Comparing to stock suspension, Is it bring more hardness...
or softer than the stock one...

 

Much more comfortable than stock.

 

...AND much better handling with adjustibility for ride height.

 

I wouldn't say MUCH more comfortable than stock. They are more compliant, but it's not like you're going from MINI to Buick. I know most of you might not get this reference, but it's like going from '02 MCS suspension to '05 MCS suspension. Just a click more compliant without trashing the overall handling.

 

oh... Many Thank....

 

That doesn't inspire much confidence. Are you saying that they don't do much in the way of improving handling, or was that just for the sake of the analogy?

 

Let's put it all in perspective. The R56 with standard suspension handles fantastic at the track, better than any R53. It's more balanced and more adjustable. MINI was also able to dial in noticeably more comfort with the R56. Ride quality and handling are not mutually exclusive, though you can't have too much of one without making compromises. BMW's ///M division usually does a fantastic job of putting together "livable" daily driver suspensions [livable in that my mother could drive it, but I'd be bored silly, and my grandma would think it's got tie-rods instead of dampers]. BMW did an ///M trick on the R56 in comparison to the R53; more comfort and better handling. Now from that point if you want more of one, you're going to almost always give up the other. The KW V1's add a click of comfort at the expense of a half click of handling prowess. You gain some feel back by having a lower Cg, but this only gives back perhaps a quarter click of handling. So the net result is about the same handling in most situations with better ride quality. If you're looking for clearly better on-track handling than stock, these are not your coilovers; you want Cross, BC w/Swift, KW Clubsport, Moton, et al. If you think the KW V1 are too firm for you [read: perhaps a Fit Sport is more your speed], then V-Maxx are your weapon of choice, but at the expense of one click worse handling from stock.

Different coilovers for different jobs. Does that help?
Cheers,
Ryan

 

Should look at Weitec coilovers, Not sure if they are available in the states, but they are owned by KW and use their parts bin. Same prices more or less as V-Maxx over here in the UK, you can thank the weak pound for that! Been eyeing them up for a while but no one has any experience of them on the R56.

http://www.weitec.com/int/index_int.htm

 

Thank you much. That helps a great deal. Whenever I see a post from you I say, OK, now I'll get some answers.

And if you wouldn't mind, to much, maybe you could share the experience you have with other coilovers, or just with whatever you currentlly have/prefer.

Basically, I just got new (non-rf) tires, and, while grip is improved, it feels a little mushy. I expected less turn-in due to the sidewalls being less stiff, but I am also noticing body roll much more than before. That may be a combination of the tires and the (somewhat) lighter wheels (18 lbs.), or I may have just noticed it because I am paying more attention. Either way, it's there.

At the end of the day, I don't want to be killed on choppy pavement, expansion joints, etc., but I don't mind a stiff ride. Stock ride with run-flats is choppy imo, but if the handling is greatly improved, I wouldn't mind more stiffness. But I'm not building dedicated track car, know what I mean?

What would you reccommend to bring back some turn in, take out body roll, and sharpen it up, without riding like a civic with cut springs?

Thanks for any input, it is much appreciated.

 

Not to take the thread too off topic but it sounds like you're not necessarily looking to lower the car, so coilovers aren't on your menu per se. I'd recommend a stiffer rear anti-roll bar. I get warm and fuzzy over H-Sport's Comp rear bar because it's lighter than stock while being proper tubular chrome-moly and having 3-hole adjustment to dial in the stiffness you desire. Start with the rear-most holes [softest, yet still much stiffer than stock] and get used to it. Do not under any circumstances use the stiffest [most foreward holes] unless you have a stiffer front anti-roll bar also.

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Thanks for your reply. I guess this is a bit too much off topic.

I wish I had known that about the H-Sport, I figured they were all pretty much the same. I actually already have the alta 19mm. I also have the M7 front strut brace. Maybe, as my driving skill improves, and if I feel it's neccesary, I will look to upgrade to a comp. bar. That's a lot of bar for the street though, isn't it? Whatev, Oversteer= anyway.

Thanks again.

 

You should run the TSW springs and some camber plates. I feel like I don't need a rear sway after installing them. Ireland Engineering (I think) has a 22mm hollow bar as well, for what its worth. I love my tsw springs and wouldn't trade them for anything (except cross coils, which might or might not be coming soon ) My cars handling is more amazing than stock, and is just as comfortable if not more so. My $.02.

 

I am strongly considering the TSW springs. Still not sure how far I want to go. Camber plates would be nice, but most of my daily commute is highway, so that wouldn't do a whole lot other than wear my tires on one side.

 

D-Unit.... summarize for us. What EXACTLY are you looking to change and not change about your current ride? I got 'less body roll'.... is that it?

 

Well, unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure. I know that doesn't help.

However, for the most part, what I am looking for right now, is to have less (none if possible) body roll and better turn in. It would be nice to work some oversteer into the mix, but, at the end of the day, a balanced setup would be best. Right now I have an Alta 19mm rear sway and the m7 front strut brace.

