Hi guys,

I need a very quick answer here. Need to know in less than 24 hours.

My fellow club member is buying my S-Lites off me tomorrow night and was wanting to buy my OEM R50 Sport suspension (springs only, no shocks or sway bar). He just has the standard suspension on his R50. I suggest he doesn't purchase my springs, because I really can not see the difference (money can be better spent some where else). Would there be any noticeable difference with installing just the sport suspension springs on his R50, eg ride height, ride quality.

Thanks guys,

Ben

 

the main problem you will run into with changing just springs is decreased shock life. i'm pretty sure it will give a little bit of a drop, but you should warn him about the excess stress it is putting on the stock shocks.

 

Thanks for the quick response Shocker.

 

absolutely! i'm no expert, but i like to help out where i can. of all he is looking for is the drop then i guess it is ok. but i know that when you cut a coil out of a set of stock springs whis the cheapest way of getting the lowered look you loose a lot of your ride comfort. a lot of my friends did that when i was in highschool. it is important to have your shocks set for the springs you are running.

 

Was wondering if anybody else has any input on this question? I'm getting a set of sport suspension springs (very low cost) along with a set of S swaybars.

What would be the differences between the stock springs and the sport springs? Again, just like above, only changing the springs, not the shocks (but I am changing to the S Sport suspension swaybars).

 

Shocker is correct in that reducing the spring rate will add more stress to the shocks. But these shocks are very stout. They rarely go bad, and as long as you don't go to crazy with the drop (sport springs), they'll be just fine. as for the handling.

 

Im surprised theres a market for these used oem bits (other than Auto-Xers binded by rules) cause if your not tied to any set of rules aftermarket has plenty to offer.

Soupamoto- I'd suggest get the sport suspension minus the front sway, keep the R50 front sway. Someone chime in but I believe that all oem springs come in 2 spring rate versions one for a lightweight MINI ie: no sunroof, no HK or no NAV, etc that has a softer spring rate and and one that has a harder spring rate for the MINI that have everything (options) and the kitchen sink. I'd vote for the harder spring rates regardless of what MINI I had.

 

do the springs have any writing that signify what they are? I have my factory springs and struts sitting in a box.. My car is a fat one (HK and Sunroof) I always thought my ride was a bit too stiff.

 

My R50 is very plain Jane. I don't plan to auto-x, but live in East Tennessee where we don't know what a straight road looks like.

I have the suspension off my R50 to do some repairs. I came across a set of S Sport Suspension swaybars and springs, front and rear at a low cost. They just arrived today.

My stock springs have white-white side by side front and rear are one blue and two purple below.

The new-to-me springs have white-tan front and rear have blue-white.

Stock front swaybar is 22.5mm and rear is 16mm

New front swaybar is 24mm new rear is 17mm.

Not as big a difference on the rear swaybar as I was thinking it would be. Maybe I wasted a little of my money, not sure.

 

I did the rear sway bar swap and it really helped dial out a lot of the understeer. By keeping the smaller 22.5 front and going to just the 17 rear it is like an 'S' going to a 19mm rear bar. I would love to find out the markings on the rear spring, I have a "light MC" and would lke to drop the car some and firm it up a little.

 

I believe it is the red or green dots on the springs that tells you if you have firm or medium springs


Yes, the "S" Sport sway in the back and the R50 non-sport in the front is the ticket, you won't get the flat drive as you would with the larger front but it would allow you to rotate the rear as if you had a 19mm in the back.