What's the Peanut Gallery's Thoughts on This Spring Setup?
 

Howdy folks!

I have been enjoying my new F56 JCW for the last month or so. My long term plans are to lower the car slightly and get a wider tire/wheel setup. I did option my car with DDC, which I enjoy quite a bit and would like to retain. I am not looking for a big drop, but adjustability is a plus!

Retaining DDC rules out going to a typical Coilover setup for me (the best I am aware of). I came across these and I was curious what folks thought about this adjustable dual setup coming to market by Evolve and MSS:

https://www.evolveautomotive.com/mak...s-jcw-gp3.html

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...65f23f6dd2.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...47d8d367f1.png


Are there any other brands with a similar setup for the F56?

Thanks!

Not sure lowering the car is wise with DDC. I think you can go to a little stiffer rear ASB no problem. Might want to start with the wider tires before anything else (you'll have to get new/wider wheel arches mounted first of course). Somebody just started a thread about a sale on those things in this forum. That outta keep you busy for awhile lol.

And then there's the issue of possible DDC failure - I had one of the dampeners fail on my 2016 Cooper S - no suspension modifications, and the dealer told me that it's one of the few items that's not covered by factory warranty. It cost me $1350 to replace that one failed damper - just something to think about when modding a DDC suspended Mini.

Holy crap! At that price, I would yank it all out and replace with JCW Pro coilovers.

I don't think most MIni dealers would pull that on a customer. That would be like saying "your factory JCW engine tune isn't covered because it has more boost than the stock engine". Which would be true if you used an add-on non-Mini tune. But the dampers are from the factory. That story reminds me of some of the Mini dealers refusing to honor people's high pressure fuel pump warranties on the R56 cars because the owner used "bad gas". So many of those failed they finally agreed to cover them for 100k miles, basically forever, if the failed. (mine did).

Yea I would think so too but that didn't help me at all - I still had to fork over $1350 for the replacement of one freaking dampner (it was leaking oil) even though my suspension was unmodified in any way. That's just how the Mini of Westchester NY explained to me. So in a sense you could modify your DDC suspension any way you'd like because no matter what if they fail you'll be paying for the repair out of your pocket since the factory warranty doesn't cover DDC's. I just wanted to warn the OP about the cost of replacing the DDC's if they break. I mean if someone finds out that Mini was lying to me and that Mini of America says that the Mini dealer SHOULD cover failed DDC's please let me know so I could go back to the stealership and request my money back. :-)

I would have called Mini of America right from the service area to verify their stance of the lack of warranty. Even still, I would call them tomorrow and plead your case to see what they say.

I second that motion. I'd have demanded to see the warranty exclusion involving the dynamic dampers in writing before I shelled out $1300. Leaking seals on shock absorbers/struts should be covered under a warranty IMO unless they can show that you were in a wreck and damaged the car. Tires are different.

Yea, it's been a year now and literally a week or two after I repaired it a guy wrecked into the back of my Mini at the car wash, pushed me in the middle of the road - luckily there were no vehicles on the road or I'd get smashed left and right, and my car got totaled. I got a good amount of money from Geico and at least I was then able to get into my 2019 JCW which I just looooove! Anyways, when I get some time I might give MoA a call or something but I just couldn't believe that they would lie to my face (how naive I know) plus they did show me some paperwork showing that the DDC's were not covered by factory warranty so I believed them. If anybody finds out the info before me please post in here or in a new thread...sorry OP for hijacking your thread.

Im in a very similar starting point to you (JCW, DDC, 17inch track spokes). My use case was : daily driver, keep the DDC for ability to back off stiffness on downtown cobbles/wanky roads, add a little more stiffness for out of city driving. Sprinkle on goodness with a minor tyre/fender gap improvement. ive had coilovers on street cars previously - and likely wont go that route again all things being equal. I like the way the car handles city centre roads with my fillings intact.

I went ahead with spring swap and wider wheels. Set up has been on since Feb/March this year. No issues so far. . . Im on NM springs. I did play with the driving modes and around town settled on sport - chassis off. Sport mode - YES to sport all settings is a little rattley for my old arse on downtown cobbles - but perfect on out of town carving trips. Im monitoring the dampers and if anything does start to seep out with the minor drop in ride height so beit. Might happen - might not. If i recall ive heard of outlining cases where this may happen.

Wheels and tyres? If you are super particular about stance/fender gap id lock down your choice first then get in the weeds with measuring real world drop with the various spring options. Unlike other cars ive had the F56 fenders seem easier to manipulate if you need to prevent rub. However with springs you arent even close to rub with the bulk of options out there - unless you go silly stretch.

I do follow eventuri/evolve on social media. Their stuff for BMW/Mini seems to usually be well thought out and planned before it goes to market. The product you posted must be boxfresh new. Not been on my radar. Check over on the UK boards for local heroes.

If you get these, please let us DDC owners know how it goes. I am also looking for a solution to DDC lowering too. So far s3 owners like them, but the golf R community not so much.......