Suspension Front Strut Brace
OVERDRIVE - Racing Champion
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 15,262
Likes: 72
From: Mililani, Hawaii
>>Will adding a front strut brace to my 03' MCS help the handling any? I want to go around corners without any lean and feel like the car is literally glued to the road? Thanks... 
First I would suggest you go to driving school. Have your instructor drive your car on a track with you inside. If you like what you experience and it is just the way you think you would like to go around corners then don't buy anything. Just learn how to drive like your instructor. Your instructors will amaze you but it does teach you how broad the performance envelope of the MINI really is.
The rule of thumb is that cornering well is a skill and it has more to do with your ability to maintain traction through all points of the corner while modulating throttle, brake, and overall speed while maintaining the best line before the corner, through the corner and into the straight while setting up for the next thing on the track.
If you load up on lots of suspension mods and don't adhere to the rules above then you will not get your desired result. I guarantee it. Let your instructor show you that your stock MC or MCS has engineering into it a great reserve to handle well.
One person posted that in the autocross stock division of SCCA that second place in his area was won by a totally stock MC with one skilled driver behind the wheel.
If you must add any suspension mod then start with the rear swaybar at either 19 or 22mm with adjustable settings. I'd suggest soft setting on the 22mm bar.
The tower strut bar is the last suspension mod to ever do (probably the last mod of all the mods) since the chassis of the MINI is already so rigid.
Go over to Beneath the Bonnet for several discussions on strut tower bars.
First I would suggest you go to driving school. Have your instructor drive your car on a track with you inside. If you like what you experience and it is just the way you think you would like to go around corners then don't buy anything. Just learn how to drive like your instructor. Your instructors will amaze you but it does teach you how broad the performance envelope of the MINI really is.
The rule of thumb is that cornering well is a skill and it has more to do with your ability to maintain traction through all points of the corner while modulating throttle, brake, and overall speed while maintaining the best line before the corner, through the corner and into the straight while setting up for the next thing on the track.
If you load up on lots of suspension mods and don't adhere to the rules above then you will not get your desired result. I guarantee it. Let your instructor show you that your stock MC or MCS has engineering into it a great reserve to handle well.
One person posted that in the autocross stock division of SCCA that second place in his area was won by a totally stock MC with one skilled driver behind the wheel.
If you must add any suspension mod then start with the rear swaybar at either 19 or 22mm with adjustable settings. I'd suggest soft setting on the 22mm bar.
The tower strut bar is the last suspension mod to ever do (probably the last mod of all the mods) since the chassis of the MINI is already so rigid.
Go over to Beneath the Bonnet for several discussions on strut tower bars.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
igzekyativ
MINIs & Minis for Sale
28
Dec 23, 2015 10:36 AM
JaysinStrife
Suspension
7
Sep 7, 2015 12:52 PM