Braking noticeably better? Less mush in pedal, or not much difference on the street? Dust? Squeal?

I assume new wheels and tires too?


RMW being quoted everywhere. I hope Jan is cloning himself, or that he is charging more than $350 for a tune.

Jan - when are you coming to Nashville?

Nabeshin - sounds like some great stuff. How does it drive compared to stock (if you can remember)?

Scott

 

My braking is much better than stock. Good tires help too - I'll come to that later. I have a firm pedal, linear friction, no fade, no dust at all, no squeeking but there is a unique sound when you get on them hard. Kind of a whoosh whoosh whoosh sound - the sound of brake gases going through the slots I assume.
I will say though, that cold, the stocks won out. But after about 2 or 3 stops my powerslots will outperform the stock brakes all day. Brake fade was a big problem, now I've almost forgotten what it was like.

My wheels and tires...
Well, I have 15"x6.5" steel rims that I use year round. I've had Nokian WRG2 winter tires since last fall and only had about 300 miles before that with my new Nokian V. However, these provided excellent traction and braking characteristics. Plus they have a cool low frequency sound, similar to airplane tires, when you exceed the limits.


I've driven a loaner '06 MCS resently enough to vastly appreciate my suspension mods. Those mods are the ones that I am most proud of and would repeat again over any sort of power mod. Untill you get some poly bushings and camber plates, it is hard to convey how much squish and compliance is built into a stock MINI. The top mount is rubber, as well as the control arm bushing. Those parts take the brunt of the turning force and are often found torn in older MINIs. It's a wonder the stock car even turned - the suspension couldn't hold its geometry to save its life. Needless to say but when the geometry of the wheels is kept in check, road holding and steering responce is vastly improved.

Again, above all other mods, I'd recomend poly control arm bushings and front camber plates at least. The camber plates are almost useless without the poly control arm to hold the geometry.
Secondly, I recomend Poly engine mounts, the complete set. It turns out the engine has a lot of mass and inertia - it used to float on its mounts and counter the car's movement, like a giant counter-weight damper. That is no longer the case and vibration is minimal, if not enjoyable. An engine damper from a reputable vender only slows the engins fore and aft movement, it does not limit that movement. It also does not stop side to side movement. With my poly mounts, the engine is one with the car and steering responce was improved a good deal.

I may have written a lot, but it is valuable information.

 

longboard,

what kinds of gains do you expect to get with your stage 2 mods? what difference will the injectors make?

 

As per smportis's PM instructions, here is what I wrote to him about suspesion bits. He wanted this here for all to see and benift from.

----------------------------------


In my car, I put polyurithane engine mounts, they are not a damper exactly, just void inserts for the mounts. I got those from Irreland Engineering. About the vibration, I guess it lets me feel the engine and be more in tune with what it is doing. Before it was so smooth I felt disconnected.
Take note, I am used to lots of vibration on my classic Vespa. With a one cylinder, 180cc two-stroke engine bolted directly to the frame it tends to vibrate and shake. This, however, gave me a great feel for what the scoot was up too and alows me to feel when the spark plug gets fouled or if the carb needs adjusting. I've also riden my friend's Honda F4I sportbike. You can feel the power when you rev that thing.
I suppose what I'm getting at is that more vibration from my MINI's engine is like the vibration you feel on a motorcycle, it only adds to the experience.

Those mounts also improved steering responce as I wrote in the thread. I was not really expecting them to effect it that much but it makes complete sence. Again, the engine was like a large counterweight - resisting the car's movements, but now it's held and allowed to move with the car. Lateral grip was also improved, a result of keeping the engine from leaning.

Throttle responce and shifting feel were also improved. Those mounts were a great mod. I have heard many say that if you will track your car that poly engine mounts are almost a neccesity.


To clarify terminology, the front has L shaped control arms that are plenty strong. The rear has bombproof traling arms and those weak stamped control arms. These words might throw some for a loop, the front wheels are mounted to a control arm, but the rear wheels are mounted to a trailing arm.

Here is the order inwhich I changed my suspension.

1. rear swaybar and endlinks (done at the same time)
2. front camber plates and 4 rear control arms (done at the same time)
3. front control arm bushings.

If I had to do it again, I would put the control arm bushings before the camber plates or sway bar. I think that would net the most improvement. When the front control arm bushing is allowed to hold its shape, it keeps your suspension's geometry inline. And, the MINI's stock geometry is pretty damn good, just holding that geometry will vastly improve handling. But it can be made better with the camber plates and rear control arms. Please note though, the install for poly control arm bushings is difficult - I had it done at a suspension shop and it cost about $600.

The rear control arms flex at the bushings and the arm has been known to snap in the middle. The reason I got mine replaced was so that I could have my alignment be set exactly and match on both sides. But avoiding future breaks and keeping the flex out - maintaining the suspension's geometry - was another major factor. The factory units do not allow much adjusting depending on your production date, if any at all.

