This would be for a 2009 MCS
I want my car to corner flat. What do i need to do to make it corner without lean? I don't have the car yet - but want to be ready when it does. My searches come up that you only need to change the rear sway bar. That would correct the understeer condition but will it do what I want? Do they make a front & rear swaybar kit? Would that be enough or do I need Springs/shocks too? Can you recomend a company that would make the suspension parts I would like so that all the parts would work together.
Any help would be appreciated.

Oh I think this is in the wrong forum - can it be moved?

 

Lower the car with firmer springs, firmer dampers or coilovers and larger sway bar. If you go to larger sway bars front and rear it will take out more body roll but will not reduce understeer as much as you would want. My 2 cents.

 

Any company's "kits" bars shocks springs you can recomend?

 

Depending on how "flat" you want, it is going to make the car very uncomfortable to drive.

 

There's a great article on Mini suspensions in the latest issue of MC2 magazine that discusses just this issue. Surprisingly, they contend that lowering the car can induce more roll since it changes the weight center without changing the roll center. It's an interesting article and makes a lot of sense.

 

Now I need to find the mc2 mag!

 

you can order the back issues (this issue I believe is #15 - see website) at

http://www.mc2magazine.com

 

I'd just get a rear swaybar. I have 19mm on the "soft" setting (50% stiffer than stock). That decreases lean/understeer quite a bit for me. Thicker front bars will increase oversteer so nobody makes them for the MCS. Dampers do very little for body lean, stiffer springs probably nothing. They are useful in steering however (torque steer for one thing). You can do one thing at a time and see how you like it. My swaybar was $300 installed.

 

Found the MC2 magazine - I will have to subscibe.

 

Yes you can lower to much and throw the geometry off but a reasonable amount of drop will lower the center of gravity as was written in an even earlier edition of MC2. If TSW has come out with their spring for the R56 I would highly recommend them if not the H&R's are probably the way to go either way try to get a linear spring. Koni Yellow shocks are adjustable and have been a track standard for many types of cars, everytime I research dampers I always wind back to them. 19mm rear adjustable rear sway is sweet, some want more but it is very good for street and track. It is very educational to do them one at a time if you want to learn exactly what is doing what, have fun!

 

Another option would be the JCW suspension kit. Complete kit including front and rear sway bars, struts and VIN specific springs can be purchased for just little over $1,000 from Morrisville Mini. List price is around $1,275 including springs.

The springs lower the car just a little bit --- about .5 inches. Some like the small amount of lowering while others don't.

Great deal in my book if you can do your own install !

 

Since I haven't received the car yet. I can still order the car with the JCW susp. I just thought I wanted something a little more aggressive.

Good idea though.

 

I've got the Mach V springs on my 07 MCS and I like them a lot. They lowered the car 1.25". They're a progressive rate spring so the ride is pretty good over minor bumps but stiffens up quickly when it gets rough or you get on it hard through the corners. The next addition will be a 19mm rear bar. After I see the affects of that, I plan on adding IE fixed camber plates.

The MC2 article even suggests disconnecting the front sway which also seems counter intuitive, but I guess it's all in an attempt to get the car neutral without "over doing" any of the components.

 

After reading the MC2 article maybe my idea of what to do to the car is "old school" I'm going to go with some springs/shocks and a 19 rear sway bar.

 

Roll is not entirely a bad thing... increasing the sway bar size will reduce the cars ability to turn and reduce traction while turning. Rather than preventing the car from leaning what they'll do just as effectively is prevent the inside wheels from staying firmly on the ground. I highly recommend receiving and driving the car for awhile before altering the suspension. An invaluable experience would be to join a local BMWCCA club and sign up for a car control clinic.

But not to detract from the info that you were looking for as all preferences are individual and opinions are abundant and widely differing around here:

There aren't really any front sway bars out there yet except the one included in the JCW suspension kit, but many choices for rear sway bars since that part didn't change from the first gen. MINI's. There are lowering springs by several manufacturers. The only damper upgrades available so far are the ones you get with the JCW kit. There are a number of coilovers out there that are made for the 2nd. gen cars. More damper and coilover options will hit the market soon and as time and go we'll have more probability of finding someone nearby that has an interesting option so you can test drive it before committing.

personally I tried lowering springs and didn't like them, and I currently have a much larger rear sway bar and think it's a bit too stiff and I'm looking at a solution that lowers the car slightly and offers better damping... maybe JCW springs with Koni yellows (when they are available) or coilovers. I think good dampers/coilovers, particularly ones with adjustability would provide the most potential for improving handling stability.

 

So you are saying that if I add just a rear sway bar right now, my handling will decrease.

 

For spirited street driving it'll feel great. The car will roll/lean less, maintain better composure during transitions, and it will offset understeer a bit. During sudden evasive maneuvers or pushing the car to it's limit on a track it can make the car less stable, because rather than the body leaning and the wheels staying fairly well planted the stiffer sway bar will cause the inside wheel to lift with the body, reducing grip and contact surface, and if you're turning hard enough, take the wheel completely off the ground.

I probably caused a little confusion because i'm trying to answer the OP question and present an argument for considering a different approach at the same time. Sorry about that

 

personally I'm waiting for bilstein to release their PSS9 system for the R56. in my other car (S52 M coupe) I brought bilstein sports struts and shocks and sent them to bilstein to have it revalved to their autox/street spec. I kept the stock springs.

the ride was much stiffer than stock but it handled beautifully. they revalved both the compression and rebound to work with the stock springs. while driving the car it felt like the car was much much flatter, however, from the outside the car still had similar same amount of body roll. which makes sense since the springs were still the same. what the stiffer valving did was change the "roll rate" so while the stock shocks would cause the body to roll to the max roll (depending on speed and turn) in say .5seconds, the newly valved shocks would slow it to say 1 second. so in sustained turns or sharp fast turns/transitions, the body would roll to the max limit.

 

The Mini is not a formula car, nor is it a race car. Why don't you first drive the car and get a feeling for how the car handles. Spring rates and swaybars can always be changed later.

 

Since it's not too late in your build, consider speccing the JCW suspension before you take delivery. Cornering stance with the JCW suspension is very flat, since this is what you cited as important to you, and handling is improved IMMENSELY over the very soft stock suspension. A larger rear bar alone will NOT elevate the stock R56 S suspension to the infamous "go kart" handling feel that MINI advertises. To do that you need matched springs and shocks (a la JCW or coilovers) and, ideally, slightly larger sways. Them's the facts and all else is arguing by people that have not spent a lot of time driving their cars particularly hard.

Consider also that the car will squat less under acceleration (giving better launches and reducing torque steer) and dive less under braking (increasing stability under deceleration and improving stopping distances). There is simply no comparison driving an R56 with non-sport suspension (or even sport suspension, IMO) on a twisty road or even around town once you drive a car with the JCW suspension fitted (or a full coilover setup). If you can, get some seat time in a car with the JCW suspension and see the difference for yourself. It WILL be a firmer ride, but the handling gains and all-around increase in body composure are well worth it to the enthusiast driver.

From your initial post, you sound like a "plug and play" person and the JCW suspension will give you that more than most any other setup short of coilovers - while preserving your factory warranty and rolling into your lease / finance payments.

 

Great post! I upgraded to the JCW suspension about a week ago and couldn't be happier! Also, I really don't think the ride is that much firmer but the handling is MUCH better vs. the standard stock suspension. I am much happier with my 2008 after this upgrade.