I'm planning to install my adjustable coilvers with adjustable dampers, camber/caster plates with strut bar, and rear control arms. Has anyone already installed coilovers that can help by giving any tips?

 

You will need scales and alignment equipment to do this right. What part of the country are you in?
PerfPow

 

On a little island in the Pacific called Hawaii. Can't seem to find the alignment specifications anywhere for 2002 MCS. Do you know where I can get it?

 

You might PM over to Randy BMC for some assistance. Tell him Brad sent you. Who did you buy all that from?
Are there any instructions that come with the parts?

 

I will try to get the factroy alignment specs from the alignment shop after they do the alignment. It would come in handy if you'll be messing around with the alignment. As for the mods, i got them from MiniSport, MiniMania, and "jlm". JLM fabricated the camber/caster plates with stress bar. They look similar to the ones you see at helix13.com By the way, is Randy from MiniMadness?

 

HI-MINI
Here is Randy's website
http://www.mini-motorsport.com/
His user name in MCO is RandyBMC

Try calling him at 1-720-841-1002 (colorado)
I usually try to buy everything I get through him.
He can usually get a good price on everything out there for MINIs- he can price match- just ask.
He does many How To's on MCO.
Check his website-many are there to download or print.

 

HI-MINI
Did you install your upgrades? Any problems? How do things work with the upgrades?

 

Thanks for the info. Randy gave me the factory alignment specs. He's really helpful. Got my suspension mods installed by a guy who races at the solo II. His name is Steve and he lives at Haleiwa. He has installed many coilovers. The ride is hard especially with my low profile tires. The coilovers can be adjusted to either stiff or soft depending on ride quality and how you want the car to handle. I don't have a digital camera to pictures but maybe I can show you my suspension one day.

 

Did you install the swaybar yourself because I'm planning to get a swaybar. Steve doesn't want to install a swaybar because he thinks it involves removing the subframe where the bar sits. Got the info on installing swaybars on Randy's website but I didn't show it to Steve yet.

 

From what I recall from our 1st Meet & Greet up at Zippys, one of the guys said that to install the rear subframe all you have to do is undo the 4 bolts that hold it in, but that the forward portion would still hold it on the car - then wiggle the old one out, and wiggle the new one in. Apologies though - I can't reacall his name off the top of my head, but he has a really nice Red / White MCS with silver (BBS?) wheels / red annodized lug nuts, and the black aero grill replacements. Really sharp lookin' MINI, and he's already done a ton of work to it!

-Andy

 

I had my rear swaybar put in by a shop- took about an hour. RandyBMC has instructions on his website and it is as Latka says- loosen screws, wriggle out the old and put in the new. Not that bad and my shop was very worried and didn't want to do the install until Randy talked to them. Turned out OK.

 

What's the name of the shop? I will show my friend Steve the instructions but if he still doesn't want to do it, I need someone who already has experience installing a swaybar in a MINI.

 

You can have Steve call Leonard Barboza at B&B Auto Service center
Phone 676-2334, He's worked on my blue cooper S .
B&B also installed my H-sport springs and H-sport rear adjustable camber rods.
Tomorrow Island Brake and Alignment (phone 488-6521) will check and adjust the rear camber to -0.75 degrees which is recommended by H-sport for stock use. If you are going to drive hard on the track you can leave the negative camber to -1.5 degrees and it will do well in the turns but the rear tires will tend to wear a little more so frequent rotation is helpful.

 

With camber plates, you can adjust the front camber to whatever degree you want and then back to stock setting for everyday driving. If you are going to get a strut brace, and then camber plates later, you may need to check if they will work together. Your rear camber rods are also a good choice for alignment adjustability. Will you be at the solo II race this sunday to test out your car's handling and of course, driving skills?

 

Nope-
Not racing
Had not planned to get the camber plates. If I was going to race then I would add the front camber plates and the full four control arms in the back.
Looking at the strut bar in the front to beef up the front after adding the sport springs. Trying to balance it out.

