I got some PSS9's and one of my front adjuter ***** free spins! the strut has not settings now it is at it beyond it softest setting.

I was wondering if anyone has delt with a simular problom and/ or how it is working with bilstiens warranty dept.

ALSO!

I have read some threads on settings, it seems everyone gos soft in the front and stiff in the rear, why is that it seems that would make the car's rear boucny. What are your thoughts on that?

ALSO did you install your coilovers or did someone else do it?

What is the best way to make it so the car is level? and should the front be higher that the rear or should I just try to make it level all the way around, I plan on loading up the drivers seat with 160lbs so I can make it perfect as I mostly drive with just me.

 

search for my pics. I dropped mine all the way down. My settings are on "back breaker". Havent had any probs with mine so I cant help you on the warranty dept....

 

I have softest in the front and 3 clicks harder in the back. Excellent on the Nurburgring. The Bilsteins are not bouncy in any setting. No problems here too.

 

My fronts are all the way down and the rears have approx. 3/4" left and on full stiff the ride is bouncy on the roads in Miami. Same drop, on 5 clicks from full stiff the ride wasn't bouncy. What is the benefit to running the rear stiffer than the front?

 

Mine bounce pretty hard but Im bouncing off bumpstops and the popping of fully compressed springs....

 

Yikes!

You guys need to be careful with these full stiff or near full stiff settings on the rear. You will get what's called 'jacking down' syndrome. You have the rebound so stiff that the car can not recover ride height before it get's compressed again.
Ease up on these settings. Springs are what tunes the car, not compression and rebound. Those are used to tame the springs you are on. Yes, it will make a difference, but you need to remember that your working with what springs you have.
You can bump up spring rates on the PSS9s, a bit. Think about doing this if you want a stiffer ride and flatter handling car.

OP, are you sure it's not the **** that's just spinning on the shaft?

 

Thanks man..I appreciate the concern. Im just too strapped for time right now to tweak my car. Do you have any suggestions for purchasing new springs? My fronts are bound up pretty good and I still want to lower it more.

 

Man, your going to kill those poor things. If not already. They are more of a race shock, not a slammer shock.
I use and highly recommend Hyperco springs. You will need new top spring perches for the fronts.

 

So what damper settings would you suggest for a street driven car? My car is too bouncy and I've been meaning to adjust them. It's probably a mix of bump-stopping and having the damper too stiff since the front is wound all the way down. I don't recall having a bouncy ride when they were set at 5 though. I was thinking 6 front and 4 rear since I've read about the slightly stiffer rear.

Again, what benefits does the slightly stiffer rear provide?

 

The majority of FWD suspension tuners fell that the rear of an FWD car needs to be stiffer then the front. It's true for my racecar.
But that stiffness comes from the spring settings, not from firming up compression and rebound, though adjusting these does make some difference.
Of the two, rebound is the most important in the rear of a Mini. So the problem here is that many feel that if they make the rear firmer in compression that it's a good thing, but at the same time they are screwing up the rebound.
So, what happens in the street tuner world is that most just put a stiffer sway bar in the rear, being that changing springs is just not commonplace. Not the best way to go, but it helps. All has to do with creating oversteer and rotation. Stiffer rear, more rotation.

 

Yea but Im running KMAC plates.. I will call them to see what rates they recommend...Thanks.

 

Call who? If you want some good advice on the PSS9 and spring rates then contact Turner Motorsport here in the northeast. Someone there should be able to help out as they are the distributer of these shocks.

I'm not familiar with the K-macs as I have not seen them first hand. But always know there is an easy way to do anything.

 

I was referring to calling someone on the springs. Sorry. The fever I have been spiking was making me crazy.... I have bought several things for TMS. I will call them instead. Sometimes the CS is hit or miss tho..

 

More dampning slows down the spring compression or rebound. So correct me if im wrong in any of this but.. by adding more dampning to the rear you are keeping more of the weight in the front longer but are not reducing the amount that gets transfered. this is how I understand it anyways.

Senario #1: (Think Highway on ramp you know the big cricle like ones) exiting a turn you can get on the gas earlier because the wieght of the car is not shifting to the rear as fast or as abrupt allowing your tires more time to get around the turn while on the gas before they reach the point of breaking traction asuming getting on the gas at the same time for both setups.

Senario #2 (Think 90 deg left hand turn) trail breaking into a turn if you use the peadals like I do the moment your right foot lets off the brakes wieght already shifts back to the rear as your are at a point of not accelerating or braking (well to the outside also but ya know) I then try to get on the gas pedal as quickly and smoothly as possible like split second to begin accelerating out of the apex even more of the wieght shifts back as you are now accelerating. You can play with the dampening here I imagine so that the transition to brake to gas is smoother/easier to tame in that half second switch and even make it so the back end drifts a little longer by slowing down how fast you shift that wieght back to the rear tires when you accelerate. This also allows you to initially get on it a little harder cause of that extra wieght up front.