So, with that said, it looks like the TSWs and camber plates are a good option. But I don't mind spending the extra dough on coilovers if the improvement is justified in the cost. Plus, don't a lot of coilovers include camber plates?

A good, well balanced, fun driving experience is the goal. Taking sharp turns at two or three times the posted limit is always fun, so I've been told. I track only occasionally, and my first autocross is this saturday, and I will be doing that from time to time. Not a dedicated track car, but I don't mind a bit of a stiff ride.

Does that help you help me?
Thanks for any input.

Also, as far as coilovers go, any opinions on the megan racing ones? They seem like a great value a $900 including camber plates (do all companies include them?). But, they may be cheaper for a reason, like the V-MAXX ones.

If I do decide to go with coilovers, I mainly looking at the m7s, Megan Racing, KW v1 or v2, Cross (if I can get 'em on sale), and I heard the BCs (is that right?) were supposed to be good. I may have just named them all. I'm open to any of them really, I just need to hear from people that have them. I don't like to learn the hard way.

 

KW's are excellent - you will not be disappointed.

 

I really think honestly the TSW springs with some IE plates and endlinks will do the trick. the car is absolutely perfectly balance, docile, and I do take turns at triple the posted limit. The car is totally predictable and perfect. I think its a great value setup, and worth the money. The only setup I'd go for over this (which I might) is the cross coilovers as I think I want a little more out of the car than I can get, but for what its worth, and for what you just decribed, the TSW & IE setup is the best value and will perform to exactly what you want with little to no compromise on the street.

As for the coilovers, I refuse to lose any suspension travel, so the cross coilovers are the only ones I'd go with. But thats me, and I'm admittedly eccentric and very picky on what I do to my car.

 

^^^You can tolerate lowering springs because you live in So Flo Not to rail on you but with the TSW springs you're left with only 0.5" of compression travel left...and even at ride height you're compressing the bumpstops.

If you indeed refused to give up suspension stroke you wouldn't have gone for lowering springs and would be doing proper coilovers and positioning your ride height appropriately. That said, what proof do you have the Cross coilover don't reduce total stroke over stock? The Cross use the same spring lengths as the Megan and BC coilovers, which only have 3.5" total wheel stroke, and that stroke is usually limited by coil bind with the tiny 6" long front spring.

The KW coilovers use longer springs of their own design [in front] that allow for the full 5" of total wheel stroke, just like stock. They are the only coilovers [except the V-Maxx, which are copies] I've measured to date that have the same stroke as stock.

 

I can't thank you guys enough for your input. It is greatly appreciated.

 

I didn't know that. And yes, I'm sure because I'm in Florida I don't notice these things. I had H&Rs previously, the TSWs really dont seem to have much of a drop at all. I think the cross coilovers with the height adjustment they have would preserve what little travel the shocks have by not preloading the shock when you lower the car... oh well. Thats pretty interesting about the KWs and V-maxx. But if you lower the KWs 2" aren't you still going to have 3.5" of effective wheel stroke AND be riding 2" lower and be using the shock like a lowering spring would (2" compressed all the time)?

 

With coilovers you have the luxury of locating the ride height wherever you want within the total stroke. On most cars, ride height is somewhere in the middle of the stroke. On the MINI [because it's weird, LOL] ride height is about 2/3rds droop and 1/3rd compression travel. On a setup with 5" of total stroke [like stock, KW, and V-Maxx], the system is designed to sit at a ride height where there is about 3.3" of droop travel and 1.7" of compression travel. If you are running stock dampers, adding a lowering spring that drops the car 1.0" puts the setup at 4.3" droop and 0.7" compression, which means big bumps bottom out the dampers and rattle your fillings. Since the KW and V-Maxx use shorter damper bodies [about 1.6" shorter], you can run the car 1.6" lower than stock and have the exact same travel ratio as stock [with 3.3" droop and 1.7" compression]. Taa Daa, lower ride height and no sacrifice in comfort!

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Since we're in the wheel travel train of thought, are the struts from the JCW kit just revalved or is the mild drop compensated for in terms of travel? The same with the H&R cup kit. Do the cup kit struts allow full travel with their springs (5" or so like stock) or do you risk banging off the bump stops like stock struts? I have no need for coil-overs and these two options seemed the best bang for the buck and they offer matched struts/springs.

 

All good questions. Since NOBODY publishes actual data on their coilovers we'd need someone that has those suspension kits to do some measurements to answer what you're asking. You think it'd be basic data but being automotive aftermarket real data is as scarce as products that actually improve the car.

 

Have you done measurements on the cross setup for the R56? Seems as though you could adjust all that stuff to be the way you want, no?

 

I just ordered a set of these from TSW. I'm going to be installing them myself. Do I need anything special like drop links, or can I just throw them on and get allignement done at a later time. Going for about 1.5 drop.

Thanks