I have an 02 with 97k on it, and pretty much everything on the car is original. I drove my friend's 03 with 90k on it just now, and it's making me realize how old my car feels- his feels much more put together, from the noise/vibration, to the ride. I'm sure his has had better maintenance than mine, I don't have the money to keep up with everything the car needs until it's broken.

The ride on my car is really harsh. Not bouncy like a blown strut, but really jarring, as if it has too much rebound. Hit a bad bump, and you're practically shot out of the seat. So bad, that after a ride from Philly back home to CT with my mom in the passenger seat, sent her to bed practically bruised. I don't see any leaking on the struts, but could they just be too old to offer a comfortable ride? At 97k, I'd expect yes.

 

Most are lucky to get 75K out of the OEM struts, at 97K they are toast and cupping your tires too. The alignment is out of spec and your front control bushings are bad too. The OEM top hats bearings are 50/50. The longer you drive it like this the more stuff will fail. The front (maybe rear) bearings will go too. The money you spend now on replacing the above will save you money on tires down the road.

If you or someone you know can help you change the parts you can get most of what you need from NAPA and save on shipping costs too.

 

There doesn't seem to be any alignment issues or uneven tire wear, but the car doesn't handle that well.. turn in, stability, ride are all reduced. The ride alone could knock your teeth out. The front bushings are definetly next to be changed. Gonna get the poly ones already inserted from Way, and do it myself. As for the shocks themselves, who knows when I'll get to those, but someday I'll have to... thanks for the insight.

 

Sounds like you could use some Koni FSDs.

- Andrew

 

Max, if you want, we can swap out your suspension for my stock SS+. It's been in the garage since I replaced it with the RSS kit.

Let me know, you can come by and we can do it in my garage.

 

That is a great offer.

 

I might take you up on that Frank.. I'd love aftermarket shocks, but it just ain't happening. Not while I still have a mortgage.

You around this weekend? I'll see if I can squeeze some time in.

 

I'm working early morning on sat, and sun, but should be out of work no later than 1pm on both days. I'll PM you.

 

I've learned that the mini can be a funny animal when trying to figure when the shocks are worn out. This can actually be a little elusive beacuse if the bumpstops are working - and these add spring rate to the car and are always in contact with the top of the shock - the car basically feels snug on smooth roads. But when on a highway traveling at speed, the car floats over slight rolly-pollys. It is in this range of motion that control is lost because the shocks have not moved into the more agressive portion of the bumpstops. And, as Aromax noted, potholes and big bumps are met with a jarring ride because there is no rebound control.

I had an alignment a while back and the tech never drove a mini before. He siad this thing really drives well! I said it drives like ****! Koni yellows with any luck...soon Andrew!

 

Yes, no rebound control sounds about right... it really bounces on the roads out here, and the roads out here (CT) are really old and rotten.

 

I found the same thing. At 50K the ride was jarring on bad roads.

I keep the OEM spring but replaced the dampeners with Koni Yellows and the ride is much better.

 

Hmm.... Unfortunately this is sounding suspiciously familiar. Being a first-time MINI owner, I just chalked it up to the r53 being a much firmer ride than I've been used to. (Mileage is currently ~51k)

The Koni FSDs sound like they're worth their weight in gold -- and cost about as much. Any other more modest suggestions?

 

I dont think there is anything cheaper. At least nothing worth a damn. KYB GR2 might be cheaper? No where near as good as Koni though.

- andrew

 

I have about 130k on my 03 MINI S and do about 150 mi a day 50/50 city hiway. Im getting ready to replace my front control arm bushings and put cross coilovers on it to hopefully fix all the symptoms mentioned above lol. I get cupping in the rear jaring over bumps but plants nice in a corner if its smooth. Getting a clunking noise in the rear forever now its like a friend now lol. I can kick the front tires and they do the control arm bushing is toast jiggle dance. With that said this thread kind of re assures the approach im taking. and thought id share my situation/symptoms. I also beat the pee pee out of my car when I drive it so im sure I enhanced the normal wear. I also found that powerflex offers bushings for the tensioner pulley dampner unrelated but a bushing no less im trying this out too I think i eat up those dampners on the tensioner and then it starts rattling like crazy.

 

+1 at 50k, factory struts behaving as described. Ripped them and the front strut top mounts right out.

Currently running stock springs with Koni FSDs and IE fixed plates for the past 35k. I am interested in running the yellows down the road at 120k. Possibly in conjunction with Dinan's custom Eibach springs and bump stops. I figure the stock springs will be a bit soft by then.

 

How do you like the Koni FSD, IE Fixed Plate, stock spring set-up?

- Andrew

 

I ran that setup for a while and liked it. Only issue was ride height - it raised the front a bit, and it was already high to start with. I eventually went to TSW springs to get a little drop and LOVE how that combo feels, for street and light track days.

 

I just hate the idea of lowering the car any amount with OEM style shocks. :(

I do have some crappy roads around me along with perpetual construction.

Does anyone make a shortened fixed perch shock?

My company made a camber plate for subarus that lowered the car 3/8th of an inch without sacrificing bump travel. Would be awesome, but our design probably wouldn't work for the Mini.

- Andrew

 

Well they are painted a gold color.

 

If you think FSD's are expensive, price a new set of OEM at your dealer...

BTW, the FSD's are worth every penny.

 

... as I've discovered.

I'm planning on giving the FSDs a shot -- tho some are recommending Koni yellows set "soft" -- when the time comes to replace my shocks, but the first step will be to replace the runflat tires to see if that helps.

 

I suspect you'd find that FSDs are more comfortable on the street, Yellows can be setup better for the track and are still good on the street... I love my FSDs, but they're not as stiff as I'd probably like on the track.

 

My rears have about 66,100 miles on them, while the right front has 43,600 on it and the left front has 51,639. Don't ask...

I think they are all ok for now. But it seems like a good excuse for some coilovers. I'm very happy with the stock springs and ride height though, and the stock dampers seem to perfectly match the car.

 

Instead of messing around with pricy coilovers, just reduce the tire section - for example, instead of 205x55x16, try a 205x50x16 - that will lower the car about 10mm (actually maybe 7mm due to the flat side on the bottom).

You'll get all of the scraping on driveways and beer cans that you crave, without the geometry and wheel-travel issues that coilovers create, at a fraction of the cost, and, you can raise the car back to reasonable height cheaply with your next set of tires...

 

A great combo for the street. My early impressions on me blog. The fixed plates give me about -1.8 degrees of camber in the front. Tire wear is now even. Plus, the beefier bushings reduce the jarring at full bump compression over the rough stuff. The FSDs and stock springs give a more behaved ride, but you still know you're in a mini. :D The FSDs seem to track the road undulations much better than stock. the total package gives better ride and handling than stock on the street.

I no longer grimace when riding over the rough stuff.

BTW, GRM Per and Kim have won a fair bit of auto-x meets with just FSDs and stock springs on their R50.

Sorry for the late reply. Don't read this board often. Having a three year old running amuck tends to do that.