Too much dampning and your springs wont respond to the little bumps kinda like that screen door that takes forever to close even if you try pushing it(You know the one).

Too little and youre a pogostick like the screen door that ruins your sneaking home late with a girlfriend cause it slams shut (You know the one).

Sooooo its better to run a stiffer rear spring reduce the amount of wieght transfer and match dampning to your aplication. A long sweeper may be nicer with more dampning but if your dodging cones that same amount of dampning may actually make you slower than stock because of all the sharp little turns all that dampening will keep you from making fast transitions just like that jacking thing I just learned about just now like a min ago.

SO again correct me if im wrong here as im mainly a point a to point b driver wishing he had the time for some track oh and money. Im actually kinda wondering if some of the track setup vets can confirm my theories here.

***EDIT*** Stiff dampning in the rear is probably so the back end dosent squat as much and also kinda acts like the rear sway in that being super stiff it does not grip as well as the softer (able to adjust to sharper road occillations) front setting.

 

Yea Im sure I can feel it click still, but it just keeps going after that I have them all removed and there is no change no matter how I spin it hard, soft and so on they are stuck on beyond full soft.

 

Well, no warrantee I'm sure, but they can be repaired. If you don't know where to go then think about calling Turner Motorsport and asking them. Might think about having all four rebuilt and maybe revalved if you want some higher spring rates. Depending what you paid, it may be a good opportunity to get exactly what you want.

 

Anyone know for Bilstein PSS9 the following

Spring free length
Spring ID
Rate

 

Maybe search for PSS9 specs.

Contact Bilstein for the dial that spins.

Some comments.

The more you slam the suspension the more risk there can be shock settings and a bouncy ride especially over poor roads.

The best results for the PSS9 come from moderate drop about 1".

I have PSS9 with 1.6" drop and some softer settings feel bouncy and stiffer settings feel harsh. For street use I will set the front to about 5 or 6 and rear to about 7 or 8.

Realize that for each set of PSS9s the adjustment you make may not be linear nor the same on each side or from front to rear. They are not so finely calibrated as to be used for fine tuning and be expected to work.

It's almost like checking tire pressure on each corner using different tire gauges for each tire- who knows what the true pressure is unless you calibrate each gauge.

 

I fixed it myself, the pin that stops the **** from spinning got pushed in some how, I took it apart I figured it out, now it works like a champ, and is awaitning install. I cant wait for my camber plates to get in 3 months of waiting is killing me. They shipped yesterday!!!!

 

Which camber plates did you go with?

 

Im giving the bav auto's a go, So far I've been VERY pleased with their products. I dont know of anyone with them, and as they had to get them made for me this will be intresting. I'll make a new post refering to the install and easy of adjustment.

I asked what they looked like and they sent me a this picture:



"Bavarian Autosport adjustable camber kits for the street or the track. These kits let you adjust camber and caster at the top of the shock tower. No need to raise your Mini off the ground -- make the adjustment under the vehicle¹s full weight. Let¹s you quickly compensate for understeer and improve "turn in" and tracking. Street version features firmer-than-stock urethane bushings for more precise handling. Track version has no bushings for the ultimate in control."

These say Kmac on them so Im thinking that kmac makes them for bav auto but I have no clue, I'll post pics of actual product.

 

Found this for Bav autos 2005 newsletter:

"Bavarian Autosport’s adjustable
camber kits are made for us by the
experienced engineers at K-MAC.
These folks have been researching,
designing, race-testing and manufacturing
suspension upgrades since
1964. In the early 1970s, K-MAC
saw the need for bolt-on, adjustable
camber and caster kits – both front
and rear – to satisfy the demands of
enthusiasts (like us) who wanted
improved handling but were frustrated
by premature tire wear problems
on lowered cars, especially
BMWs that have been upgraded
with “plus-size” wheels and tires.
With the development of these kits,
K-MAC set new standards for ease
of installation and adjustment. So
when we were looking for a company
that could supply adjustable
camber kits to BMW enthusiasts,
K-MAC was the obvious choice.
Our front adjustable camber kits
replace the upper strut mounts in
your BMW and allow separate camber
and caster adjustments. They
feature a patented ratchet system
that lets you make the adjustments
under the hood, with the vehicle
under load. No need to jack your
BMW up – just loosen the strut
tower mount nuts and adjust.
Rear kits replace the stock rear
trailing arm bushings and allow
adjustment of camber and toe.
Both front and rear kits offer
greater range of adjustment than
other kits on the market."