 

Just a note to let you know about what I did today-
:smile:
And YES I really needed it and YES I would recommend a 4 wheel thrust alignment done by a shop that knows what they are doing.
So- I added H-sport springs and the rear camber control arm- just the lower pair. I have the madness rear sway bar with firmest setting.
Before alignment:
front toe in was in 50 on the left and out 30 on the right
rear camber was negative 2.4 degrees and the rear wheels were tilted inward at the top- quite visible.
Ride was bumpy and my dash would rattle and shake over rough roads.
The shop said they would adjust the rear camber to negative 0.75 degrees that I requested but once they did that, they said I should expect that the front and rear toe in would be off. They would check to see that it be realigned to match manufacturer's specs for toe in. They said they could adjust both the front and rears. Their speciality is brakes and alignment. I initially talked to a Midas outlet and they would not touch the car due to being lowered and them not know what to do for a car that was modified.

Here are some of the details from a spec sheet I got from the shop:
Left Front/ Right Front/ Specified Range
Camber(degrees) -0.5 / -0.2 / -0.9 to -0.1
Castor (degrees) 4.5 / 4.4 / 4.3 to 5.3
Toe (degrees) 0.13 / 0.13 / 0.13 to 0.18

Front (in degrees)
Actual / Specified Range
Cross Camber -0.3 / -0.5 to 0.5
Cross Castor 0 / -0.5 to 0.5
Total Toe 0.26 / 0.25 to 0.35

Left Rear / Right Rear / Specified Range
Camber(degrees) -0.7 / -0.7 / -2.0 to -1.0
Toe (degrees) 0.15 / 0.15 / 0.13 to 0.27

Rear (in degrees)
Actual / Specified Range
Cross Camber 0.0 / -0.5 to 0.5
Total Toe 0.3 / 0.27 to 0.53
Thrust Angle 0.00 / -0.17 to 0.17

The car ran much smoother after the alignment. Amazing. The rear wheels had a slight tilt inward but much better than before. Cost was about $82 including tax at 4% and hourly rate was $70. Took them about 100 minutes minimum. Est on time was 90 minutes. I'm planning to add a tower front strut brace- they said that it would be OK and not mess up the alignment.

So for me a four wheel thrust alignment worked wonders. Toe in was really not too good after the springs were installed and if I did the adjustments by eye on my rear camber it would have affected toe in on rear and maybe fronts even more.

 

I would like to clarify the numbers below with regards to the alignment settings.

The actual was the setting of the alignment aspects before the alignment work.

The specified is what they set it to when the work was done.

Yes/No

Would these settings be appropriate for H & R Springs? Mostly street driving, sometimes aggressive in turns, sometimes not. Driver's ed/tracktime 3-4 times a year. Will eventually do some autocross as a novice. Don't know how often.

Thank you so much in advance for your response(s).


>>Just a note to let you know about what I did today-
>> :smile:
>>And YES I really needed it and YES I would recommend a 4 wheel thrust alignment done by a shop that knows what they are doing.
>>So- I added H-sport springs and the rear camber control arm- just the lower pair. I have the madness rear sway bar with firmest setting.
>>Before alignment:
>>front toe in was in 50 on the left and out 30 on the right
>>rear camber was negative 2.4 degrees and the rear wheels were tilted inward at the top- quite visible.
>>Ride was bumpy and my dash would rattle and shake over rough roads.
>>The shop said they would adjust the rear camber to negative 0.75 degrees that I requested but once they did that, they said I should expect that the front and rear toe in would be off. They would check to see that it be realigned to match manufacturer's specs for toe in. They said they could adjust both the front and rears. Their speciality is brakes and alignment. I initially talked to a Midas outlet and they would not touch the car due to being lowered and them not know what to do for a car that was modified.
>>
>>Here are some of the details from a spec sheet I got from the shop:
>> Left Front/ Right Front/ Specified Range
>>Camber(degrees) -0.5 / -0.2 / -0.9 to -0.1
>>Castor (degrees) 4.5 / 4.4 / 4.3 to 5.3
>>Toe (degrees) 0.13 / 0.13 / 0.13 to 0.18
>>
>>Front (in degrees)
>> Actual / Specified Range
>>Cross Camber -0.3 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>Cross Castor 0 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>Total Toe 0.26 / 0.25 to 0.35
>>
>> Left Rear / Right Rear / Specified Range
>>Camber(degrees) -0.7 / -0.7 / -2.0 to -1.0
>>Toe (degrees) 0.15 / 0.15 / 0.13 to 0.27
>>
>>Rear (in degrees)
>> Actual / Specified Range
>>Cross Camber 0.0 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>Total Toe 0.3 / 0.27 to 0.53
>>Thrust Angle 0.00 / -0.17 to 0.17
>>
>>The car ran much smoother after the alignment. Amazing. The rear wheels had a slight tilt inward but much better than before. Cost was about $82 including tax at 4% and hourly rate was $70. Took them about 100 minutes minimum. Est on time was 90 minutes. I'm planning to add a tower front strut brace- they said that it would be OK and not mess up the alignment.
>>
>>So for me a four wheel thrust alignment worked wonders. Toe in was really not too good after the springs were installed and if I did the adjustments by eye on my rear camber it would have affected toe in on rear and maybe fronts even more.
>>

