I have a 05 MC with the sports suspension and 40mm offset 16" rims sod with 205/55 tires. The bad new is that my wife and myself are in well into the 200+ pound bracket. As a result the rear tires tend to rub the wheelwell liner upon hitting a sharp bump. I want to get stiffer springs to eliminate/reduce the rubbing on bumps without changing ride height.

Does anybody know of anyone that makes stiffer springs that would replace the stock springs without changing, lowering, ride height? All I have found so far are stiffer springs that also lower ride height. The roads around here are not conducive to lowering the car.


And to forestall some of the side suggestions.
1. Losing weight is an option, and is in progress.
2. Going to a wheel with a different offset would reduce the rubbing, but I still want stiffer springs, same ride height.
3. Going to 205/50 or 205/45 would reduce the rubbing, but I still want stiffer springs, same ride height.

 

I went with the factory JCW springs for my cooper. Slightly stiffer, and lower the car about 1/2 inch - I really didn't notice any difference visually.

 

Don't quote me on this but I think the early cars came with a stiffer spring than the later cars ....I read that they made changes to the later cars (starting mid 03) cuz people were complaining it was a little too stiff.....I know my 02 is really stiff and I'm still running stock shocks.....you might want to look into it??? See if there are different part numbers??

Good Luck!!

 

Does anyone have new information on this topic? I'm also looking for stiffer springs, but I do not want any drop in ride height....

 

The problem is not the ride height of the car, neither your weight. It is the tires size, which is totally wrong, and the offset. Using 205-50-16 tires, should totally eliminate the problem, and this is the correct way to go.

 

From our research, there is little difference in spring rates between the sport, non-sport and JCW suspensions. There is a difference in ride height between the JCW suspensions and other OEM offerings. MINI did the tuning between the sport and non-sport suspensions with the struts and shocks...

As far as I know, there is no stiffer 'non-lowering' spring out there...

 

i vote tires.. try the 50.

thats like my car... a 205/40 on my 17s doesnt rub, but a 215/40 does.. i realize that is width but the tiny amount makes a huge difference


i guess shock absorbers could help too if youve never replaced them... theyll help the spring do its job!