while rotating the tires and doing an alignment the other day, the shop noticed a leaking front right (drivers) strut. sounded kinda expensive to replace (both fronts for about $500).
any cheaper or crazier options? even doing work myself, swapping out with a s-sport suspension, or after market?
or just letting it leak and get a somewhat more bumpy ride?


2004 mini cooper, run flats, standard suspension, ice cream truck.

 

I have my stock sport struts available...

 

Cool UKSUV,
any problems swapping sport struts into a standard strut set up?

 

For under $700 you can get a full set of Koni FSD shocks, which are the best available for mostly-street use. They would give you better handling, better cornering grip, and a much better ride.

 

^ I think he means $700. Sounds like BEAVR is having the work done by a mechanic, so you'd have to include labor, too.

 

I think I can do this. I've done some pretty weird repairs before.

instructions:
http://www.minicarparts.net/Instruct...structions.cfm

strut tool:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...link:middle:us

parts:
under $70? yeah, can't find those but for around $700.
about $110 is cheapest i've found per strut (non-FSD), but a smoother ride would be nice.

 

Right you are - corrected to "under $700".

 

Hey Beavr, if it's about keeping costs down I'd get that set from UKSUV and have a friend or two help you change them.

 

I think that's a good idea as well, there's also a sport suspension with shocks and springs in the marketplace forum, but wanted to make sure they'll fit a non-s cooper before getting dirty.
I think they'll fit.
a firmer ride from the s might even be more fun around corners.

other question: are the shocks from a sport suspension better for dirt traction? had a vision of dumping the run flats for some offroad tires.

 

If you are planning to do dirt, stick to OEM springs. OEM struts are ok too and all 2003 model year or later R50-53 struts are interchangeable. I'm not a fan of Koni FSD struts. Here is a spring/strut how-to . Get someone to give you a hand and a spring compressor won't be needed, there are alternatives to the OEM suspension socket listed in the thread and a thin wall deep 21mm socket on an impact wrench will work too. A low value torque stick is good to use with an impact when installing the front top nut to keep from applying too much torque.

 

My car IS a Cooper....A dirty dirty little Cooper in fact. I just hate shipping....Shipping sucks. My SS came off the car @ 30K miles. Struts were fine.

 

Are you still using your front sway. I want to get a cooper one

 

I'm wondering which other coopers have interchangeable shocks and springs. you couldn't say swap out the stock front struts and rear shocks with a 2nd generation cooper or cooper s could you?

you're probably right though about dirt roads and a less firm suspension, there are some dirt roads I can't drive the trans am on cause it rattles me teeth too much. and there are a lot of dirt roads around me that just call my name to explore more deeply when i pass them by.

nice write-up. good to know about the impact wrench, my neighbor had a craftsman impact wrench for $25 last weekend, maybe I'll see if he's still got it.

 

I'd really like to find out if the R50 shocks and struts are interchangeable with the R56.

found a great deal on some with low miles. I just rolled into the 35,000 mile mark, OEM struts were fine at 24,000. might've hit a pothole or they just have a short lifespan cause I don't drive too crazy.

 

I have a HSPORT comp front sway in right now but disconnected. The stocker is somewhere in the pile of Cooper parts...

 

LMK if you want to part with it. Are you going to AMVIV this year?

 

I dont know yet....I want to but money is a factor. I need BMW and CF Mini parts.... LMK, I could take a LA trip and see some fam and drop it off...

 

think the original shop was just trying to screw me outta some cash.
took it into another shop. saw no strut leakage. they also got rid of the wheel wobble/shake the other shop said was toe-in. whatever they did, it no longer has the alignment problem either. only took a few minutes.
go figure.

 

I have a full S Sport suspension Ill sell you if your intrested it has about 20k on it and will work on a MC! PM me