Hey everyone,

My Mini with 89k miles seems to take bumps in the road pretty harsh, seems like it mostly comes from the front end. It basically feels like I'm hitting a pothole every time i hit decent size bumps, just seems more violent than I thought it should be. I'm running on oem suspension, and nothing appears out of the ordinary. Any clues as to what might cause this? My tire size is 215/45/17 if that helps, and I've replaced both front sway bar links because they were broken.

 

My guess it is the normal ride for the 17's which don't provide much cushion for bumps or potholes.

I think you'd see a big difference in ride with 16s. Handling in the twisties would be another matter.

///Rich (who's 2003 R53 has had 17s since day one)

 

Nearly 90K miles on the original struts?
If so, they are more than likely shot. Struts don't last forever. Check out the strut bushings as well. Also, if there's a lot of pot holes and rough streets, strongly consider front strut tower defenders. Most of the vendors herein can guide you there. They will help prevent strut tower mushrooming...which should also be inspected.

 

I guess I'm just assuming the struts are original, but I don't have any maintenance records. Is there a way to check the condition of the struts? I have seen the tower defenders, and will most likely pick those up if the struts do need to be replaced. It's not a great picture, but here's a look at the top of the strut towers. Do they look "mushroomed"? (Not too sure what exactly I'm looking for)

 

My mini beat the crap out of me at 90,000 miles when it had the oem struts on it....even with non-runflat tires. I put a set of Koni FSD shocks on it......and I can't even begin to explain the difference. The bump that before would rattle my teeth turned into a smooth little "thump"...and I was on my way. It transformed the ride on the car....so much nicer on bumps.

 

The struts are just old and worn, they get rougher as time goes. Its just a matter of replacing them if you are so inclined

 

The three bolts at the top of the tower should all be pointing the same direction. Lay a straight edge across them so you can see any variance. If they are splayed outward then the tower is mushroomed. It's an easy fix, here's a how to and there are other videos that can come in handy later.
Don't mess with those thin plates he shows at the beginning but some milled billet plates from any of the listed vendors like Way Motor Works for instance. I've added the M7 plates and really like them.
+1 on IQRaceworks comment on the KONI FSD struts. MotoringWerks.com always has them at a very good, near half, price.
http://www.motoringwerks.com/default.aspx

 

Thanks for the tips. I've heard nothing but good things about the Koni FSD struts, but what about the Koni Sports? I'm interested in lowering the car (via lowering springs, or coilovers at some point) and will never be racing the car, just taking it to work and back. Would they be a better option for someone looking to lower the car?

 

For lowering, KONI Yellows, NOT FSD.

 

+1 on the M7 Speed Strut Reinforcement Plates. Can get them here, which also provides a good detailed description about the product and installation instructions. Another great viable strut and shock to go with is the Bilstein Touring Class. Otherwise, if you're wanting lowering options I'd highly recommend the ST coil overs here as a really good bang for your buck coil over. I've had these installed on everything from daily drivers to big HP builds. They perform very well for the price and they're manufactured by KW! A rear sway bar upgrade is a nice compliment and another good bang for your buck mod for your MINI. Of course, any type of lowering you do to your MINI you'll want to invest in a good set of adjustable control arms like the Hotchkis arms here. It will help with abnormal tire wear. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Your strut towers looked mushroomed from the pic. I went with ST XTA coil overs and the ride and handling is great. A lot better than stock, even when lowered. My stock struts had about 37K on them when replaced so they were probably still good when removed.

For strut tower plates look at the VIP plates, or the Craven Speed plates. The VIP plates are similar in design to the M7, but they look like more detail went into the design of the notches and bolts. The notches match the contours of the strut tower, where the M7 has a squared groove machined into it. Also, the bolts are customed machined T-bolts which leave the plate at full thickness instead of having a recess in the plate. Both have a strut tower bar attachment available.

 

Dumb question: Do springs typically need to be swapped about the time that shocks need to be, or do they last longer or forever?

 

Not a dumb question. Typically, no you don't need to swap them at the time shocks/struts need to be done. They will last for quite some time. That being said, the springs can become "tired" over time and not perform like they should. In that case, you'd want to change them.

 

I would inspect them for damage , cracks, and the coating coming off, sagging. They usually last longer then the struts. The upper and lower springs pads are a must for replacement unless you have a new car, which in Gen 1 MINIs it will have to be an unused very with very low miles, but i would still change them.

Thanks

 

Another +1 on Pelican's recommendation for a stiffer rear sway bar. You will not believe the difference in handling and quick response. It's like the difference between the old man's '55 DeSoto and the Batmobile.
While it's up on the lift getting new struts is the perfect time to swap the RSB.

 

What type of 215/45/17 tires do you have?
The tire model can make quite a difference even in the same size.

 

Thanks for all the information everyone. Those Bilstein touring class struts are extremely affordable and hard to resist the tempation to buy them right now, given the positive feedback from here. Would they do well with lowering springs or should that be avoided? My tires are "Nexen N5000 Plus 215/45/17".

 

Oh you have runflats. Those wil definitely contribute to your rough ride. I have those same tires. They suck.

 

Are they runflats ?

 

If they are fun flats you need to start this thread all over again but you still want the upgrade on struts and rear sway bar.
Here's a good start for the re-start: DITCH THE RUNFLATS!!!

 

I believe they aren't intended to work with lowering springs and you'd have to go with the Bilstein Sports for that. The Touring Class struts/shocks are OEM replacements for OE springs with slightly better performance. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

How exactly would I tell if they are runflats, some sort of marking on the tire? I've heard that runflats contribute to harsh rides before but I thought these weren't runflats. I could very well be wrong though.

 

From what I'm finding the Nexen N5000 Plus is an All-Season Radial Tire.

 

The ones I have see look like non runflat, but if it is a RF tire it will state RSC on the side or state runflat in text.

 

I just checked and they are actually 205/45/17 and say "extra radial" and "tubeless" on them. That's about all though