I have the stock suspension, and it's decently damped, not really rough. I'm looking at improving the cornering and overall "feel" of the car handling. This said, I don't want to get TOO intensive, like, I wasn't thinking of going gung-ho with coilovers and stiff stiff springs and all that.. I just want to affect the car enough to have a little bit of difference. - I had a 22mm Mini-Madness swaybar on my r50, and it was great, but I was exploring a few new options this time.

-JCW swaybar, I know it's 18.5 mm, which I would expect would be a noticeable difference near the Alta 19mm but not quite like the 22mm obviously. My friend at Cinci MINI Parts can get it to me for 69.00... it's the sway bar from the optional jcw suspension, and that's not a bad price !!!

-Madness PE bushings,75.00... I'm not sure about these, with people reporting more NVH at stoplights... I can get OCD about stuff like that, so I'm wondering just how much it vibrates...

-PSRS... I've driven a friend's car Kermee and it feels great, though I didn't get to drive it intensely... The install seems to be ridiculous though.... So this is a BIG 'maybe' ....

- What does a strut tower brace do and would it make any noticeable difference ????? -
** Mushrooming ??? ** should I look at a pair of reinforcement plates ?

-maybe springs... A little leery of them taking away any little cushion that I have though.. going from tolerably-stiff to just slightly non-tolerably harsh, if you know what I mean.

-JCW leather/leather Steering wheel... biggest improvement that I will FEEL ... every single time i drive.. even if the car isn't even running ...

Seems like a sway bar, maybe some bushings or brace or something, shouldn't make the ride more "stiff" ... per say, like over pot holes etc. Yes ? No ?


so far, I ditched the runflats for Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS pole position tires, they're all seasons, but they've got GREAT handling (aside from the side walls feelings weirdly mushy because I was used to the run flats. just don't try to make a 180 degree turn on a dime, and the on somewhat gradual on-ramp corners you take at 90mph will STICK great )


>>Any help would be greatly appreciateed !!!!!!!!!!!! <<

 

19mm HSport rear swaybar is a good place to start. I love mine ($300 installed). You'll notice the reduced understeer right away. Won't affect the ride quality. The JCW may be about the same. Check the bushing and see if you can grease it or not. Lose the strut brace. It's for looks, won't do diddly for handling. Springs are for lowering the car mainly. When it's lower it handles a little differerent, but you bump the car more of course.

 

I'd say at least upgrade the rear sway bar.

 

Three things suggestions that may help you improve handling (versus just suspension modding).

1. change suspension components:
I did not do anything much here other that the 18.5 mm rear bar that came with the sport suspension. Seems to work well enough for now. Will consider the 22mm rear bar at some time. That new Megan Racing Coilovers also looks interesting.
2. stiffen the chasis:
I would suggest looking at front and rear strut braces. I have the rear one only at this time as M7 does not make one for JCW stage 1 yet. It seems to make a difference under really heavy cornering loads (i.e. track or autox). Also, TSW has an under chasis X brace coming out soon that seems interesting. Have not tried it yet since it still not out in the market. Supposed to help with torque steer and turn in sharpness.
3. get high performance summer tires:
I have Dunlop Dizzera Z1 Star Spec. Turn in is quite a bit sharper and grip is much better. Makes it really handle much better.

I would do it one at a time to see what each does to the car and whether you like it. What you do to the car does depend on what you want to do with the car.

 

samroberto, it seems to me that you're an excellent candidate for the JCW suspension. It really does hit a "sweet spot" between the stock & sport suspensions and a "whole hog" coilover setup. It's a wonderful streetable setup. Take a closer look at it!

 

I wasn't aware that there was a rear STB for the R56 :shrug:

 

Yep, and I have one as well...a carbon fiber one.

 

Start with a Rear Sway bar, it's the biggest bang for your buck.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/home.php?cat=371

 

Good questions!

Not to parrot what others are saying, but it is VERY hard NOT to upgrade the rear sway bar on the MINI. The OEM bar (regardless of size) is ok, but the addl. snap from the aftermarket (their are a lot of choices) makes a huge improvement.

