I have an 02 mcs and I'm looking to do at very least shocks and sway bars but on the cheap. I would like to get what's best as far as performance goes but I'm real unfamiliar with what works good on the mcs. Would I be best off doing a shocks/springs/sway package? Will lowering it help much with overall performance even or would I be better off with just using the stock springs and spinding more on the shocks? I have a track prepped evo and I would like to get the cooper to a point where I could use it as a backup car incase the evo breaks the first day on a two day weekend. What would you guys suggest? Tia

 

Depends what you mean by 'on the cheap', and your desires/goals.
First is the rear sway.
After that it's all a matter of degrees.

 

well I got about $500-$700 for the first stage of suspension.

 

well, if you have a tracked out evo im sure you know how getting into the suspension can get out of hand...

but as eric said, start with the rear sway.
camber plates would be awesome too, ireland engineering makes the most affordable ones on the market that i know of.
the stock springs/struts can handle track or autox just fine.

 

Ireland Engineering fixed front camber plates, Bilstein SP struts, and an alignment optimized to match your goals; keep the OEM springs and sway bars.

 

what does the factory mounts max out at for camber? And where's the best place for the bilsteins?

 

factory mounts are fixed at -.5
dunno about where to get bilis

 

wow no wonder why this thing understeers so bad.

 

pop in a rear sway, slap on stiff and it'll come around on you regardless of front camber. but hey, combined with front camber plates you'll be plenty happy

 

yeah stock I have to throttle steer the heck out of it and it wears the outside front real bad as well. I think I'll start with a rear sway and some bilsteins. I'll do springs and camber plates the next round

 

First, camber plates & struts, if that doesn’t satisfy and you feel you must have stiffer springs, then springs, sway bar last (this is front wheel drive, embrace it). Or, set higher goals and go straight to quality coilovers with appropriate springs.

 

I would suggest adjustable camber plates and Koni Yellows instead. You won't be able to dial in the alignment you want with fixed camber plates, you'll still be stuck at an arbitrary number. And the Koni Yellows are cheaper than the Bilsteins and adjustable. You'd probably spend about the same total, and it'd be a better set-up.

But the rear swaybar is probably the first and most cost-effective mod. I would do the swaybar and camber plates first and see how that works out for you. Shocks are expensive and the stock units might be adequate for the time being. Springs are mostly for aesthetics.

 

my shocks are shot so I'm for sure looking there first as well as a rear sway and camber plates. Im gonna hold off on springs for now. My evo needs attention so I have to keep it to a minimum on the cooper for now as its not a priority it handles well, just something to toy around with if the evo is down.

 

a lot of it depends on what you want it to do. i do not recommend camber plates for most of my customers to start with, but some shocks are good, you may or may not need or want springs, but a rear sway bar is a must. but is a 19 or 22 the way to go for you. feel free to give me a call and i can give you some options that would fit your needs. street car, race car, or both?

Chad
Detroit Tuned
586-296-6001

 

thanks ago kart. I'm wearing the hell out of the onside front from just street driving and to get the car to rotate at all I have to throttle steer the heck out of it. So my thinking is that some neg camber upfront should get it planted coupled with a rear sway it should let it rotate a little better. Its my daily driver but I would like to have it as a backup this season incase my track car gives out.

 

what tires do you run ? the stock run flats are horrible for understeer . they just push, and if you give it gas it just slides more. now if it were rear drive ; well it wouldn't matter .

 

Im running some falkens that arent that great but its not the overall grip im concerned with its the way that the car applies it... I actually ended up spending a bunch of money on my evo so Im gonna have to wait for a bit to do anything to the cooper.

 

Front fixed camber plates and a rear bar would be the best step for you concidering what you want out of the car for now. It doesn't seem like ride height is your biggest concern. Front Fixed camber plates (will give you 1.5-1.75 neg. camber) and rear sway bar will set you 470 installed (rear ALTA sway bar 22mm installed 250, IE camber plates installed 220). Feel free to contact us and let us know if we can help.

Thanks,
Danny D
MINICORSA
818-994-0338

 

You can get around -2 with the stock springs and adj. plates, but at that point the springs will rub the wheel well during sharp turns. And FWIW, I've been flogging my stock shock/spring suspension on the track for a while now and it's really working great with the tweaks I've done to it - adj. camber, 19mm rsb, adj rear control arms, and an aggressive alignment. I think all of that comes under your budget. Let us know how it all goes.

Also, I've been torn about suspensions for a while. I read the expert threads about how changing small things can have large effects and it freaks me out a bit. I want the TSW AST coilovers, but it might be just as good to get their linear springs and put some konis in, too.

mb

 

On a 2002 Struts are probably at or close to eol. On my 2002 @ 40k (All Highway) they were pretty much end of life so it is something to consider when planning out your suspension mods.

 

Sorry guys I spent the money on my EVO. The cooper is staying stock a while longer..

 

Probably a better choice in the long run. Is either car one you plan on keeping as a collector's piece?

 

Although ssteve decided to spend his money his Evo, after picking up my 04 MCS this weekend, I'm ready to start ordering things. I will be tracking the car probably six to eight days per year and am coming from a RWD car so I do want to make the MCS rotate a bit better.

That said, I know that a rear sway bar is the first place to start. My wife will only let me spend so much money at a time. Turner is listing their H&R springs for $208 but you can pick up the H&R 18mm sway bar for $50 when ordered with the springs. That's a good deal, if 18's enough.

I've already ordered wheels and tires to ditch the run flats. I do drive the car regularly 3/4s of the year. My wife drives it occasionally and my 4-year rides in the back from time to time so... I don't think I want to put say... a 22mm bar on the car. Thoughts?

 

combined with a set of adjustable front camber plates, you may find the 18 or stock rear bar is all you need. I have found the stock front camber to be barely adequate for spirited driving let alone hpde's. My front tires showed extreme wear on the outside shoulders after one hpde. Granted, it was a two day event. A larger rear anti-sway does not address the front camber issue to allow more grip. As for springs, I believe turner has matched the h&r's they sell to Bilstein SP struts. As for rotating, a large rear bar will do it, but you may not want that for a daily driver with kids aboard nor for a hpde on a road course.

As for my ride, I have Ireland fixed plates and h-sport arms ready to be installed when spring arrives.

Motor on!

 

Ever think about the Megan or BC coilovers? Those will cover the springs, struts, and camber plates...then all you need is sways and control arms