 

>>I would like to clarify the numbers below with regards to the alignment settings.

OK will do.

>>The actual was the setting of the alignment aspects before the alignment work.

No. The actual was what I had done- what was the actual reading after alignment was completed.

>>The specified is what they set it to when the work was done.

Specified range is the range that is within factory settings for a R53 Cooper S with 17" wheel.

>>Yes/No
>>
>>Would these settings be appropriate for H & R Springs? Mostly street driving, sometimes aggressive in turns, sometimes not. Driver's ed/tracktime 3-4 times a year. Will eventually do some autocross as a novice. Don't know how often.

Yes, this is for any slightly upgraded Cooper S. I had H-sport springs on the car with rear swaybar.

>>Thank you so much in advance for your response(s).

You should be fine with the alignment. I intend to redo it every two years or so. The car really did well after the alignment. Stable and smooth. I could tell right away.

>>>>Just a note to let you know about what I did today-
>>>> :smile:
>>>>And YES I really needed it and YES I would recommend a 4 wheel thrust alignment done by a shop that knows what they are doing.
>>>>So- I added H-sport springs and the rear camber control arm- just the lower pair. I have the madness rear sway bar with firmest setting.
>>>>Before alignment:
>>>>front toe in was in 50 on the left and out 30 on the right
>>>>rear camber was negative 2.4 degrees and the rear wheels were tilted inward at the top- quite visible.
>>>>Ride was bumpy and my dash would rattle and shake over rough roads.
>>>>The shop said they would adjust the rear camber to negative 0.75 degrees that I requested but once they did that, they said I should expect that the front and rear toe in would be off. They would check to see that it be realigned to match manufacturer's specs for toe in. They said they could adjust both the front and rears. Their speciality is brakes and alignment. I initially talked to a Midas outlet and they would not touch the car due to being lowered and them not know what to do for a car that was modified.
>>>>
>>>>Here are some of the details from a spec sheet I got from the shop:
>>>> Left Front/ Right Front/ Specified Range
>>>>Camber(degrees) -0.5 / -0.2 / -0.9 to -0.1
>>>>Castor (degrees) 4.5 / 4.4 / 4.3 to 5.3
>>>>Toe (degrees) 0.13 / 0.13 / 0.13 to 0.18
>>>>
>>>>Front (in degrees)
>>>> Actual / Specified Range
>>>>Cross Camber -0.3 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>>>Cross Castor 0 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>>>Total Toe 0.26 / 0.25 to 0.35
>>>>
>>>> Left Rear / Right Rear / Specified Range
>>>>Camber(degrees) -0.7 / -0.7 / -2.0 to -1.0
>>>>Toe (degrees) 0.15 / 0.15 / 0.13 to 0.27
>>>>
>>>>Rear (in degrees)
>>>> Actual / Specified Range
>>>>Cross Camber 0.0 / -0.5 to 0.5
>>>>Total Toe 0.3 / 0.27 to 0.53
>>>>Thrust Angle 0.00 / -0.17 to 0.17
>>>>
>>>>The car ran much smoother after the alignment. Amazing. The rear wheels had a slight tilt inward but much better than before. Cost was about $82 including tax at 4% and hourly rate was $70. Took them about 100 minutes minimum. Est on time was 90 minutes. I'm planning to add a tower front strut brace- they said that it would be OK and not mess up the alignment.
>>>>
>>>>So for me a four wheel thrust alignment worked wonders. Toe in was really not too good after the springs were installed and if I did the adjustments by eye on my rear camber it would have affected toe in on rear and maybe fronts even more.
>>>>
>>