The springs are a visual change as well as handling performer as well. Of course when the car is lowered the roll center is lowered as well. Thus improving turn in etc. A good set of springs (again lots of choices, I won't push but will say to troll around a bit and I am happy to help.) wont hurt ride quality and simply make the car more fun to drive.

The strut braces and anti-mushrooming options are visually beneficial at your next show n shine, but they are a worthwhile option to help prevent the damage before it happens. Plus if you get the brace with the plates, then the front suspension is stiffened.

The PSRS is a GREAT piece, but I would suggest pushing it down the list a bit until some other things are upgraded and up to your satisfaction.

Again, if I can help lend any expertise, PLEASE let me know!

Good luck with the decisions! But above all enjoy the car!

 

The JCW 18.5mm rear sway bar is the most cost-efficient rear suspension mod one can do to a non-sports susp MINI. Mine was $247 installed ($98 parts, the rest labor) and what a diff it's made--still supple on the road, yet a lot less lean and roll in the curves, and seems to help the car track better under all that torquey acceleration. Highly recc!

And strange but true: the sports suspension rsb costs more than the JCW rsb.

(I also go JCW because my dealer is becoming kinda militant about second-party mods and warranty issues/claims.)

 

Read good things about the Alta 22mm sawy bars so I went out and bought one and will install them next week. I will post a write up after I get it in.

 

Thank you for the business! Also love the "festive" avatar! Happy Holidays!

 

Regarding the Madness Engine Bushing there's really no vibration that I can tell. It makes a difference though, the car feels quicker and smoother. I have a regular S, once you put it on sport it's an animal. I couldn't imagine if you put one on a factory JCW.

 

Adam...you have all my money now...cant wait to get the next shipment of goodies

 

i would like to upgrade to the JCW 18.5 mm rear sway bar only due to not messing with warranty as well. Do you have a part number? or would someone know?

I currently have the stock suspension on a MCS 08. would i just be able to JUST install the bar? Would I need any other parts? I am assuming I can just use the bolts and stuff on the current rear sway bar?

thanks.

 

toughluck,

The part number of the JCW 18.5mm rear sway bar is 33556782723. It should be a straight swap, although you might need a couple of the rubber mountings (not sure if the existing ones will fit or not). The rubber mountings are 33556772788.

Here's the RealOEM.com page, as a reference:

RealOEM.com BMW R56 Cooper S Sports suspension JCW

As for ballpark pricing, the JCW RSB will probably be around $80, and the mountings around $6 each. So - $92 tops. You will probably get better prices than that from places like Morristown MINI though.

 

I have a '09 Justa-cooper. I'm thinking about getting the 18.5mm JCW Rear Sway opposed to the Alta, since I'm 90% certain I'll never track/autocross this MC. Any thoughts for or against this method of thought and procedure?

 

Thanks for asking! The 19mm ALTA would be a good choice for you as it would add the adjustability you would want as well as a bit more snap than the JCW bar. I also have a unpublished special on 18mm H&R 2-position adjustable for $79.99 a piece. Higher strength material and adjustable vs. the JCW.

But no matter which you choose you will love the handling gains! Track or street makes no difference! Good luck with the decision and let me know if I can help further!

 

I went the JCW rsb route and love it, great value for the price, and made my 09 MCSa JCW much tighter in the twisties, yet keep the supple ride. BIG thumbs up here

As far as the JCW strut brace, the jury is out. One camp says any sb will help tighten up torsional stiffness on the strut towers, one camp says they're worthless. I fall into the former, because I have owned monobody muscle cars from the late 60s that had strut-firewall bracing, so they do serve a purpose. I didnt have one on my 05 S and I could feel the monobody creak and tweak evertime I took a roundabout or hard corner...

Plus the mushrooming issue on the first gen cars has been addressed and fixed for the 2nd gen, so plates arent needed.

So I put the JCW strut brace on, and with the rsb has made the car not only track straighter and truer (I had these mods put on after 1200 miles w/the tune kit) the torque steer is now manageable and less abrupt.

Thus, JCW sb and rsb = worth it, two good mods for about $550 installed, and NO issues about a/m parts and warranty compliance.