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...seems rear brakes are standard OEM MCS spec but with drilled rotors and likely pads to complement the AP Racing front brakes. Car stops well on streets and highways which works for me.
From my track experience, you are absolutely right and the original owner did well with this. The “conventional wisdom” is to not be concerned with the rear brakes because “they don’t do anything”. I found that the rear brakes do a lot. Even though they may be stock, with an appropriate pad they will reduce the amount of load on the front brakes which reduces the car’s pitch to the front and that helps with the stability of the car. The drilled rotors should help with cooling, although you will get a lot opinions one way or the other about them... For the track on the rear of my R56 I am running slotted rear rotors with Hawk DTC60 pads and, believe me, I have used every level of pad back there from stock to what I have now.
And i see a set of Bilstein B8s with JCW springs. Nice! Soon my R56 will be sporting that same setup...
^^^ Agreed - factoring weight distribution and transfer under hard braking, no need for larger rear rotors/calipers. I wanted to confirm the OP's choice back in 2006, which seems was aligned with the John Cooper Challenge specs (200/210 kits) which show drilled front AP Racing rotors (OEM rears not shown) in this publication: John Cooper Works Clubsport. Although effective swept area might be slightly reduced by drilling and/or slotting rotors, doing that was considered "the norm" back then and IMO still looks cool now!
BTW, those are circa 2006 Koni Yellows in combo with the freshly installed JCW Reds shown, as outlined several months ago...
Are those fully drilled rotors or just dimpled? I put a set of OEM style Brembo drilled rotors on my car (no track use and because they "look cool"). The rears are actually dimpled and not drilled all the way through. I found it interesting. The other thing I liked about them is they come with a really nice metallic gray powder coat already on the non pad surface areas. So they haven't rust at all. Something that may be worth considering if you need a replacement at some point. I have some decent pics of them in my build thread, post #77.
^^^ Correct, sensor connectors bundled there as done 16 yrs ago. Figured relates to aftermarket front/rear brake mods for tracking but worth pursuing if can be utilized at some future point. No warnings or codes thrown disconnected in any case. Thanks for the compliment also. Lack of use since new = lack of related grime!
Great post and incredible how you have the car. I am writing to you because I have a JCW with the same red springs that you have installed, after so many years the original Delphi shock absorbers lost oil and I replaced them with their current replacement, the problem is that the Sachs that BMW now sells are too soft. ..
Today I changed my Toyo 215/40 tires for Yokohama Neova 215/45 ones. In the first pothole the tire rubbed against the rear wheel arch, due to the soft suspension.
I would like to know your opinion about the yellow Koni set with red JCW springs, I hesitate between this set and the Blistein B6.
Thank you and greetings from the other side of the world.
^^^ ¡Hola España! Thanks for the comments - appreciated!
Depending on how much you read, the Koni Yellows were installed (along with all other performance mods) when the car was very new. So, my experience has only been with combo of stiff low profile track tires, stiff (too low for me) Eibach springs plus those Koni Yellows. Not many choose the JCW "reds", likely due to higher cost vs aftermarket spring options and possibly also with assumption no longer available from BMW. Now with combo of 215/45R17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and the revised spring/strut/shock setup, no rubbing whatsoever while much more compliant on road bumps than before plus increased needed ground clearance achieved. Koni Yellows are adjustable for rebound only. Mine are set prox 25% stiff rear and full soft front. In hindsight, should have started full soft rebound front and rear but it's OK for now.
[QUOTE=MCS4FUN;4614076]^^^ ¡Hola E España ! Gracias por los comentarios - apreciado!
