Hello all,

I am doing my research on fixing up my 2014 ALL4 manual w/ 135,000 miles. I think I am narrowing down my shopping list but would appreciate any insight. In general I plan to use the car 6,000-8,000 miles a year, some days I'll be stuck in 2 hours of bumper to bumper traffic, and other days I'll have the freeway wide open for my enjoyment. I want something reliable where after upgrades I can keep to regular maintenance with an occasional adjustment mostly. Also want a car I can pull in late to Grandma's house at low RPM relatively close to stock sound, but when I dip in the throttle it can be more playful. At this time I am not sure if I want to lower the stance at all, but if I do, maybe only slightly, as I'd like to approach speed bumps, pot holes, and gutters without concern. Here is my durability and driveability upgrades I'm planning so far:

Bushings, arms, and mounts
Powerflex Handling Bushing Pack (Lower engine, Front Control Arm Bushings, Rear Trailing Arm Front, Shock Top Mount, Rear Diff)
NM Engineering Torque Arm

Suspension
Rear Sway Bar, i.e. NM Engineering 22mm
Front Strut Support, i.e, M7 Tuning
Bilstein B6/HD / Megan Racing / BC Racing Struts all 4 corners (KW Variant 2 may be overboard for an upgraded daily driver?)

Intake, Turbo, & Exhaust
Turbo Overhaul Kit for OEM Turbo
Refurb or New OEM DP (So it's not too loud)
Leaning Toward Milltek or Magnaflow Exhaust?
NM Engineering Charge and Discharge Pipes
Turbo Install Kit
Wagner Standard Intercooler
Diverter Valve, thinking DV+ from MiniMania
NM Engineering or M7 Tuning Intake plus pipe (More for looks as I've learned)


Drivetrain
Clutch Masters FX100 or OS Giken GT Clutch(????)
Steel Flywheel to help with noise an feel as daily driver?
EBC Slotted Brake Rotors
EBC Red Stuff Pads
Steel Braided Brake Lines

Engine
High Output Coils
NGK Plugs (one step colder)
Oil Catch Can

Mechanical (Not Sure mechanical History)
Timing Chain Kit
Water Pump
Belt Tensioner Pulley
Belts and hoses

Stage 1 Tune, I like the option to set light tune for standard and full tune with "Sport" switch as advertised from Detroit Tuned.

I will check the condition of boots, wheel bearings, cv joint condition and lube, and flush all fluids. Any other items I should look at or replace while I'm digging into it all?

Thanks for advice, input, and recommendations on anything above! I really appreciate it all. Hoping to get going on this next year.
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That’s a long list of mods! Sounds like fun

I have some thoughts on your choices that I can share… I’ll formulate my comments, and post back later.

 

Save your money on the complete handling pack, and just pick up the front control arm bushings, lower engine mount insert, and rear trailing arm inserts. The front control arm bushings will greatly improve front end handling, the lower engine mount will greatly improve the throttle and engine response, and the rear trailing arm inserts are much easier to deal with than the full replacements. The rear control arm bushings won't be needed if you get a set of adjustable arms, which you will need for any suspension changes in the rear. And you won't notice enough difference from the rear diff mounts in relation to the effort to install.

The NM Engineering lower engine mount is overpriced compared to the PowerFlex version.

The sway bar will be a welcome addition to the handling department.

For the other items, what is your goal for handling? The Countryman isn't really designed for handling, although it can be made to handle quite well. However, giving up suspension travel will require compromise in ride comfort.

If your current turbo is still spinning well and providing decent power, skip the rebuild at this point. If it ever goes out, then get a JCW turbo. That also means you can cross off the turbo install kit, too.

If you want a full exhaust, and have the budget for it, get the Miltek high flow catted down pipe and full exhaust. It's the best option for full turbo back, and will give you the flow you need for future power upgrades.

Skip NM charge pipes, and go with any of the less expensive options. A pipe is a pipe, and the NM pipes are overpriced for what they are.

The Wagner intercooler is a nice piece, but you could save some cash going with the similar build Ebay option.

Diverter Valve- the GFB DV+ is a nice piece, but the latest revision of the OEM valve is just as good. You won't get much performance from a diverter valve replacement. Maybe get a blow-off plate for a extra sound. Same with the intake.

If you expect to be stuck in traffic, the FX100 kit is what you want. I recently replaced my clutch with the FX100 kit, and it handles my Stage 2 tune with ease, and the pedal effort is slightly less than stock. I also went with the steel flywheel. The weight is just about the same as the OEM dual-mass flywheel.

Brake rotors are a bone of contention... My opinion is to just get the standard plain rust coated rotors. You gain nothing from drilled or slotted. The Red Stuff pads are decent, but still dust quite a bit. Akebono ceramics offer almost the same stopping power as OEM, but MUCH less dusting. I also don't care for stainless brake lines. I've had a few burst on me, and I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone.

The Bavaian Autosport coils that ECS sells are a good upgrade over stock. I run those on my engine. And if you're getting tuned, get the NGK 1422 plugs.

Skip the catch can. The N18 engine doesn't benefit from it like the older N14 engine. Get the intake ports walnut blasted, and you should be good for another 100k miles.

For peace of mind, get the timing chain checked for wear, and replace only if needed. Same with water pump - if it isn't leaking, just let it be. Save the water pump, cross-over pipe, and thermostat for when they start giving you issue, then change all three. I'll probably catch flack for the cooling system comments...

Alternator belt, tensioner, and friction wheel would be worth checking for age. Replace if needed.

For tuning, there are a few options available. I went with @Lou@Prototype-R who can perform a remote custom tune. He can add quite a few options for you, too.

 

Wow, awesome! Thank you so much for the great info. I really appreciate your approach of save money where you can and invest where it's best.

Reallly great info. Looks like I needed to dig a little more to realize the lower mount and torque arm where one in the same, so I'm wasting money buying both sets.

I would say my goal is to get whatever improvement I can in handling while maintaining similar or better ride comfort. I know that's a bit unreasonable as you generally sacrifice one for the other. But I imagine there has to be an improved strut over the stock version 8 years ago. To me the ride could be just a bit smoother, which I've read replacing the run flats will help with that some, then I was hoping some new struts could improve the handling a bit.

So far it seems to be working just fine, and I'm working on finding any service history I can, but I'm wondering what the life expectancy of the stock turbo is? It'd be nice if Borge Warner had manufacture dates or overhaul dates easily indicated. The unit I have now if I read the numbers right are P/N: 7-595678-07, s/n PH50227915 00867 and BW PN: 5303-970-0163, I'll need to look into this a bit more.

All awesome advice, again thank you!

Great, and it's a far better price than the OS Giken GT Option!

Agreed, I doubt my driving will necessitate drilled or slotted rotors, so ultimately this would be an appearance upgrade to go along with new wheels and tires. Appreciate the recommendation on the Akebono pads too.

Great info, the walnut blasting sounds like a fun!

I've seen Lou recommended a few times now, so definitely one I am considering!

Again, Thank you so much for all the info!

 

I prefer Bilsteins for shocks. Looks like they have B6s available for the Countryman. Pair those with some modest lowering springs, and they will transform the handling.

I have over 130k miles on my OEM turbo, and have been pushing ~20psi through it since ~40k miles? So, almost 100k miles on my OEM turbo, and its still pushing strong.

Lou is a great guy and a talented tuner. Also, compared to some of the other tuning options, he is the one performing the actual recalibration - no middle man with him.

Glad to help!