Hello All,

I've recently purchased an R56 MCS and will soon be running it in DE/Track Days after break-in. I run primarily at NHIS (average 9 days a year) and am concerned primarily with stock brake life. I'll be running on R compound tires and plan to pick up some race pads for the stock calipers. Besides pulling off the dust shields and installing some braided SS lines & brass slider bushings, is there anything "Mini specific" that I should do to keep the stockers alive? (I haven't looked at the dust shields, but assume they're easy to yank). Any input on pads or other track related R56 setup tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim

 

Tim,

NHIS can be a little rough on brakes. Are you going to daily drive the MINI as well as use it on the track?

I've only got previous gen experience, but I've found that Hawk HPS pads and Motul RBF600 fluid work well enough for 15 minute sessions, and can handle a 20 minute session if you take a lap at a little below full speed at some point.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

You'll run through tires fairly quickly without increased camber up front. The outside shoulder will wear out while there's still plenty of tread left on the inside if you run with stock camber. So, either camber plates (which might not exist for the R56 yet), remount and "flip" the tires every once in a while, or be prepared to buy tires regularly.

 

Yes it's a DD too. I got 20 days or so into Loudon and 95K dual purpose miles out of my old car (G35) and loved it, hope for the same out of the MCS. I had to go to a 4 wheel BBK (Stoptech's/PFC-01's) to make the brakes last, and was hoping that the much lighter weight Cooper would keep me in stock brake range. I guess the stock MCS brakes are the same as the R53 JCW version. Given the new car's no heavier than the R53 I'm going to hope they hold up. Thanks for the pad suggestion, and I'm sure I'll be flipping the tires regularly too.

Thanks,

Tim

 

Welcome! Looking forward to seeing you at NHIS. I've run about 9 or 10 days there with an R53 Cooper S. The factory brake setup was a bit weak.

SS lines, Motul, and more agressive pads have gone a long way to fixing that. I'm on Carbotech's at the moment (XP12 front and XP10 rear) and like those a lot. Not sure if any of that is available for the R56 yet.

 

I finally found some SS lines (Ireland Eng.), but pads are another story. Carbotech told me that nobody's punching out backing plates for the R56 calipers yet, so I picked up a spare set of stockers and crossed my fingers...