alright i have an 08 mcs with 17 inch oem web spokes and need info on springs

im buying the h&r sport springs and know nothing about suspesion
im looking for a lower ride and somthing reasonably priced and will keep me happy when i finish modding ziggy

so here are my questions

1.coilovers?springs?shocks? wats the differences?/advantages?

2.wheel spacers needed?

3.will springs work right with other oem suspension parts?

4. any advice/info concering camber and other things of that sort?

5.ease of instalation?

please i need help!

 

All of your questions have pretty much been covered to death in the R56 suspension forum alone. Just do a search and I'm sure you'll find any answers you've been looking for.

 

 

helpful group!

yes you can find infinite details here in the forums but here are a few answers to help out:

1.coilovers?springs?shocks? wats the differences?/advantages?

springs - these determine ride height and along with shocks determine how firm the suspension is

shocks - these do exactly that, they absorb shock, and the higher their compression the stiffer your suspension will feel

coilovers - these are aftermarket onlly and integrate the shock and spring as one complete system. the advantages are that they parts are matched to provide optimal balance, most offer an adjustable ride height, and the more expensive ones can provide many other adjustments to tune the suspension to your adjustment

2.wheel spacers needed?

generally not needed with just springs since they don't lower the car significantly. you may have tire rubbing with coilovers and need to use spacers

3.will springs work right with other oem suspension parts?

yes but how well they work is purely subjective. The total suspension travel is about two inches in stock form (the distance the wheel can come up towards the body of the car to absorb a bump). If you just replace the springs, you reduce the travel by the amount the springs lower the car.

4. any advice/info concering camber and other things of that sort?

Lowering a car will increase negative camber slightly. After any suspension work you must have an alignment done. If you plan to track your car, adjustable camber can be beneficial but for street driving OEM spec is fine

5.ease of instalation?

if you have the right tools and mechanical inclination I hear it's easy. I choose to pay someone to do the work. removing and installing springs can be very dangerous if you aren't careful.

 

FugitiveAI thanks you really helped and yea i know if i took alil time i would of found my answers but thanks for the help!


you think the sway bar is worth buying? i noticed you have it

 

The thickness of the sway bar determines how much the car will lean when changing directions, which is called body roll. also the balance between the front sway and rear sway bars will augment understeer and the cars ability to turn easily. Not enough stiffness will cause excessive lean in turns but too much will cause the car to resist turning and also become less stable at the limits. A 19mm adjustable rear sway bar is a great and relatively inexpensive upgrade to improve handling in the car without sacrificing comfort. If you do it, wrap plumbers tape around the bar where the grommets go before you lube it. This will keep the bar from getting noisy after a few months.

My best recommendation is to try and find people nearby that have mods you are considering so you can ride in the car and feel the difference. That isn't always possible but will prevent you from spending money on mods you aren't happy with.

IMO, the best single suspension component upgrade you can do is adjustable shocks. Koni yellows should be out in a few months and will offer the most measurable improvement in handling all around. Beyond that I'd recommend either just getting the complete JCW kit or going to coilovers. I'm not a big fan of lowering springs though many people have the H&R's and are totally happy with them so it's purely a personal preference.

 

why will the sway bars get noisy?

and you mentioned 19mm sway bars but you have 22mm...i may not go to the track much but i do enjoy driving my mini pretty hard so would you recommend 22mm sway bars.

thanks for all the help and im gonna wait on the suspension so i can get the coilovers but sway bars sound like a worth while mod what brand are you using?

sorry for all the questions hope you dont mind

 

we're only talking about the rear sway. there really aren't any options to upgrade the front and it's not something you want super stiff, it would make the car very hard to turn

the rear sway is attached to the rear frame on two clamps with bushings and it rotates in those bushings as the suspension compresses and rebounds. The lube that comes with the swaybar will keep it quiet until a few months or road dust soaks it up. The teflon tape should last for years.

I recommend a 19mm rear sway bar. To give you an idea how stiff a 22mm is, when I'm making a tight turn on the autocross tracks, my inside rear wheel is usually several inches off the ground. Once I upgrade my suspension, probably JCW, I will probably go back to 19mm myself.

 

ohh gotcha thanks alot!