I just had a Jan tune (btw, don't use Shell gas before you go see him, my engine was pinging at 6k because of it, he says), and I am trying to do a few things to my daily-driver to improve my "Fahrvergnügen" while zipping around L.A.

In the coming weeks, I will be installing a set of Megan coilovers.

I have noticed as I get more comfortable driving the car faster. The faster I drive (or when going fast in an on-ramp), the car's body reacts & rolls with the curves a bit more than I feel comfortable with.

I understand the coilovers will be a step up compared to the stock suspension, but what do you all suggest for the next move to help control the car's body roll/movement in the curves?

I see a lot of talk about sway-bars, control-arms, and end-links, but what would be my next step?

The car is an '05 Works w/ 18" R95 wheels.

Thanks in advance...

 

If you don't have a rear bar, do that before you do the coil-overs. That's the single biggest improvement other than sticky rubber that you can make. If you want to go more in-depth with suspension work, get an adjustable bar ie-Hotchkis or Alta.

 

Like hemi said, rear sway bar first, then some sticky tires.

After that you could upgrade the springs, then the shocks, then get control rods to fix the rear camber and camber plate sto fix the front camber from lowering, then get end links to remove sway bar preload, maybe a front bar if it suits your style etc.

What I would do I upgrade the rear bar and tires first, see if that is enough for you then go from there. If you still want more I would just save the money for coilovers (w/ camber plates) and but some rear control rods to go with them and get the full setup right off the bat.

Also, what do you mean by pinging and why was shell gas causing it? I only put shell in my mini.

 

Larger rear swaybar and / or front camber plates. (The Megans come with camber plates - you're one step ahead.)

Control arms and end links are more to offset negative effects of lowering the car too much. You may or may not need to invest in some after installing the Megans, depending on how low you go. I have similar coilovers and really need end links, but am using the stockers for now. (not ideal). I've had a pair of adjustable control arms for awhile. Your 2005 will have some adjustability in terms of the control arms and alignment, so I'd see what happens before investing in them.

 

When I took the car to Jan to have it tuned, the HP and Torque maps were pinging (dipping, like the trough of a wave) at about 6k rpm. Jan asked what gas I put in the car, I said Shell, he said something like, "That's why! Shell is crap."

 

I've got the 18" R95s (double-spoke star JCW's) with runflats, I probably won't drop it but 1" to 1-1/2". There are lots of places in L.A. where I bottom out already so I won't go much lower if at all.

Which brand and size rear sway bar do you guys recommend? I seem to remember rumblings/posts about 22mm being good (especially one that is hollowed-out, but I cannot remember the brand).

What significance/gain is there for control arms & end links? I keep reading about them and the descriptions that they "control", but how will I, as a driver notice the difference?

Thanks guys.

 

If your intentions are to be going to coilovers at some point I disagree with a couple of the posts saying to do rear swaybar first. If you get stiffer springs on your coilovers you would probably need less rear sway bar than you would with stock springs. As an example Jan has Cross coilovers on his GP and last I knew he was running a stock rear sway bar and happy with it. It all depends what your intentions are for your car and how you plan to use it. It is always nice to have a plan and stick to it, but that is sometimes easier said than done. The nice thing about the Cross coilovers is they come with camber plates and from what I have read ride pretty nice.
If you went with a rear bar like the Web Motorsports Extreme, they have a large range of adjustability and is a very nice piece but it is pricey.
Steve

 

The itch has a point, and it really depends on what you're doing with the car, but in most instances a larger rear sway is still a good thing. Stiffer springs won't change the basic tendencies of the car (unless they differ front to rear).

Your aftermarket bars usually come in three flavors - 19mm, 22mm, and then "larger than 22mm, but hollow." The hollows are usually about the same stiffness as the 22mms.

If going with coilovers with camber plates such as the Megans or CROSS, then you'll probably want less rear bar, so the 19mm would probably be the best choice. This is because both camber plates and the rear sway do the same thing - increase front grip relative to rear grip, reducing understeer / increasing oversteer.

 

I'll be installng megan coilovers in a few weeks. I am going to wait and see the difference the coilovers make, then (probably) get the rear sway bar. How much is install on the coilovers and sway bar usually run?
is there any reason I should do the sway bar and the coilovers together?

