if you didn't enter a driveway/lot at a very off angle. I believe it's long front end would attribute to that, you have the front wheels and then a long front end hanging off of it. The MINI is the reverse, it has a very short and stubby front end after the wheels, so it shouldn't give problems when getting on steep slopes. I want to hear you experience on it though, will you scrape if you dont' watch out? Can you drive it straight onto slopes with scraping or does it require you to be constantly aware and alert about slopes or speed bumps? Thanks

 

So the springs do lower the car and yes, you do need to be a bit careful on some of the bigger "bumps". I have a very steep curb to get in my driveway and I'd rub BEFORE the springs were installed. Now I wasn't taking any chances so I added a little ramp of asphalt and that does the trick.

I have yet to rub at all in any normal driving, but I've only had them on for 5 days now so I haven't encountered everything "out there" yet. I'm very pleased.

One thing to note, if you look under the car there is a lip that hangs down. THAT is what was rubbing so I trimmed some off.

Gosharks - nope, no control arms. Do I wish I had them? don't know what they would do for me. If you mean adjusting the camber, then I'm happy with the -1.4 and -1.6 degrees (left and right side) that it ended up at. I don't see further adjustments, but then I don't know much about suspension tuning so I'm a rookie there. I just know how much better it turns now.

I'm glad that others see what I mean about suspension VS. power mods. Don't get me wrong, I love my power mods, but start with the suspension, it's the most FUN mod you'll do.

 

>>Harmini, with all the twists and turns on the route Cooperspeed has planned for the 20th, you're sure to give those a workout if you plan on coming, thank goodness I have the pulley now, so I can catch up to ya on the straights.
>>
>>X2

I am gonna miss the next Ct. meet :???: :???:
I'll be in a seminar all weekend. That's okay, it'll give me some time to test out the new limits before I run with you guys again.

 

Greetings!

I just had the pulley installed May 17th by Randy of MINI Cooper Motorsports as part of the big "pulley party" we had in West Palm Beach.
I am so impressed with the added torque and horsepower - especially from a standing start. Everyday driving is now much smoother in my S :smile: !! And when you really stand on the gas - WOW !!
Ron

 

If I had to pick only ONE performance mod I would choose this:
Light weight wheels-Even in daily driving you will feel that the car is more agile, without adding power you will be able to move more quickly, if you add non run flat tires then the ride quality will be better smoother and if you have performance tires then the cornering will be better too. It is a big mod and expensive to some extend but even 16" wheelset at about $800-1000 is great. Looks can be really nice and that is a plus.

As for H-sport springs and rear swaybar- I have these- And I would count them separately not together or it would be what two mods would be best.
The sway bar is good and cheap $190 plus installation which you could do yourself if you were handy and had the time 1-2 hours. It help handling without the harshness of the stiffer springs of the H-sport springs. I like the springs but the ride quality is rougher esp over every bump and you must be very careful with every speed bump. So better cornering but rough ride except on smooth roads. If you do daily driving you will not notice the sway bar and H-sport springs much other than the ride is harsher at times. You must corner hard to feel the difference. You can go faster only if you push the car through turns. If you drive normally then not much is noted.

Pulley is nice and will give the biggest HP gains but doesn't help handling at all, can't corner faster than the suspension allows and so you will be adding power yet not have it balanced with better suspension to be able to use it to the full extent.

Intake exhaust etc are all smaller gains than the pulley.

 

There is so much potential with these cars. It's fantastic stock but still has so much to be gained in the power and suspension department and most of these mods are bolt ons. Of course everything mentioned above offer pronounced targeted improvements in either handling or acceleration.

That said, I must disagree with the above recommendations and I submit to you that if you are driving the car near it's limits nothing will help you accelerate faster, brake better, turn sharper and improve the feel of your suspension better than high performance or racing tires.

...um or a racing school. But I digress, that's not a mod per se'

Just my opinion,
Jim

 

hey guys...i'm new to these forums. just got my mini coop 2 months ago. thinking about putting some performance mods also. mainly upper strut brace for handling/cornering because i do like to take the corners sometimes during the daily drive. but now you guys have gotten me thinking about the rear sway bar. which brings me to ask...rear sway bar or upper strut brace? or both? what's the difference in terms of handling? also do the different brands vary much?

i'm also thinking about getting an exhaust system, mainly for a nice sound, not just growling. based on what i've read, i'm thinking either RSpeed or Helix. any input would be appreciated.

oh, and one last thing is the tires. i got those "performance run flats" 16's which i think i'll change, again based on what i've been reading here. any suggestions?

i'd greatly appreciate any input. for those from hawaii, i'd really appreciate some info on where to get/order this stuff and where to go to get this all installed.

Thanks again

 

Having just installed the 3rd gen Madness rear swaybar, I can say with some conviction that the swaybar is an amazing handling mod for a MINI. It absolutely PLANTS the rear of the car to give it better turn-in and more predictable over-understeer in off-throttle cornering conditions.

I do believe, however, that where the MINI needs the most help is in power, and power will help in every aspect of the car's behaviour. While it has no direct effect on handling, it can help overcome the very minor handling deficiencies by making the turn-to-turn runs much quicker.

Reducing weight makes a lot of sense and will help in quickness AND handling. Replacing the wheels not only reduces weight (it should anyway), but can be a nice visual amendment as well - so my recommendation is LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELS.

 

I have just one thing to say about that-
SAticky tires are the best mod, as they are the only part of the suspension that contacts the road AND driving school will make you faster in any car.

 

Hey Kbseto, welcome!