Camber plates allow the top of the struts to be moved inward. This adds negative camber, the steering knuckle pivits on the lower ball joint where it meets the control arm so nothing is being stressed to give you this camber. However, lots of camber has been known to shorten the life of the wheel bearings. Anyway, camber plates also keep the top of the strut from moving under cornering force - you've guessed it, maintaining the suspension's geometry. The stock bit was rubber and could tear and flex, throwing the geometry off.

The stock springs and dampers are perfectly tuned to the MINI's chassis and weight, they spent millions getting it right. I like the ride height and do not want to lessen the steering's return-to-center. When you lower the car, the effective castor is limited and the car's steering wheel does not return as fast.

I suppose the most important thing in perfomance suspensions is to keep the geometry stable.
If you want some basic information on suspensions look here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension.htm
Our cars have front Macphearson struts and rear multi-link trailing arms.


I chose 15" rims and 195/60/15 tires because:
1. In my opinion, all other rim diameters look silly on a car of this size.
Take a look at what I mean, with the stock ride height, the wheel gap is even all the way around. When people lower it, the gap is wide fore and aft, and narrow at the top, it looks stupid. My car with stock ride height and 195/60/15 tires on steel rims:


2. they afford a good ride and keep the pothole from destroying my suspension.
3. They corner a lot better than my stock 17" rims/ 205/45/17 tires ever could. My theory on this is that the more compliance in a tire, the more it can conform to the street and keep the rubber in contact. A low profile tire would kind of skip on the surface because it cannot fill the imperfections in the road. It is somewhat difficult to explain, but I feel that it is something that MINI owners should try to understand. To many are putting low profile tires on and ruining performance.
4. They are lighter, reducing rotating mass is hugely benifitial to all of the car's dynamics, steering responce, lateral grip, acceleration, braking. The biggest reason for 15" rims on the track is a reduction in rotating mass.
5. The tires and rims are cheaper.

There are no ill effects and only improvements in cornering stabilty and road holding. When the rest of the suspension is held so stiff and inline, the ballooniness of the tires is all but lost and not noticable.


I think this is what you wanted, I tried not to repeat anything unless neccisary. This is pretty much most of my knowledge about suspensions. I do not feel I could explain it any better without letting you ride with me.


Grae

 

I don't think that there is much need for forward control arms... or the upper rear control arms either. I only needed one pair of lower rear control arms to gain adjustment of rear camber.

Don't forget that you will need a good alignment to a spec slightly more agressive than stock after you lower the car and drive it for 200 or so miles to settle the suspension.

The switch to Hawk HPS pads would be a very early mod for me (and was on my own car). That, plus a replacement of the stock brake fluid, will help. SS brake lines are more for feel than anything... not a necessity. The brass brake bushings (see www.detroittuned.com) are also a good feel mod.

For the track, I have gotten many recommendations to run 16" wheels. I got some Rota slipstreams with R-comps from a local club member when he decided to change his Auto-x car.

 

In the future:

when the M45 dies, Rotrex time.. w/ out head preferably..
BBK (preferably AP..)
Control arms / end links to finish the suspension..

 

I've bought

-the 2006 MINI Cooper
thats it, kinda sad

Planned Mods
-DDM Intake
-Megan Exhaust
-Coilovers (not sure what manufacturer)
-Racing seats (can't stand non sport seats)
-other misc. suspension parts
-17" O.Z. superturismos
-New tires to go with thoses wheels
-JCW areo kit
-JCW aero kit spoiler
-M7 front splitter
-Light bar of some sort

Looks like I gotta get going on the mods

 

Take out this...



Replace with this...

 

i think the only thing left for me to consider an upgrade on is the head and cam swap with an ECU upgrade, then Im done.
And Nabe, sorry to say but, if you think those skinny kmart brand wheels look better then the more common 17 aluminum rims running on the average mini. i want some of what you got! that rim looks like a spare from a hyundai or something. and changing to a narrower footprint 195 from stock 205 hurts handling a lot! thats part of the reason why people go bigger and wider. Looks and performance!

 

 

Don't be sad!

You may not know, but Jan is working on performance options for the Cooper also.

 

So what is a Rotrex? Anyone who has one care to elaborate on its pros and cons?

 

But then I'd have to replace this:




With this:

 

You can get an idea here, https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=101440

and for my mod plans, there is driver instruction peppered throughout the process.

 

 

I am sure he wrote that before I had the cam done

 

Jan - ok, admit it. Longboard is actually the source of your entire R&D budget for 2005, 2006, 2007, isn't he?

 

well, with the R&D I performed on his car..... I could have bought another car

MUCH BIGGER THINGS ARE COMING

T-2

 

T-2, a Twin Turbo R53.

JK.

 

cool stuff

 

well, tomorrow is T-1 so

but I do like your thinking

 

Yea Stereo!!!!!

 

. Uh oh, now I have to go... damn!

 

Where's my cam!

 

Yes you will, I plan on hammering Danny . If I can get close to Danny's or Sean's times I will be happy for my first time. I plan on smoking Jan .

Longboard