Oh no, that sounds much worse than what I hear. I think the thing that bothers me most about it is that I have a small fleet of Chevy service vans. If you hear a similar noise start from one of those you know a fuel pump replacement is imminent.

 

So, the noise, was not a fuel pump but the filter on the pump?

QueenB doesn't seem to have the same illness. I've driven Dinan cars with this set up & found the fuel pump to be louder than OE. Alta has a trick pump that seems to be less loud but the Dinan, supplied, FPR does contribute to to the pump function. The fuel system is a dead head. The fuel presure needs to go somewhere........

 

Just learned that Dinan existed today when down at my dealer picking up my plates (this is my first MINI or BMW car). It strikes me as a really interesting option, get to stay completely under warranty, mod the car, and do so for less money than with JCW (except the brakes, which my dealer also confirmed are brembo and require aftermarket 17"s to run).

MINI of Sterling VA has a Dinan equipped car on the lot now (as a trade-in). They offered me a test drive, but didn't have the time today. Maybe I should go back on Monday...

Can anyone with the Dinan suspension confirm my dealer's opinion that it is both tighter handling AND a smoother ride?

 

I had a chance to drive that car last week. The power is awesome! However, I believe it has the stock MCS brakes and suspension, so you won't be able to get a feel of those items from Dinan.

 

Be careful.......

You do not get to stay completely under warranty. Dinan warranties their parts, the dealer may or may not add additional coverage but the manufacturer (Mini) will look at Dinan the same as any other mod.

If you move out of the area and take your car into another dealer, or if a manufacturer's rep visits your existing dealer, or if your dealership and Dinan divorce, you run the same risk as all the DIYers out there.

 

Thanks for the word of caution! I will keep that in mind. If I understood my MA correctly, some dealers (including mine apparently) have a a "special" relationship with Dinan but not all dealers install or service Dinan parts.

 

It's really hard to beat the JCW brakes on price, and especially considering warranty, makes them a good choice even for non-JCW cars.

 

Hi guys, wondering if you all had opinions/experience as to whether going with the Dinan suspension kit (includes Performance Spring Set; Koni Adjustable Struts and Shocks, and camber plates) would help guard against mushrooming?

I hit a crazy pothole the other day and though I appear to have escaped damage this time, I would like to do what I can to prevent mushrooming/strut destruction in the future, while continuing to run 17"s.

thanks for any thoughts.

p.s. Scavenger, I agree with you on JCW brakes. I didn't know they were particularly competitive price-wise (just starting the research), but I really love my webspoke wheels and want a brake solution that still works with them.

 

pretty much any system with an aftermarket camber plate does a better job than the stock piece, but mushrooming will still occure. I had RDR camber plates for a few years with a bunch of bottoming, and I'm just starting to get a hint of the effect. Since all the stuff goes under the sheetmetal, you can use a strut tower bar or M7s strut reinforcement plates just fine. Both M7 and Dinan did CAD modeling to make the mounts for the strut bar help distribute the forces.

FWIW, I was really, really impressed with how sorted the Dinan suspension was on thier car. I drove it HARD for a weekend and the suspension was almost more enjoyable than the power.

A lot of people like the JCW brakes. But keep in mind that you're still going with a single piston floating (iron) caliper. For the same price, you can get a BBK from Detroit Tuned or TCE (both vendors here). The smaller TCE kits also work with some 15" wheels, if I remember correctly. Both vendors have kits that start at less than $1k, and move you up to fixed dual piston Al calipers as well as the rotors that go with the kit you choose. The fixed caliper holds the pad better than the floater. The Al construction gives you less unsprung weight for better suspension response.

If you aren't noticing any fade yet, but just want some better brakes for piece of mind, I reccomend just getting the brass caliper bushings for the stock calipers, upgrade your pads and fluid. For better pedal feel you can do metal jacketed brake lines as well. This will give you much better stopping power, at a lower price, but won't fill your wheel wells with pretty hardware. But it works and sure is lighter on your wallet!

Matt

 

Acorin, I'm not sure the suspension will change much with the mushrooming. I think a definitive fix is to go with something like the M7 strut tower reinforcement plates or the M7 strut brace. These both strengthen the top of the tower quite a bit. I don't have a bias towards M7, I just happen to have their strut brace, but their are several other vendors selling similar items. Did you just recently purchase your MINI? The plates visible in your gallery appear to be Jan. '07. The black scoop is a nice touch.

Edit: HEH, Dr Obnxs beat me to the post by 3 minutes

 

Thanks both for your responses. Just to be clear, if I went with the M7s or something like them, that would not prevent me from getting the rest of the Dinan suspension system (though presumably it would prevent me from getting the Dinan STB), right?

