That may be an asset to someone who A.) Has the slightest clue on how to tune suspension in the first place and B.) Visits the track in competitive events to make it have a value but to most that level of adjustability is not needed

 

And I reiterate... Why?

 

And by extension most of those same people are not going recognize any real benefit from a JCW suspension either. But my first post on this matter was (with emphasis added for clarity):

 

Yup, that's me. I'm looking to improve my street handling, which most people say the JCW does quite well. Even JCW admits that this is not a track setup.

No doubt that if I installed adjustable coilovers, I'd probably end up with worse handling. I'll leave those to the people who understand those kinds of things and enjoy my new set up knowing that it has been worked out by professionals to maximize my overall enjoyment.

 

I don't know about that. Everyone who has one that has posted has said nothing but positive things about the suspension.

 

Because most of us are "legends in our own mind".

 

Of course they have.

 

My JCW-based suspension has been great on the tracks of the northeast. Yes, it doesn't handle like a PSS9 (coilover) based suspension. But, it was the right compromise for me, factoring in price, performance, and ride height (I need to drive my MINI year round and through snow).

 

Well, there we have it, they must be biased..........

I'll be sure to give a detailed analysis once I've had my crappy JCW suspension installed.

 

There is another factor here; there is a lot of crap available for this car. I've personally experienced some very poor designs from well known and not so well know makers. If the JCW kit feels a little agricultural because there are no adjustments, it counters - in my humble opinion - because the kit is designed in house. The R&D behind BMW and the relationship with John Cooper Works folks make this kit the un-elegant choice, but perhaps the perfect choice in many ways.

I've actually decided to either purchase this kit or use the Koni single adjustables for replacements and keep the stock springs. Either one is a no brainer, to my way of thinking and past experience.

 

no action taken

 

I Just Installed my JCW suspension today. All I can say is great ride,great dampening,not to harsh and not too soft. For you guys who are thinking of buying it,go for it. Great deal. Don't worry about the coil over boys. They will just try to steer you away from this. But JCW and BMW knows whats going on. Thats why your VIN is involved to get the perfect balance. 1. kit comes with 4 struts 4 coils,and hardware.
Mini Recs 4 wheel alignment. I will do mine next week want to get car to settle a bit. But after I did the install car drive straight as an arrow.
You guys have any questions pm me. later
Guido. Cert Mini Tech

 

Oh, your just saying that because you have it now.

Of course it's a great suspension! Plus, I don't want the ride and complexity that most coil-overs have.

My suspension arrived today. When I get home next week, I'll be joining the Craptastic handling club.

Also, since the springs are red, I'll pick up at least another 5hp

 

Thanks davisflyer for posting this thread and tip. I'm in contact with Morristown now.
Any chance you'll be posting up post-install pics to show the ride height?

 

OK. I got the JCW suspension installed today. First the good news, then the bad.

Good News:

I had the install completed at Grassroots Garage in Thomasville, NC. Dan was very professional and personable and had a wealth of knowledge about MINI's. The installation went smoothly, with nary a hiccup. I can easily recommend Grassroots Garage and it was very reasonably priced as well, far lower than what the dealer had quoted me.

Bad News:

I forgot to take my camera; and as soon as I left for my 4 hour drive home, I ran into rain, sleet and snow, and then more rain for the entire drive home (in the dark no less). So I really didn't get a chance to try out my new suspension.

Observations:

Contrary to some posts, I did not note an increase in the ride comfort over the MCS Sport Suspension, but perhaps that occurs after the suspension is properly broken in. If anything, the ride seems tighter, which makes sense since the springs are stiffer. Also, it was difficult to notice much ride height drop immediately after the install. Again, this may just be a function of waiting for the suspension to settle a bit after the install. It doesn't drop to much below stock anyway, approx. 10mm.


I'll update this post after I get a chance to give it a good challenge!

 

Can't wait for your review.

I'm on the fence about whether to go the JCW suspension route or staying with my current stock susp setup since i saw the price on Morristown a couple of months ago.

thx

 

See my new thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=129016

"Well I had a chance today to take the car over to a small twisty road and here are a couple of observations. First, the car seems to have even less body roll and better control. With the addition of the rear anti-sway bar, I'm able to rotate the car around turns with the throttle and lost most of the understeer. In fact, going through one particularly tight s-turn I was able to get the rear out a bit and drift through the turn at a much higher speed than before.

It'll be fun exploring the limits of this suspension on a track sometime. For those that aren't sure as to whether to take the plunge, I will say that the difference in between suspensions is not night and day. The regular sport suspension is pretty well sorted, as we all know. But based on my limited exposure today, the JCW seems to raise the limits a bit and add a bit more control.

I'll post again after to i get more opportunities to test this thing out!"