I'm in desperate need of some diagnosis of my suspension. I just bought a 2004 Cooper S and it appears that it may have been lowered, but I'm not sure. I just looked at the rear shocks and they have Mini stamped on them, but it seems to sit very close to the rear wheels and the ride on rough roads is very very bumpy. Is there a best way to determine if the springs have been changed or if the shocks are gone? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

How many miles on the car? Did you see any fluid leaks from the shocks?

 

I don't see any leaks, but I really haven't had a chance to get under it completely. I will lift it up this weekend and take a good look. It has 136k on it.

 

Any pics of the car to see the ride height?

 

Well hello! See you're over here on NAM as well. Like I said previously, I'd have all struts/shocks inspected. Is it lower in the rear and higher in the front? Most of the time you'll here clunking noises when suspension has gone bad. Do you hear any noise from the rear? With that type of mileage, if the struts/shocks have not been replaced, it could most certainly be time. Springs can sag overtime as well, but they tend to last longer than shocks/struts.

 

I'll take some pics this afternoon when I get home and post them. It looks like to me the rear is sitting lower then the front. I did hear a clunking noise once while out to lunch a while ago. I'm really hoping it's just the shocks.
Thanks!

 

The clunking will be more pronounced at slower speeds going over uneven ground (like on dirt) or bumps. It's a pretty distinct clunking sound. I'm thinking it's probably time for new shocks. With your mileage, it might not be a bad idea to do all 4 corners and do the front struts as well if none of them have been replaced yet. Might also want to check to see the condition of your rear shock mount bushings.