R50/R53 :: Hatch Talk (2002-2006) Cooper (R50) and Cooper S (R53) hatchback discussion.

R50/53 Factory JCW need more low!

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Old 09-21-2013, 04:16 PM
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Factory JCW need more low!

I have a factory JCW and love the way it handles but would like it a little lower. Any recommendations to lower without a choppy ride? Just trying to loose some wheel gap.
 
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Old 09-25-2013, 11:41 PM
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Bump!

Are there springs i could swap for that would keep the handling the same or will i need coilovers?
 
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Old 09-26-2013, 02:16 AM
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Most aftermarket lowering springs out there are progressive, while the stock ones are linear(uniform winding & spring rate all throughout). Coilovers are your best option as Swift springs only provide you a lil drop.
 
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Old 09-26-2013, 09:57 AM
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Factory JCW need more low!

OEM JCW Suspension will lower car, both front and rear, 3/4 of an inch.
It would be specific to your car depending on things like sunroof, etc.

Hope this helps.....
 
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Old 09-26-2013, 07:29 PM
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Yes my car is lower then a standard s as i currently have the jcw. Looking for approx another .5 or .75 ish lower.
 
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Old 09-26-2013, 08:47 PM
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swift springs. I have 05 mcs JCW on swift springs. lowered about an inch.

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Old 09-27-2013, 07:58 AM
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The H&R springs are a good choice. They are progressive so the normal street ride stiffness does not increase but are nice for performance driving. They drop the car about 1" from stock so about where you want to be. I had them on my 2003 MCS and liked the ride on the street and worked OK for the track. I have JCW springs on my 2006 MCS and the JCW springs are stiffer than H&R on the street.
 
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Old 09-27-2013, 09:20 AM
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I had the JCW springs with Koni FSD struts until a few months ago, and it was a little lower but still plenty of wheel gap (I was running 215/35 tires on 18" rims, though, so that's a little smaller diameter than stock).

I recently switched to ST coilovers, and that got things much lower. I also switched to 215/45 tires on 17" rims, which is close to a half inch more in diameter vs. my earlier setup. Now I have very little wheel gap (maybe 1/4 inch or so -- I could eliminate it completely, but that creates challenges in avoiding rubbing).

While the ride on the coilovers is a bit firmer, the larger sidewall in my new setup has helped compensate. I really like the fact that the coilovers can be adjusted on each corner to get the height you want. With springs, you're kind of at the mercy of how it settles based on your specific configuration.

FWIW, While the ride is firmer, it also feels more planted (and less "floaty"). The only time I miss my old setup is on some crappy freeways here in SoCal (405 in particular) where the "waves" in the concrete were more damped out by the FSDs. On normal streets, though, it's not that much harsher IMHO.
 
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