...not sure i'm feeling much of a difference - so what should i do?

i do notice a tad bit of vibration at idle which suggests to me that it's at least installed correctly. and, downshifts seem smoother (eg, not as jerky) - but i still feel a lurch or the nose of the car drop in between upshifts. i guess, based on reading people's comments that i was going to notice this profound difference - this "connected-ness" which i'm not really perceiving.

so, do i need to adjust the damper to a stiffer setting? i purchased it from another mini owner - it's possible he adjusted it to a softer setting (although he didn't mention any adjustments).

and, do i need to remove the damper from the brackets to adjust it or can i adjust it in the brackets? thanks for the input folks!

 

I had the TSW damper kit on my 03 and I felt more of a difference than on my 06. That being said I did have to adjust it a few times prior to finding the sweet spot (and once you find it you may want to put a small amount of blue loctite on the damper threads. I didn't do so and they eventually unthreaded and damaged the damper bracket which TSX graciously replaced). In regards to the "profoundness" of it all, I was pretty impressed that this $100 gadget improved shifting and throttle tip-in and I do consider these to be the "more connected" feeling. But once again this was far more of an issue on my 03 with 60k miles than my 06 with 5k miles.

For adjustment you may want to check out:
http://www.txwerks.com/images/Instal...amper_Care.pdf

To double check you've got the install right:
http://www.txwerks.com/images/Instal...er_install.pdf

 

Yes, you can adjust in place, I have several times trying to find the sweet spot for my car. In my case I was continually adding preload due to some cat interference issues, so I made mine a little bit more firm as I run higher hp than most.

For most people though the TSW original setting is perfect, it is likely rare to have to increase the firmness.

I did notice a significant difference, part of it was just watching the engine movement with the hood open while revving, so I know it is actually doing something. The engine is not jumping around anymore.

The other part was more subjective in the feel of the drivetrain while accelerating. It sounds weird, but it feels like I have better throttle response.

 

The thing I noticed most was that under acceleration the car moved more quickly in response to the pedal input. When stock it felt like you hit the gas, the engine rocked forward and THEN the car moved With the engine tied into the car in a more firm manner the thrust is sent to the chassis and not just to the motor mounts. I also have the top rear poly busing in the motor mount which gave an even more noticeable change but there is some additional vibration due to it as well.