Hey Guys, I'm sure this subject's been addressed ad nauseum, but I'm gonna ask for feedback. I have a 2011 JCW H/B with the absolutely horrible "sports" suspension from the factory. I'm looking to install the JCW Suspension Kit. Found it for $994.00 and my tech would install it for $500.00 including alignment. I don't and will probably not track my car, and I don't care for the "low" look, still need the car to be practicle.....I like driving my car hard, and I just feel the stock suspension and the sport, for that matter, aren't enough to handle the power the '11 JCW has. IMO the JCW should come with it's own tuned suspension, much like BMW does with their M3. The car gets "jumpy" during hard cornering/acceleration. So I have a 2 part question:

1. For all who have taken the JCW suspension route, what do y'all think? Handling, ride, torque steer improvement, etc. Any other helpful comments
2. How does the price sound? I'll be paying ~$1060 including shipping, and $500 for the install/alignment.

 

First that is a great price, the kit does include frt and rr sway bars, shocks/struts, and 4 new springs? If so this is a great price.
Ok on to the other part I add the JCW suspension to my 2010 JCW and the torque steer was completely gone, the ride is firm but not uncomfortable, cornering is flat. All in all it made my JCW feel exactly like my 2006 GP. It is in my opinion the best setup for a street driven JCW.

 

Thanks Gmann....that price does include the springs rated for my specific car....appreciate the input!

 

Please share where you found the price!

Todd

 

My JCW came with the sport suspension as well. About 2 months later (winter of 2009) I bought the JCW suspension from Morristown MINI and had them install it. Paid about what you did. You are getting a great price on the kit and the install. Make sure that the kit is for your car though. The kit is matched to your VIN.

The ride was very rough after the install and in April of 2009 I ditched the run flats for Nitto Neo Gens. Nice tire and now is a nice set up for me.

About a year later I had the rear sway bar replaced with a H-Sport 25.5mm hollow bar. Its set on the softest setting.

I am very happy with this set up. And though I do not track the car or auto-x cross it yet, I always think about getting some nice coil-overs like KW v2 from Way motor works. Those come with the TSW springs matched for our cars. http://www.waymotorworks.com/kw-vari...r55-56-57.html

I say go for it. The JCW suspension is very nice and is tuned for our cars. I agree that the JCW suspension should come standard with the car. So should the JCW aero kit and JCW steering wheel.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do.

 

KW ftw, Got em and love them!

 

PM me. I was able to get that price through a friend of a master tech @ a mini dealer in CA. I may be able to help you out. I don't want to give his name out without knowing he can offer that price to everyone. I went through him and not the parts dept.

 

I haven't driven a MINI without the JCW suspension.. I have a 2011 JCW ordered it with the car set up with it...I think it cost me with install about 2K, so yea that's a good price...

I'm running sock R/F 17" you do know when you hit a bump but you have to remember these cars have short wheel base... which gives it the great handling but poor road shock capabilities... That's why Linclons and Cadillacs are larger and have soft rides...land yacht...

I know when I got aggressive doin the Dragon... there was no body roll and the car stayed put... in one of the Killboy pics looks like I got a wheel off the ground but I'm not sure....

For that price you can't go wrong... Good Luck


Oh yea...for the price of these cars, they should have come with it in it and with the JCW areo package and that's not just my opinion...

 

Everyone with a JCW shares this opinion. There is a huge thread on motoringfile.com on this topic.

 

I upgraded my JCW suspension to the TSW KW V2s as well. The JCW suspension is very good but the KWs are amazing.

 

I got my 2011 JCW with the stock suspension as I had decided before I ordered it that I would go with coil overs and a rear sway bar. I went with H&R Street Performance coil overs and an NM Engineering 22mm sway bar. I also got the NM eng. engine torque arm bushings which eliminated most of the torque steer. Really happy with this set up. Handles really well, love it, and yet is smooth and comfortable. Can still feel the bumps, but different than with the stock suspension, less jarring, kind of like if the wheel base had been lengthened. I do not think the car should come with the JCW suspension forced on me, I prefer to set it up the way I want it. Also, if the car came with the aero kit as standard, then there should be an option to get it without. Don't like the look, don't want it, don't want to have to pay for it. The coil over and sway bar change does cost considerably more than the JCW suspension, but way worth it to me. With lighter wheels and non run flats and an Alta/Cobb AccessPort tune, this thing is fantastic. Next stop, FMIC. BTW, the torque arm bushing eliminated all the torque steer, but now with the AP tune, a little of it has come back, but still better than stock.

