First post on any forum anywhere

Some background before my question. I have an '04 R50 (non-S, regular non-plus sport suspension) that I've autocrossed for about a year. Great fun and I'm learning tons. Winning is not a priority and the car is my daily driver so I don't want to go crazy with the mods (or the $$). I also enjoy the occasional canyon run. My objective is to mod piecemeal to keep the car slightly better than my abilities (it's like getting a new car everytime!) Anyway, I first added IE fixed camber plates and just put on Dunlop Star Specs on my 15" holies. (JCW Sound Kit too but that doesn't do anything handling-wise obviously.)

Although debatable, I'm thinking the JCW Suspension would be the next perfect upgrade. Lowering the car is not a priority (the Star Specs have already dropped the car half an inch, thank-you very much) and the reviews sound like the nonlinear springs are a great compromise for daily and spirited driving. Plus, since I already have the Sound Kit, sticking with JCW stuff is appealing. I also like that the setup designed for my car as opposed to most after-market stuff which is really for the heavier MCS.

I installed the camber plates myself so I should be able to do this upgrade as well (except for the front sway bar). Thus, the question: do I need the thicker JCW front sway bar? On one hand it seems like it's an integral part of the design and will affect how the suspension loads in a turn. On the other hand, I must have the smallest front sway bar available, which would make some of you jealous, right?

I'm thinking after-market adjustable rear (19 mm) no matter what.

I did find a few threads on this stuff but non-S, JCW suspension is pretty rare around here and most discussions quickly go into other after-market setups...

Hope this makes sense and wasn't too long a read... Looking forward to your opinions.

Thanks!

 

Keep your stock front sway bar. A larger front sway bar causes more understeer. I used to auto-x a cooper and had koni yellows, TSW springs and a 19mm RSB but I left the small front sway bar.

 

Agreed. Stay away from the Front Sway Bar "upgrade"

 

Thanks for the replies. A few more comments/questions. I made the mistake of reading the thread on progressive vs. linear springs. I believe JCW springs are progressive and now I'm even more confused

Will the softer front bar make it harder to predict what's going to happen when the suspension is loaded?
Won't I be losing some of the designed front suspension stiffness with a smaller front bar?
And am I in danger of inducing too much oversteer by leaving the smaller front bar?

 

As far as I know the JCW springs are linear.

 

What's all this doing to your classification? I know you mentioned that winning wasn't a priority, but it's nice to be in a competitive class. Some mods might move you where you don't want to be.

In general I'd prioritize tires and wheels before the front sway.

Rob

 

Well, I have the JCW Sound Kit, which includes an intake & ECU remap so I was out of stock class before I even knew what autox was!

I run with the San Diego BMWCCA anyway, which places all MINI's together (MC, MCS, stock, modified).

This is all coming about because I installed my own front camber plates. It was fun (in a frustrating way, if you know what I mean) and I feel like the suspension upgrade is within my level of competence, except for the front sway bar.

Tire-wise, I just put the Star Specs on my 15" hollies. Actually, I don't plan on upgrading the suspension for awhile. With the tires, my car is beyond my skill level and I want to wait.

 

I always heard that they were progressive

 

Definetly make your next mod an Hsport 19mm rear swaybar, that will be the biggest bang for the buck mod you can do to your suspension. Then I'd look at springs. If you want good linear, go for the TSW springs they will probaly be cheaper than the JCW ones too.
Also if your putting on lowering springs don't forget you'll need the Hsport rear camber links to adjust the camber/toe in the rear, which will again help you get the best AutoX alignment you can.

A rear swaybar is a must for an AutoXer.

 

Yeah, that's true. I should get the rear sway bar first. Getting springs now is too early. I was worried about not being able to get JCW springs but a call to the dealer indicates that there's still plenty left.

 

It doesn't really matter....all springs will behave progressively in reality on the Mini because your essentially on the bumpstops, which act as an additional spring with a rate that ramps up quickly.

- Andrew