One other question though. The Dinan system has adjustable suspension. If I set it to its "softest" setting, could that help a little to prevent mushrooming? Sorry if that is an over-the-top newbie question...

I guess I shouldn't worry about warranty or not (Dinan or M7) where the strut towers are concerned since no one, especially MINI USA, seems to honor any warranty issues for mushrooming anyway...

Scavenger, thanks, I like the black hood scoop too. I've had my MINI less than a month now, but am loving every minute of it. I notice it doesn't take as much caffeine to get me going in the mornings when I am actually looking forward to the commute!

 

Acorin, you said it! The commute is certainly more bearable when you actually enjoy the car. As far as suspension, I suspect using the softest settings would not hurt, if not completely help, the reason I say that is in case their are MINI owners who have experienced this with the softest suspension - which I would suspect is the base Cooper suspension, however, I'm only aware of MCS owners having the problem - also, having 17" or larger wheels may increase the chances as well. Again, I'm speculating.

There are many other... er MINI other?.. MINI owners in the area if you're looking for fellow motorers; check out the DC Metro MINIs club.

 

Hey Scavenger - thanks! I have found the DCMM site and just joined actually. Looking forward to the welcome packet and meeting you all. I don't think I'll be able to make the breakfast next weekend, but have RSVP'd to the Lucky Dog open house event (not least because I want to learn more about the options for suspension/mushroom prevention we've been discussing).

 

Reading this thread is making me concerned about Jerome. I'm on the 17" WebSpokes as well. I've been seeing a lot of people talk about the mushrooming. Being in Socal and my daily path to work has a few harsh sections..

Does anyone have pictures of the Mushrooming affect so i can look for signs of it on mine?

What mods do I need to help prevent against it? (I try not to hit too many bumps and watch my speed on rough paths.)

Did I read that right that Mini doesn't warranty these things even though it sounds like a common occurance on the S's with 17's.

 

KS, check out the thread that is stickied in this section "poll... mushrooming". It was very eye-opening for me. Also, there is another active thread around asking "Is this mushrooming?" with pics. I will definitely be doing something on this issue sooner rather than later myself.

 

I am half-way tempted to go out in the parking lot at work now and look. *ugh*

 

Well, filled up last night...only the 2nd fill up since getting my car back... the 1st fillup was just a top-off from 3/4 tank after getting it back... yesterday was a fill-up from 1/4 tank...

I filled up and as soon as I got home (4:30) I noticed it was making the same screaching again as last time... not as loud though... I turned the car off and tried it again 30mins later (5pm).. same noise... About 8pm, I backed the car up the driveway from in front of the house and only a smaller whine this time... my driveway is about 40Deg angle and it was nose down.

I took off this morning and it was still there a bit... but when I got down the hill and onto the highway into stop & go traffic it went away...

Last time the sound always as loud. This time it went way after a bit... Strange.... I hope it stays away!

 

According to Dinan, the Pump is a stock unit with minor modifications. I'm not sure what the actual mod is though.

 

I'd like to see the install instructions...

 

Scavenger, sorry for not answering your question about the S2 earlier, I've been off line for a while. After a few engine modifications for the engine fuel system and pulley, the S2 is all suspension work. After having that done, the car is more rigid and at times it feels stiff, but there is a lot of confidence that the car will stay on the road and match very high peforamnce cars in turns. I've recently acquired Eagel F1 215s that I hope they will complement the handling as my previous tires were the weak link. The strut and floor mats don't do much for performance but they are part of the DINAN package! As for brakes, I have the problem of the BREMBO brakes not fitting my HAMMAN wheels so JCW brakes were a good solution. My research on the BREMBO brakes was very unsatisfactory as my enquires with 2 dealerships over several months (US and Canada) about fit were unanswered - that is their business problem and not mine! Hope this helps.

 

BLKDINAN,

Thanks for the info. Yeh, the JCW brakes are really not a bad deal, and especially if you have a club discount through your local dealership. They may not be as fancy as some of the aftermarket, but then again, not everyone tries to run their daily commute like Laguna Seca

I've seen mention of a smell of gas inside the car after installation of the Pump, is this something that will eventually go away, or should the seals be re-checked?

 

I've heard of others that have leaked here. Are you getting a code from the tank vacuum pump? It would be the same one you get from driving aroudnwith the gas cap off....

Matt

 

Dinan strut bar for over 3 years and no mushrooming

 

Not me, was just curious since I'd read others mentioned the smell.

 

No smell of gas here.