 

my MINI dealer just quoted $1500.00 to install the jcw suspension. Said it would be 12 hours labor and they had to drop the subframe. Does this sound right.

Also the MINI site says the kit includes two stabilizer bars. Are these the same as sway bars?

 

For the sways the sub frames have to be loosened/lowered for removal and installation. Save that money and buy a set of coilovers and do the install yourself... you will be happier IMO with a good set of coils vs jcw suspension which is not worth the extra loot the dealers charge IMO.

 

That's crazy expensive for an install. If you really want the JCW suspension I would have it installed at a reputable shop instead of the dealer. It will probably save you $1000 or so.

 

That's the norm with dealer install, unfortunately. In the real world it should take 4-5hrs max. If you've already purchased the kit I'd take the previous poster's advice and have it installed at an independent shop. Don't know where you live but there's a long list of reputable shops that'll not only do the install for about $400-500 including the alignment, but will welcome the many questions you may have, and allow you to observe the work....can't do that at the dealership.

 

Guys,

Thanks for the quick response and the advice!

The reason i was considering the jcw suspension w factory install was for warranty purposes.

For the time being i ordered the jcw steering wheel (had to buy something after going to MOTD) and i'll thing about the alternatives you suggested.

The car is in warranty until oct 2012.

I live in Pitman (south jersey). Anyone know of a shop in my area?

Thanks,
Steve

 

I got H&R Street, I really like it.

Save your money on coilover with adjustable height and damper setting. If I can redo my suspension setup, I would get KW2 or 3. =D

The only benefit I see with the JCW suspension is the factory warranty.

 

$1500 just for the install?? That is what I paid for the JCW suspension and the install and that was too much. MINI states that the install will take about 4 hours.

The kit consists of a front sway bar, a rear sway bar, 4 shocks and 4 springs.

For more info - http://www.motoringfile.com/2007/08/...rt-suspension/

 

What does the quote below mean (taken from the motoring file review of the jcw suspension)?

However (and this is a big however) on the highway quality tends to deteriorate to R53 levels. This is a huge difference to the stock (non-sport) set-up standard on the R56.

Is the ride quality on the highway really bad???

Thanks,
Steve

 

That's a difficult aspect to quantify since the quality of the ride is subjective with regard to how stiff the suspension is. In general though the more performance oriented the suspension is the stiffer it will be.

I had the JCW suspension on my car for 3 years and I didn't find it to be uncomfortable at all, especially for a MINI. I have the TSW KW V2s on now and I've gotten so used to those at this point that even they don't bother me at all.

You'll notice a stiffer ride at first but nothing that would be considered harsh by any standard and you'll become accustomed to it very quickly and won't even notice it after a while.

 

Was this from Part1 of the review? Cause in Part3, he upgrades his rating from Part1 cause he found out that the dealer had his tire pressures too high, which made the ride harsher on street than it needed to be.

 

$1500 is a really good price. I had really work to get $1700 for the suspension, installed and aligned for my car deal. Though I guess you got yours back in '09 so maybe it'd be more closer to my number now.

But I dont' know why everyone says aftermarket is so much cheaper cause the entire JCW setup is $900 before tax/shipping, from Morristown Mini. And when I add up prices for aftermarket shocks, springs, rear swaybar, and front swaybar it isnt' really cheaper and no warranty either.

 

Nykwan, I think onefish is saying that $1500 is expensive for just the install without the parts and I agree with him.

 

Yeah, I agree. I was referring to Onefish paying $1500 for parts and install being a good price. $1500 for just an install would be insane.

 

sooper - thanks! I was hoping that was the case.

nykwan - the quote was from Part 1. I did read Part 2 but i didn't realize until reading your post that there even was a Part 3 - i'll check it out.