Dependiendo de cuánto lea, los Koni Yellows se instalaron (junto con todas las demás modificaciones de rendimiento) cuando el automóvil era muy nuevo. Por lo tanto, mi experiencia solo ha sido con una combinación de neumáticos de pista rígidos de perfil bajo, resortes Eibach rígidos (demasiado bajos para mí) más esos Koni Yellows. No muchos eligen los "rojos" de JCW, probablemente debido al mayor costo en comparación con las opciones de resorte del mercado de accesorios y posiblemente también con la suposición de que BMW ya no está disponible. Ahora, con la combinación de neumáticos Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 215/45R17 y la configuración revisada de resorte/puntal/amortiguador, sin roces en absoluto y mucho más compatible con los baches de la carretera que antes, además de lograr una mayor distancia al suelo necesaria. Los Koni Yellows son ajustables solo para rebote. Los míos están colocados aprox. 25% en la parte trasera rígida y en la delantera completamente blanda. En retrospectiva, debería haber comenzado un rebote suave completo en la parte delantera y trasera, pero está bien por ahora.[/CITA]
Thanks for answering,
How is it driving now? With the spec you have installed, I don't have the Helix sag adjusters. But if I would like to know if driving with the Koni Sport is too hard and uncomfortable due to bouncing on bad roads, or in the position that you have them installed, you can do normal driving. I use the car mainly for "rides" on mountain roads.
^^^ Seems my reply above translated into Spanish for you. Sorry, I'm not nearly fluent in Spanish since high school classes so many decades ago.
Ride "comfort" with the JCW reds and Koni Yellows is about as good as possible when used with stiffer anti-sway bars plus full set of polyurethane bushings. I could have ordered and installed a full set of original (non-red) springs instead but decided that wouldn't be a good match for the other suspension components. My driving with the R53 is limited to local roads and mountain highways - no city driving. The Helix plates shown in the strut towers are adjustable camber plates that don't affect "sag". The Koni Yellows are designed to be used with "lowering" springs, which the JCW reds are - even if only by 10mm as claimed by BMW when the JCW suspension kit was released: SUBJECT: JOHN COOPER WORKS SPORT SUSPENSION
Don't worry, my English is probably worse than your Spanish hehe.
You already had them installed when you bought your MINI, but do you know any video of how the KONI are installed? I have read that you have to make some changes or make holes to install them, and I would like to see what exactly it is before buying.
^^^ Do a forum search to find related topics but if I understand correctly, no modifications required on the chassis, however rear spring top hats need to be drilled out to accommodate the larger diameter Koni Yellow shock piston rods. Unsure whether same on the fronts. Any others that have modified from stock components, please comment with clarification. Also noting, rear suspension with JCW spring and Koni Yellow shown below with sway bar link temporarily in softer position until relocated to the stiffer position the next day for better handling balance with the large diameter front sway bar...
Don't worry, my English is probably worse than your Spanish hehe.
You already had them installed when you bought your MINI, but do you know any video of how the KONI are installed? I have read that you have to make some changes or make holes to install them, and I would like to see what exactly it is before buying.
Thanks again mate.
These Koni shocks are adjustable and the adjustment screw for each is on the top of the shock. You may be referring to the holes that some people drill in the rear of the car above the shock to access that screw from inside the car and not have to remove the shock to make adjustments to them. This is something that should be unnecessary for a street car. Set them up once (maybe a second time) then leave them.
[QUOTE=Eddie07S;4614414]Estos amortiguadores Koni son ajustables y el tornillo de ajuste de cada uno está en la parte superior del amortiguador. Puede que te estés refiriendo a los agujeros que algunas personas taladran en la parte trasera del coche encima del amortiguador para acceder a ese tornillo desde el interior del coche y no tener que quitar el amortiguador para hacerle ajustes. Esto es algo que debería ser innecesario para un tranvía. Configúralos una vez (tal vez una segunda vez) y luego déjalos.[/QUOTE
]
Perfect, thank you very much for your clarifications, now I have it clearer. You have probably read about this, but you are absolutely right, it is better to adjust 1 or 2 times than to make holes in the car body.
Two projects completed yesterday afternoon and today...
First,I've been hearing a mechanical noise in the LR wheelhouse for awhile that's been getting louder. Also wanted to adjust Koni yellows from 1/4 stiff rebound to full soft. I figured, 2 birds done at one time. Good thing I did but embarrassed to tell this. As I released final tension on the (2) upper 13mm bolts and with the lower bolt already released, the entire strut popped apart in component pieces. Yikes, if that had happened on the hwy! Nothing broken but rechecking the Bentley manual, discovered that I'd inverted the top cup washer thus perhaps loss of full torque (or neglected to torque that shaft nut to spec) with the nut backing off completely. Regardless, broke out the Workmate stand and spring compressors, reassembled correctly and torqued to spec. Also adjusted rebound and reinstalled. Same error on RR side but the assembly was intact. Repeated steps and reinstalled that one too. Absolutely no noise now and the ride is smoother on my town's bumpy streets.