 

I am running Megan's also with stock sways, and stock lower control arms. The car is a bit bumpy but that is from having the dampers on full stiff so other than that the car handles way better than stock.

 

Your car looks sick. Classy.
how does the ride compare to the stock suspension in terms of comfort/bumps? If you dont go full on the dampers can you still get a nice ride comfort and good control at higher speeds?

 

ride comfort with softer damper setting tops stock suspension and then high speed control is impeccable for example i can sweep back and forth at 80mph and i have tried it at 100 but the sweeps were shorter of course.

 

I think you and I are in the same boat, David. I am also going to have some Megan coilovers put on sometime soon. I talked to a guy about installing them and he's charging about $350. That sounds like a lot to me, but I really wouldn't know. Its almost enough to encourage me to tackle the job myself.

 

After you do the Megan coilovers, they come with camber plates, you should consider an M7 or Texas Speed Works "Under-strut" brace.

For a couple of opinions, mine included, go here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=95254

After doing that, as other posters have indicated, an adjustable rear bar could be next.

If you intend to, you did not say, do a lot of track days or autocross you may or may not want a larger rear bar. As "The Itch" has said a Web Motorsports Extreme bar would be very nice. If your budget interferes or that's not your plan, a 19mm as Red Skunk has indicated, should work fine.

My car is a JCW MCS, including the suspension, with IE fixed camber plates and an M7 under-strut system. My next mod, I'm happy with the car but curious to try, will be a 19mm rear bar. I do a few trackdays, no autocross and I'm doing them, my changes, one at a time about six or so months apart so that I can get a better feeling for what I'm doing.

My choices have been made easier by reading the posts of others, thank you all, and then choosing what I think will work for me.

Hope this helps...

 

i'll add that if you intend to autocross, definitely check "the rules" as just adding that larger rear sway will bump you into stx....no big deal if you just want to see what the mini can do....but is more competive (wrx, sti, evo's) than stock class.

i think you've got some good advice here. btw, lower stress/strut systems smooth out your ride, but add understeer....worry about these later imo. also, as i go faster and faster, i've been thinking about upgrading the brakes....good to stop fast. see where this mod thing will take you!!

lastly, kazlot's last comment about taking some time between mods is good advice....you get to learn what each mod does. being able to wait is another issue alltogether

 

The coilovers are in my garage...staring at me.

Knowing they were on their way, I ordered a hollow 25 (22 equivalent) H-Sport sway bar, end links, and camber links. If doing one mod at a time is a good idea (and it sounds justified from above posts), what is your suggested order?

 

Dood if you have all those parts on order just wait for all of them to arrive and install them all at once while you have your suspension apart.

 

If you have coilovers installed though....you're already in STX aren't you? ( i could easily be wrong....haven't checked the latest rule book)

 

thanks, of course you are correct . i was using the rear sway bar as an example of a mods effect on autocross class...but given the o.p. i should have used coilovers instead. now we got that covered.

 

I have H&R street coilovers I installed & as you can see I am super low.In the front I have -1.2ish camber & the rear is -3.1ish rear.

I have Alta control arms that I need to install this thursday so I can be at -1.5 to -1.75 camber in the rear.-3.1 is way to much but its alot of fun around corners.


joe r

 

i've hit a snag with all the parts. the endlinks came in fine. but the swaybar & camber links were drop-shipped direct from the vendor and they got lifted at my door (or delivered to a completely different address), so i'm just trying to *GET* the stuff now. i had planned on getting it all done simultaneously until someone introduced the idea to do it separately to get a feel for what each mod does.

i'm not really looking to compete in autox, though i am definitely down to go to an event and give it a whirl.

really, i'm just looking to lock the car down as much as i can for the canyons. i'm prolly gonna have Danny/MiniCorsa or Steve's Auto Clinic do the install. based on canyon driving (and daily driving the freeways) what (if anything) should i ask for (regarding camber settings, swaybar setting, coilover ride height) when i have the stuff installed? or will they just do it up right using telekinesis to talk to my brain...:-)

 

Bummer to hear about the shipping, hopefully it all gets sorted out. Just talk to Danny at MiniCorsa when he does the install and he'll know how to set you up. I'd work around your desired ride height though...