I'm going to buy a set of coilovers today for my 2010 Clubman S. Right now I've about decided on the H&R Street Performance Coilovers after much research.

My needs are defined as:
Adjustable height
Comfortable ride (I got spoiled by the Crosses on my R53)
No track but a few autocrosses a year. Camber plates not needed.
Quality is important over most bang for the buck.

For this price range, less than $1200, are there any alternatives that might be better for my needs?

I think Bilsteins will be too firm from what I've read from people who sold theirs, KW's seem popular as well.

 

I vote KW's. v1's specifically....unless you feel the need for damping adjustments.

They're one of the most affordable coilovers while still offering quality and comfort. The most common complaint is that they're "too soft" for track use, but that seems perfect for the needs you portrayed.

H&R's work well too. I have less experience in H&R equipped cars, so I can't speak to their comfort.

 

Thanks Rally...I opted for the H&R's...didn't get much...actually no other feedback, lol. I will let you know how they work next week. Worse come worse they will end up for sale here, lol.

Richard

 

H&R should be good from what I've read/heard. They're right in line with the KW's and only slightly stiffer if anything. Enjoy them

 

Throwing price aside, which manfacturers provide hight AND damping adjustability?

- Erik

 

The majority of them have both.

I'm sure I'm missing a whole bunch of them, but off the top of my head...

KW v2+
m7
Megan
Ksport
BC
bilstein
d2 racing
H&R
cross
FK

 

The H&R Street Performance don't have dampening, just height. I've been loving mine even without dampening since I used to run my Crosses on full soft anyways.

Richard

 

Hope you're enjoying them! Guess I'm a little late on the feedback, sorry! I have the H&R RSS, and they're a good "factory replacement" coil over. I have a feeling they're made for the lighter HB, but they work fine on the Clubby.

 

Yep I love them. The ride for street driving is cushy, and it doesn't bottom out when I hit rail road bumps like I did with the Megans on my R53, and I'm slammed right now, lol. Stupid installers wouldn't accept anything but slammed. Just kidding. But now that I've got a couple hundred pounds of inventory (MITM/MTTS), I'm like an 1/8" from rubbing my fender trim...every big bump goes WHOOOSH. Didn't have time to raise it though I should have. Guess I just got to hope people will buy all my junk lol.

 

Haha I know that feeling all too well. Driving down to events carrying all my products and vendor supplies my car almost tucks wheel The whole ride hoping that you can come back with a much lighter car thanks to sales

Good luck and have fun with MTTS

The clubman in vendor mode with tent, table, and hundreds of shirts all loaded up after the 12 hour drive

 

WOAH now that's Tucked...lol. Haha thanks!!!

 

Well I drove 1100 miles on the H&R's and I ended up rubbing on just about every dip and bump. Tore some of inner wheel well lining too. By the time I arrived in Winter Park, and removed all of the weight, I was surprised that my suspension didn't move back up.

Way Motor Works helped me raise it, but even at maximum height, about 3/4" higher, it was still pretty tucked in there. Seems to be a combination of my 225/45 tires and weak springs. I'm in need of new tires, so I'll probably go back to the Nitto 215's...the Invos only come in 225's.

Probably will have to look for stiffer springs too. LiLReD1 mentioned that the H&R Street Performance coilovers weren't actually intended for the Clubman, and I think they are right. My front's are fine, just the rears need a little bit of help. But they do have different model numbers.. 50417-2 for Cooper S and 50457 for Cooper S Clubman.



Also Way mentioned that MINI Mania has some kind of extender that goes at the top of the strut to give it a bit more ride height. Gonna check into that as well.

Richard

 

Yah, 225/45 is a really big tire. That's a lot of sidewall for a 17.

 

I didn't really have any issues when they were on my R53. Course I went with Invos because the ride was so noisy I was trying anything to quiet it down lol. Not so for the Clubbie. I also liked how they filled out the wheel wells and the 45s were cushy over the 40s I used to run.

 

You confused me Octane... didn't you get coil-overs? Why would you need a spacer to get more ride height? Yer not fully extended on them are you?

 

Richard, I passed by your vehicle several times @ MITM and noticed the low ride height, even without the rear packed.
Bummed to hear you tore up some of the linings.