Second, wanted to use my purchased SPC Camber tool (described in post #130 here) to check both front wheels. That tool works as advertised with just a few steps; adjust the tri non-marring "fingers" to chosen points on face of wheel, calibrate the bubble to ground surface (concrete garage floor), then hold the tool securely against that surface (**) while reading camber on the left side scale. Discovered prox -1* difference between sides, so adjusted Helix plates until reasonable parity achieved. Final numbers: -1.75* +/- 1/16* and called that close enough (*). Didn't check toe which was in-spec when done by the MINI dealer but I'll monitor for any abnormal wear pattern. I'm calling it good for now. Total mileage now is 5175...
(*) Measurements taken with 160 lbs (4 bags wood pellets) on driver seat, rolled back/forth after adjustments and before re-measuring.
(**) Noting, this camber tool is designed to snug up with friction to outer wheel bead as shown below, which my Team Dynamics wheels essentially lack. SPC's instructions stated in that case to simply hold the tool against flat face positions and measure the camber reading.
Last edited by MCS4FUN; Mar 24, 2022 at 10:13 AM.
Reason: Clarifications & typo
I've used a "FASTRAX" equivalent camber measurement tool before I really understood DIY alignments. Now that I've done quite a few of them my tool of choice is...........my cell phone.
Bubble level app, plus anything with a straight edge to rest on diametrically opposing edges of the wheel to use as a base plane for the phone. I've had great success using this method in my garage, and I can get results repeatable to within .2* or so. For toe I just use a tape measure on a uniform portion of the tire tread. I've been aligning all of my own cars for a few years now; it removes one heck of a headache I used to have when doing any type of suspension work. Props to you for doing it yourself!
^^^ Interesting approach! I like SPC's calibration to level plus 3-point contact method which seems fairly accurate. As outlined earlier in this topic, DIY resulted from combo of inability of the most-local MINI dealer (100 miles 1-way) to cope with additional steps needed with Helix adjustable plates in play and apparent lack of interest or desire by independent shops I contacted to do the job properly. Shops in my small town mostly do trucks and jeeps (which I also own) and no specialty shops known that don't strictly rely on the commonly used Hunter mirrors method.
I've used a "FASTRAX" equivalent camber measurement tool before I really understood DIY alignments. Now that I've done quite a few of them my tool of choice is...........my cell phone.
Bubble level app, plus anything with a straight edge to rest on diametrically opposing edges of the wheel to use as a base plane for the phone. I've had great success using this method in my garage, and I can get results repeatable to within .2* or so. For toe I just use a tape measure on a uniform portion of the tire tread. I've been aligning all of my own cars for a few years now; it removes one heck of a headache I used to have when doing any type of suspension work. Props to you for doing it yourself!
I have that app... and wondered if it would work. Glad you shared.
I'm pasting my comments of April1 (no foolin') on Here2Go's related topic on my own topic, since no subsequent replies there. Likely should have done it here instead anyway. Read on for today's discovery...
********** I'm re-reading this and other related topics WRT injectors, since I remain clueless what were installed in 2006 when all performance mods were professionally done (details in my own thread topic, so I won't repeat those here). With the engine being reluctant to to start cold (usually takes 2-3 cranking sessions, then blubbers until temps rise), my suspicion is they're larger than 380cc and probably 550cc which is much larger than I think practical for street-driven. If actually that large, seems also likely a custom ECU tune was involved (in combo with hotter cam and/or cylinder head).
In order to find out, I'd need to remove the water-to-air IC with associated coolant lines to gain access to the fuel rail cover and rail. At that point, unsure if I could determine what size injectors were installed by the plastic housing color but suspect so, since sprayer nozzle end with o-rings engage while the remainder of the injector remains outside. If so and from pics on this forum and online suppliers such as WMW, I should then know what was installed without going further. I see the 380cc are pastel blue-grey and seems 550cc are black. Is that correct and consistent on Bosch and Siemens? If so, would be helpful. Since that work was performed by a BMW dealer long before Chinese knock-offs, little doubt what was installed back then are genuine brand.
