Hello, I have a 2015 Mini Cooper S manual transmission with KW v3 suspension. I am not sure how low I am running as I already bought the car with cut fender as they are enlarged. A friend of mine (same car) also experience the same issue. When running the car at low heights and about negative 3 degree camber, after a couple of trackdays, the tripod joint/CV axle breaks. This happens more often at the driver side rather than the passenger side, but we have both experienced this failure. Since in Brazil there are less than 100 manual transmission F56, we have to purchase the entire drive-shaft/cv-axle from the US. We bought in the past axles from Sneed4speed but I have read bad threads about them.

Has anyone experience similar issues? What is the lowest safest height for a F56 manual transmission? Does anyone know the tripod-joint code for the Mini?

We are thinking about developing a longer and forged shaft for the Mini to see if we can solve this issue.

Thank you
Felix

 

If you want to know how low your car is, when measured from the bottom lip of the 17” wheel to the bottom of the plastic trim, stock height is supposed to be 23.34” (593mm) in the front and 22.60” (574mm) in the rear. Below is a link to a post where some of the members that track their Minis go into a lot of detail about their ride heights.
Gollum, Power Corrupts - Ride Height

 

I didn't mean to be the ride height ****, honest! It's just that when I was applying coil-overs to Gollum, I was not looking for "slammed" or trying to imitate any particular style. Instead I was trying to make the car handle as well as it could, on the street, and on an autocross course.

Because that was my goal, I did not lower the car very much, because if I had (and some folks do) lowered it my over an inch, or even more, it would have been awful on both the street and on a course!

Because:
1. compression travel is your friend, running out of it uses the stops, that destroys the handling by creating weight transfer spikes. Simple cornering requires 1.5" of compression on the outside wheels, and if a bump occurs then 2" is needed. If it's not available, bad stuff happens.
2. the lower control arm transfers significant forces (> 1000 lbs) from the contact patches out front to the chassis during hard cornering. If the inner joint of the LCA is lower than the outer joint (as can occur with excessive lowering) then the lateral force is also partially diverted into a vertical force that does just what one does NOT want - add weight to the already compressed outer front spring AND further reduce available compression travel

The combination of these two factors can, and does, comprehensively spoil the excellent handling of the Mini, which can certainly pulll 1.1 g lateral with good tires and not be breaking a sweat.

But some folks want style, and throw the handling away to get it.

Just my two cents...


Cheers,

Charlie

 

Thanks! Yes, I am not doing it for style, but the thing is since the previous owners cut the fenders so that we can use 18 inch slick tires, I lost reference of my current ride height. Probably now with the previous thread mentioned here, I can have some reference.

I do have the suspension softer in the front to avoid the spikes you mentioned, but I guess a front too low, and too soft, will increase the chances of the tripod joint leaving its housing.

 

I’ve Bilstein B16. I’ve use Gollum’s, Mario and others here for setting my ride height. Just adjusted after roughly 1,000 miles this weekend - I’m ~+565mm in front and 560mm rear. JCW Pro spec is 567mm and 552mm if I recall. For front suspension, this puts the wishbone at exactly 90-degrees to the frame. Not looking for slammed and I need to corner weight so can get this spot on. In general a ~570mm up front with slightly lower rear should work - measured from lower lip of 17” rim to top of wheel well trim. I think Gollum ended up at 578mm front and 563 rear.

I do also run a skid plate to help protect the lower engine…but I do NOT rub on speed bumps, etc. Stock FYI is 593mm front and 574mm rear. Street I run the shocks mid setting all around for rebound/compression damp (6 on Bilsteins B16).