To help with the exhaust question, I have the Magnaflow...if you do a search for that you'll find a zillion wildly varying opinions on that and exhaust in general.

My $0.02 is the Magnaflow is the S#$$@!!!! It sounds so amazingly sweet ONCE IT'S BROKEN IN...

At first, even I was worried that I made a mistake, but now 450 miles later, it's mellow, sweet and my new best friend! doh!

Try to hear them in person, I took a chance but am happy. If you are near Seattle, you're welcome to check mine out.

P.S. to the other comment - new tires and wheels are next on my list so I might have to change my post once I get them and say the suspesion is the 2nd best mod...I was just posting on my experience with the mods I got so far

 

Picoman,
You're right, the Magnaflow is probably the most controversial topic on this site! Randy's video's have really sold me, but all the comments about the loudness, especially the droning with some posts really put me off. I have had very loud exhaust systems on some older muscle cars that I had years ago, '65 Mustang and a '74 Camaro with Hooker Sidepipes. The sound of these cars had never bothered me. The droning at highway speed though... You're comments are very encouraging, I would like to see the pulley + Magaflow debate worked out as well.
Cheers!

 

I have the 15% pulley, Stebro exhaust, and a K&N panel filter. I have ordered the swaybar from Moss, but it's back ordered for another 2 weeks so I can't comment on that yet.
So far I say the best mod is the pulley. The low end torque it gives makes around town driving much nicer, and when I want to it screams. With the ASC off the stock Dunlops can barely hold on through 1st gear. Other than V8 stangs, vettes, camaros and such there are a LOT of cars I can kick the crap out of 0-60 with these mods. (Ricer's that means you). I've even ran a WRX wagon from a stop light. He didn't get a good launch and he never caught me until I slowed down around 100. He was catching up for sure, but never got past my rear bumper. I'm certainly not saying mine is faster than a WRX, just faster than a bad driver in a WRX.

 

An MCS with the pulley, exhaust is a good match for a stock WRX - they probably run 170 HP at the wheels. A modded WRX though is a different story. A pulley'd MCS can be kind of stealthy, especially since alot of the rice crowd probably doesn't really know what's going on under there. I'm sure alot of guys are just looking at MINI's and wanting to race based on the look of the car.

Driving an MC, I'm paying more attention to handling stuff now - my exhaust and intake may add a bit, make it more fun to drive, but suspension stuff really makes a difference.

 

Welcome to MCO, kbseto!!

you said: "i'm also thinking about getting an exhaust system, mainly for a nice sound, not just growling. based on what i've read, i'm thinking either RSpeed or Helix. any input would be appreciated."

For the Cooper, my choice was the Helix. The magnaflow is awesome for the S, but not my cup of tea for the Cooper. I just can't get past that ugly exhaust tip. The Helix makes good power and makes HARMINI sound like the mouse that roared. I don't have a sound clip, but if you want you can call me on my cell and I'll rev her for ya!!

 

Based on this thread I created a poll on MINI2 if you want to post your opinion there as well.

http://mini2.com/forum/showthread.ph...threadid=32821

So far the cat-back exhaust is in the lead followed closely by the pulley and an air intake. Let everyone know what you think.

Jim

 

thanks to all for your input on my questions.

i still got this one though...is the front strut brace basically a sway bar for the front? and vice versa - is the sway bar basically a rear strut brace? right now i'm planning on getting both. any major difference in brands?

and finally...for those from hawaii or with knowlege of some shops/dealers in hawaii - where can/should i go to get these mods and get them installed? is the mini of hawaii dealer the only place in the state to do this? unfortunately, i do believe hawaii is lacking in this area - choice of dealers/shops for mini modifications.

once again, thanks. and keep the input flowing as i'm trying to learn all about mini'ing. just to let you all know - MC, SG/B, CVT, 16" performance run flats, rear spoiler, chrome, and surf racks.

sorry, one last question...how about ideas for tires? are my stock rims decently light, so i can just replace the tires for some additional performance and ride improvement?

thanks again

 

kbseto-Aloha and welcome to MCO
Check out the threads on the Hawaii region section of MCO-
There is info on shops that do work in Hawaii but mostly you have to do the work yourself, or go to the dealer, or find a small shop on your own and find help from the internet or from MCO tuners. Send me PM (personal mail) if you need more info.

For tires you can go to the tire and wheel section of MCO-
or see http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...;threadid=3494
Assuming that you got the standard 16" upgrade (sports package) rims then
you have the 5 spoke R83 16x6.5 rims that weigh a hefty 20.1 pounds each- the heaviest of the stock 16" rims
Should look like this

 

minihune, you said " You have the option of upgrading the front sway bar as well and some bars have multiple settings. Some bar kits include front and rear bars. I would suggest upgrading only the rear."

I thought that if a rear sway bar was added to a car, the front should be changed to compliment the changes at the rear. I'm just an older guy with a CVT, but I have had my share of cars and studied suspension a bit, just not lately. Has something changed, or is the front sway bar on the MINI so large, that it just does not need upgrading when a rear bar is installed? Thanks for any input on this. -=Mike=-

 

>>i still got this one though...is the front strut brace basically a sway bar for the front? and vice versa - is the sway bar basically a rear strut brace? right now i'm planning on getting both. any major difference in brands?
>>

I didn't get to read the rest of the posts, but.....sway bars and strut bars are two different mods. Sway bars are used to reduce body roll and dial in understeer and oversteer-depending on which end you use. If you stiffen up the rear, you induce more oversteer-resulting in less understeer and vice versa, if that makes sense. Strut bars are used to stiffen up the chassis. I apologize in advance if this post does not make sense or is already stated-due to the alcohol.........