Already have a pair of new oem (lemforder) strut mounts for the torn one
and the other that's intact but has been squeaking in cold weather ever
since it was installed a few years ago.
Actually, I got new bolts and rubber bits (spring pads, bumpstops, boots,
rear upper rubber inserts, etc.) too.
It adds up ($).
Thanks, anyway.

 

Cool. Also I'm selling my Konis now that I have them off. Decent bit of mileage but they still have some life left in them. Could use a fresh bit of paint.

EDIT: nvm you already got your Konis.

- Andrew

 

Well, i finally scheduled a day to install a set of Bilstein sports and TSW springs next week.

I got a great deal on the Bilsteins from a friend who also put a set of Bilstein sports and Dinan springs on his E36 M3 last weekend and i love the ride of his car. If the mini feels as good as his M3 does now ill be more than happy. Bye bye old stock shocks and H-Sports!

 

Konis Sports are on as well as an H-Sport 19mm bar (middle setting) and
Summer tires are finally back on. Really like it at approx. 1 full turn from
full soft.

 

Nice! I love my Bilsteins. I custom valved the fronts and really regret not custom valving the rears (I just had them rebuilt to standard spec). There's a little too much rear rebound for comfort. It still rides well, and part of it is that our roads are absolutely destroyed here after this winter.

The handling is just ridiculously good. With my springs, 19mm rear sway, bushings, camber plates and good alignment, it's one of the most fun handling cars I've driven on the street. A little more comfort and this would be the perfect DD...

- Andrew

 

Yeah, i would sometimes like a little more comfort but i figure its a mini....play to its strengths!

I figure this change will get me ever closer to what i'm after ; a daily driven mini thats just a touch more on the 'sport' end overall but still liveable. I think my next step will be a lightweight 15" tire/wheel combo with a tire and a bit more sidewall than my 17" setup.
I just need to plant that money tree out in the yard first i suppose...

 

It'll definitely ride well with 15's. I'm on 16x7 wheels right now. The roads are so awful here it's not really fair to judge the ride quality.

Now if I could just add some recaros, the alcatera steering wheel, maybe some prettier wheels, maybe 25 more hp...

 

Well I just purchased a set of Koni FSDs for my R53. Since I'm staying on stock springs I decided to go this route. The best price I found was at MotoringWerks. With shipping they were still about $100 less than anywhere else I could find.

 

That's a good choice for comfort. The only caveat being that it limits you from adding springs in the future, whereas Yellows would have filled both needs. Have fun.

 

What made me choose the FSDs was the Yellows description of "Resonable Ride Quality" under Kit Features. My car is a DD so I'm looking for both ride and handling. I don't want to lower it yet and for what I paid for the FSDs I won't feel bad taking them off and putting coil overs on. The Yellows are also built to be used with a shorter spring so I did not want the awkward ride I was told they would produce with the stock spring.

 

My Koni Yelows are doing fine with stock springs. Who told you they would produce an
awkward ride? They do well with stock ride height as well as lowered. The Bilstein
Sports are specifically made for lowered springs (as opposed to the Bilstein HD).

 

Had a MINI enthusiast who has done numerous suspension changes tell me that for what I was doing with my car that the FSDs would be the best choice between the two. He advised me that even though the Yellows can be used for stock springs they work better through the range of travel with a shorter spring. He said his experience is that the stock spring tends to keep the Yellow at the end of its reach where as a shorter spring allows it to travel through its range of motion better. That is what I interpreted from the way he explained it. When I am ready to lower the car I will go with a coil over so for now I would rather have the ride comfort rather than the better handling aspect. From what I have read though, the FSDs will improve my handling over my 86,000 mile struts/shocks.

 

FSDs with stock springs is the way to go if ride comfort is a big priority.
Their divergent valving keeps it firm for slower suspension movements, too,
so better handling than a conventional shock with the same ride comfort as
the FSDs.

 

Another +1 on Koni with stock springs. Comfortable ride for daily driving.

 

I finally got the Bilstein sports and TSW springs installed recently.

It is much more liveable than my previous setup (bought it with just H-sport springs installed and stock dampers....boo!) and takes the bigger hard jolt bumps with ease. Its certainly much more controlled over uneven roads and i dont cringe anymore when i see bumpy roads ahead. The Bilsteins kept the TSW springs from really dropping much at all but it should settle lower a bit in the coming weeks im hoping.

Overall im pretty pleased with the Bilsteins. I kinda knew i would be as ive liked them in every car that ive riden in thats had them installed.

Next is the lighter/smaller wheels to get closer to the goal of the fun to drive daily driver that doesnt drive you nuts...

 

Shaving 10+ lbs from each wheel makes such a nice difference. Have fun.

 

Well, i have a set of 16x7 Enkei RPF1's going on today !

Thats around 7 lbs a corner less so well see how that improves things overall.

 

I also have that set. They are strong and ligh! But years of use without taking much care of them, I started to see paint failing in some areas. It's not of much a concern right now, at least they are still straight and true.