Hello to my fellow S&M, er, SM fanatics...

I have a 2003 MCS with a bunch of the usual stock-class disqualifying modifications... in particular, I have the following suspension mods:

- H-Sport Competition Rear Sway Bar (usually set to stiffest setting)
- Helix/RDR Camber Plates (-2.5 degrees negative camber in front)
- Helix Rear Control Arms (upper and lower)
- H-Sport Springs
- stock dampers

Camber in the rear is -1 degree, and toe out/in is about 0 front and rear, if I recall correctly. I run a street-tire version of SM with a local club... currently I have 215/45-16 Falken Azenis on 16x7.5 SSR rims. In warmer weather, this setup works very nicely for me.

Following a suggestion by our pal Veni_Vidi_Vici, I'm going to upgrade my stock dampers to Koni Sports. I have two questions:

1) what should I set the Koni dampers to (front and rear) to emulate (as closely as possible) the stock MINI dampers? I figure I can't really go wrong with this... would it be "full soft" all around? That would be my guess...

2) what do you feel is an optimum setting? I'm assuming that, being in SM (or perhaps STX), you have similar suspension mods. Not sure if I'd want to stiffen up the rear much; right now, oversteer is easily induced and typically manageable (as I say, in warmer weather).

Any advice or informed opinions would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

Can't speak for specific settings on the Konis since I don't run them, but I will make an observation relative to stiffening the rear.

Making the rear stiffer via spring rate, shock settings (particularly compression) and swaybar rates (stiffer) will help keep the inside front tire from spinning so much when accelerating while cornering. This helps with an LSD, and really helps if you have an open diff. Improving front traction this way lets you (productively) get on the gas sooner, which pays big dividends.

The limit to stiffening the rear comes when oversteer gets out of hand during transitions. This is definitely a balancing act to figure out what works for your car, your settings [weight, weight distribution, tires (type, pressure, temperature, condition), wheels (width, weight, offset), springs, shocks (valving and settings), swaybars, bushings, chassis reenforcements, alignment settings, torque at the wheels (including gearing multiplication), etc), course design, and driving style. Your mileage may vary, refund not valid in RI, MA and NY.

The inverse is essentially true up front. Softening the front shocks and swaybar settings can make it easier for the spring to push the inside tire down and thus increase grip.

Be prepared to experiment and willing to adjust front and rear settings for each event if you really want to get the most out of the car and minimize your times.

Scott
90SM

 

Scott,

Thanks for the detailed reply... very useful. Transitions are where the tendency to oversteer can sometimes be problematic for me (high speed slaloms)... of course, this may be more a function of my driving ability (or really, the lack of it), so I may start things on the softer side in the rear.

One problem with the Konis, as you know, is the PITA it can be to adjust the rear dampers. They have to be removed to access the adjustment ****. Now, I'm a man with limited time, ya see, which is why I run street tires in the first place...

Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I was hoping to average y'all's replies to my post to guess at an adequate setting I could live with!

 

I had Koni's on my '05, and yes, they're a HUGE PITA to adjust! But as far as settings goes I had the rears on max stiffness minus 1/4 turn (I was told never to fully turn any Koni shock because the valve could stick) and the fronts on 1 turn over max soft. I was in STX with Azenis 615s but I didn't have camber plates/control arms and had stock springs, so you might be good to max out the fronts. But the rears being max'ed out will make for a harsh ride on the street.

With that being said, that setting fit my driving style just fine. I liked having the rear step-out on braking hard into turns or when I dropped the throttle mid turn. Friends that drove my car said they didn't feel comfortable with it that way; it took a delicate foot to get it right.

 

Stiffen the rear spring rate to keep front wheel spin in check. Add toe-in in the rear if you have problems with too much oversteer.

You can do a balancing act with spring and shock settings....

Since springs mainly affect steady state corning and shocks affect the transistions;

You can run a stiffer rear sway bar for the steady state corners and to help with lifting the inside front tire on corner ext.

Then stiffen the front shocks and soften the rears to help keep the car neutral in the transistions.

It takes a bit of playing, but it can be done.