Every car that I've ever owned that had shocks that were old and worn out...always rode super soft and slushy. The shocks loose their ability to control the compression and rebound strokes, and turn the suspension into a bouncy, slushy, soggy mess. Doesn't matter if it's been sports cars, pickup trucks, or anything else....worn out shocks = soft squishy ride.

So....why does my 03' MCS with 93,000 miles, and stock shocks....still ride stiff and hard?? I see all of the posts talking about upgrading the stock shocks to make the car ride smoother....which seems backwards to me. My suspension is stiff,hard, firm, solid, and feels like any good handling car should. It's hard to even get the car to move much when I push down on it over the wheels. If the shocks were really worn out, and "bad"...why doesn't it ride like an old slushy, bouncy Cadillac?

I guess I'm just trying to figure out how spending $800+ on new shocks is going to make the car ride softer and better, when the stock shocks that are "worn out" ride stiff, and seem to act anything like a typical worn out shock that I've seen on every other car I've owned.

Can someone give me some more info and help me under stand?

Thanks!!

 

Your shocks are performing as designed and not worn. The stock, brand new, factory ride was like that. It can be improved upon by taking off the run flats and changing shocks. This is true with 93K miles or 1K miles.

 

I agree with the above. My R50 still feels firm and tight at 129k. The Mk4 it replaced felt pretty good at 190k, though the rear shocks were a tad soft, but everyone else thought the car rode as new - including the couple that bought it to replace an identical car with less miles that was wrecked. European dampers seem to hold up very well.

Now what I find strange is why the people OP refers to (trying to smooth out their cars) would buy a car that rode too stiff in the first place.

 

Not really true... Mine on my 06 at 80k were worn to the point of a harsh ride as well. I believe this is due to the springs being stiff and the car having a narrow wheel base. I could tell mine were getting worse because of a bump I hit every morning going to work. When I first got here I wouldn't hear anything but as time progressed, I could hear my rear wheels rubbing more and more. Bottom line is that they gave out and the springs where taking the load. My struts were worn out and it didn't feel anything like it did new. The ride was harsh and all handling was horrible.

I replaced them with Koni FSD's, but even OEM would have made a huge improvement on what was on there. Parts wear over time and you can't tell me that a strut with 93K on it is the same as one with 1K. Maybe for the driver that doesn't push the car this is the case but I certainly see a HUGE difference. My car now rides like it did the day I first put it on the Autobahn!

 

Having purchased my car with high miles already, I'm willing to accept the above. But I think good quality suspensions can still be serviceable with high miles. And for perspective, my MINI is my commuter, not my car. I've driven two other 1st gens with less miles, a 30k R50 with standard suspension, and a 50ishk S, suspension stock, but unknown if sport + or not. Both of those cars have 17" non-runflats (mine has 16" non-runflats). I think my car rides and handles as good as either of them. Again, this is the perspective of a commuter. But then again, I doubt the people trying to soften their cars (and I've read a few threads on that) are hard core sporting drivers.

 

"Softening" the ride is more of a personal observation, what is soft to one may be harsh to another. In my case the Koni FSD's made a huge difference over OEM and even my wife commented on how smooth the car felt even compared to when we got it. In my opinion, and it is just that, the FSDs do have a smoother ride over the OEM and they also provide better performance. If you are going to a lower CG, aesthetics and better handling then you are really not concerned with ride and are looking to lower with possibly using coilovers. Harsh ride is your life as you simply don't care. Originally I was going this route, but I didn't want to make the car so unbearable for the Mrs. that she simply didn't want to ride in it so I choose to maintain my wheel gap and go with a strut that can still provide excellent handling.

Removing runflats also helps a great deal but for some that is not an option as they don't want to be stranded.

 

To the op...
Maybe your car has been loweref at some point....ride suffers, but some like the look.
I put koni fsd's on my car...nice change.good performance, but softens the harsness of the oem struts on some inital bumps...
Changing out runflats made about the same change as did the struts....then when i run 15's for winter...lol..make me look forwaed to my summer tires/rims.
Having changed my struts i can say firm and tight and hard and hash is divived by a fine line....but you know it when you see it.

 

Nope, car isn't lowered. The ride is good...I like it. It's nice and firm, and I love how it handles. I was just trying to figure out when I kept seeing all of these posts about how "my car rides so hard"....and people were replying back "it's your factory stocks....when they get worn out, they ride really hard and stiff".

So, after reading what you guys have posted...I'm betting that even though my car has 93,000 miles on it, the stock shocks are still good. No bouncing, not slushy feeling...just a firm, tight, controlled ride.

 

The suspension stroke on the MINI is so short, even stock - that you would not really feel a slushy ride when the shocks/struts go bad. It would actually feel stiffer, but bouncy. This is because you would be hitting the bumpstops more frequently, and the shocks can no longer control the movement of the springs (which is what shocks/struts are for in the first place).

 

Yes, I understand what you are saying…and that makes sense. BUT, if the shocks were worn to the point of not providing any rebound or compression dampening, and in fact were allowing the suspension to bottom out on the stops ,I would think that I would also notice a good amount of bouncing when going over bumps in the road, or section of road that are really uneven. Even if the springs are stiff and the suspension travel is small, you should still get some bouncing around if the shocks were bad. And I’m pretty sure that my car is not hitting the stops and bottoming out the suspension, it rides hard…but not that hard. Like others have said, I’m guessing that the European shocks are just better quality than the junk they put on American cars. I guess when it all boils down to it….I’m trying to convince myself that my stock shocks have to be replaced, and I need to spend $800 on some new shocks…..but the more I hear, the more I’m thinking that my stock shocks are just fine for a daily driver.

But, I am planning on getting some new “not runflat” tires really soon…I’m sure that will do wonders for the ride quality. I have the ContiPro runflats on there now, and they are as hard as a rock. EVERY review I’ve ever read on them has people complaining about how hard they ride.

 

Spooled is spot on... Mine were shot and there was no bounce at all. The ride just became jarring. It isn't like riding in a Caddy where all it does is bounce up and down. That isn't going to happen.