At that point, I'd know whether to order a set of 380cc injectors or (ideally) just have my ECU re-flashed to JCW 210hp specs. If that, not the most-local MINI dealer from my lousy experience late last year with modded R53 but instead, ship it to WMW and have Way Cooper's guys dial it down to JCW spec. Not especially cheap at $300 but I believe the results can be trusted as done right. WMW for JCW ECU Tune R52 R53 Cooper S If I get lucky, no need for costly new injectors but just the re-flash. I'm simply pondering all this now while driving the R53 a little bit most weeks. Open to comments and suggestions...
**********
OK, so I took another look and think I determined the injector size by the yellowish color coding and visible P/N 1521390. From that, it appears these are actually OEM 330cc vs 380cc JCW-spec or the larger 550cc injectors that I suspected. If so (considering this was done in 2006 at a BMW dealership), it might be that the original injectors were retained for unknown reasons while other engine aspects (cylinder head, cam and ECU) were modded. If so and if a performance flash was done at that time, perhaps a mismatch of injectors to other mods might be the root cause of my cold starting issues. If so, quite the unexpected finding!
My thinking now is to order a set of OEM 380cc JCW injectors as well as have @WayMotorWorks reflash the ECU to JCW specs. Not an inexpensive alternative at combined cost of approximately $1050 + shipping. I'm pinging Way Cooper looking for his perspectives and I remain open to other's comments and suggestions. In any case, no desire to proceed with a remote tune file.
So you assume a performance cylinder head and cam are in/on the car, but not sure? And you're assuming a tune is on the car as well, but not sure? Mine has always needed a couple of cranks to fire off, and the idle always sucked while warming up until Adrian tweaked it a little. Currently I'm still on the stock injectors until I get them swapped out for some 550s.
It's believable to me that the fancy IC setup, intake, exhaust, brakes, and suspension could have been added with no internal mods if you have no paperwork stating such was done.
Regardless, not sure writing another tune on the car is the right step initially. Why not have someone look at the ECM and see if the OEM parameters have been modified?
Is only the limited bolt on mods you can see, you might need 380s and a tune to get everything working together. Not sure the std JCW tune will be sufficient as is.
Just saying it might be worth it to have Adrian take a look and see what you have on the ECM, and then adjust accordingly if you do swap injectors.
I agree and don't dispute any question on the actual horsepower this car makes, despite verbal claims by the seller at time of purchase. I've said all along that I'd actually prefer a milder state of tune for reliability and streetability. It's quite possible the cold starting issue is normal or that there's a mismatch. I've only ever driven just this R53, however I have viewed several on BaT auctions with cold start videos which seemingly started and ran smoother at first crank.
If I understand correctly, having a dialog with Adrian first requires coming up to speed on using NCS Expert before trading e-files. My desire is for a once and done solution, which using NCS Expert might not accomplish as easily. No local shops are capable of comparing current ECM parameters to OEM, so that would mean a MINI dealer. By the time that's done, I'd likely have spent a bunch. Thanks for your feedback, which is what I'm looking for. Appreciated!
There are cheaper 380cc injectors available. Adrian recommended a set of Bosch that are made for Audi but are plug-n-play for the R53. No adapters necessary. Currently on FCP for about $190. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/aud...h-0280156063kt
I installed them and the car runs well -- on jack stands. I'll test them on the road after the brakes are installed and the winter sand is off of the road. Should be a week or two.
Thanks for chiming in with that suggestion. I like that price much better! Even if without any cylinder head modifications, seems 380cc injectors with JCW ECM reflash would better match the header/cat, CAI and pulley. No codes being thrown though and passed emissions test performed morning of purchase (seller didn't realize not required in my town/county).
Please keep the comments and suggestions coming!
Edits:
Rechecked FCP Euro link and saw priced $190.36/ea or $761.44/set, i.e., comparable to WMW for OEM JCW.
Checked again after 00MINI's post #175 comment, noting $190.36 price is actually kit of (4) injectors. Nice deal!
Regarding Adrian, I was skeptical myself initially but the MCS Expert and INPA tools were easy. All I had to do was download the files he sent me, and he actually connected to my laptop and setup them up. I enjoyed a a Coke while he did all the work only need to swap a cable when requested . Lol
Regardless what you choose, good luck on your quest and hope it works out for you.
Soon my R56 will be sporting that same setup... 