When you remove the springs, test them for spring rate at a local speed / suspension shop.

- Erik

 

Yeah I got coilovers and even at maximum extension, I'm rubbing. Course I do have the MINI compact spare back there, my tools, and power tools along with merchandise and my clothes and electronics... I'm just trying to get home now, lol. I was listening to some music and was hearing this sound that I thought was from the music, until I turned it off and realized it was rubbing. I stomped the brakes to shift the weight forward, and the rubbing stopped.

Thanks Erik. Will do. This was the first time really loading the rear with weight.

 

Get longer, firmer linear rear springs. Problem solved.

- Andrew

 

I've never had a rubbing issue, yet neither of us (me and Octane) are running stock wheels, so that has to be what yer issue is: your wheel/tire setup. Even on my stock JCW Challenge wheels on stock tires, it never rubbed. On my current setup, I've hit some pretty hefty bumps on hwy construction, and never rubbed. If I did, I never heard it.

About this coil-over setup not for the Clubby as we've been discussing: I'm also with the lower rear height issue. I've had to re-adjust the rears higher twice now just to keep with the right look of the rear NOT sitting lower than the front. And if you want to blame it on the springs settling over time, I've never had to adjust the front for clearance.

Apples to apples, a JCW R55 is ~180-190lbs more than a JCW R56. And the only difference between the 2 is pretty much from the front seats back. So that extra weight all has to be in the rear if you ask me. That leads me to my theory why I don't think these coil-overs are specifically for the Clubby (even though it IS a seperate part # from R56 to R55 like you said Octane), and more so are for the R56. I'm interested in running a spring test on both part #'s as new of rear the springs to see if there's a difference.

The suspension seems perfect if it had rear drive wheels of some sort, RWD, or AWD, but it just doesn't work for a FWD when you wanna push it. It may be something just a stiffer rear sway or softer front sway could fix, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

Well I know for sure that I'm pushing it on both height and width by running 225/45's, lol. Packing the MINI compact spare in the spare tire well and loading a couple hundred pounds of tools and luggage didn't help either.

I'm ready for new tires anyways...will probably go back to 215/40's which didn't have any issues either.

Thanks!!!

 

Good to know about the tires. I was curious about getting that size, but didn't want the "fat tire" look on a 7" wide wheel. If it was a 7.5", I would've done that, hands down. Stats on my setup is the same as stock, just a 40 series, and the tires stretch quite a bit more than my stock wheels/tires did. I dunno if that's just the tire manf, or it being a 40 series.

I don't have a spare tire, but I have 2 amps in the spare tire sump, and a 12" sub in the rear. On top of having luggage back there (fully packed gym bag, sometimes a tuff box) when I'm going back and forth to KC every weekend. So I'm not totally bare back there either.

Though I have considered, and got half way once, stripping out at the interior panels, seats, pullin' my sub and amps to see what kinda weight difference it'd make in the back on scales. Prolly not much with the plastics, but it could all add up. I drive with the backseats folded down, and the bench cushion taken out as it is so I can't take everyone and their brother for a ride.

 

Thanks for the additional info.

When I had my wheels on my R53, it went up from
Falken Ziex 512 (205/45) (I think the wide angle lens makes things look a bit distorted..judging how the center rain groove goes wide to narrow)


To Nitto Neo Gens (215/40)


To current Nitto Invo's (225/45) (best shot I got right now)


We'll see how it looks after I fully unload the Clubbie today, including the spare tire which was just for the trip to MITM/MTTS.

Here's where my rear clearance was before my trip...I was already pretty low before loading.

 

That's a good size sidewall IMO for a daily driver right there, hugs the fenders nicely. Just have to go narrower I guess to prevent all yer rubbing issue's.

I bought the newer Ziex 912's, and they're pretty darn soft sidewall! I feel like I'm running on a low tire all the time on the hwy. You have that problem with the 512's? I'm never getting this tire again.

 

205 falken 512's are actually 185mm wide or thereabouts. That's why we all run them when stretching tires for clearcence. They are MUCH smaller than they are categorized.

I'm running 205/40/17 falken 512's at the moment. Zero rubbing despite the ride height. 17x7.5 et40

 

512's have softer sidewalls than 912's. Some may dislike them, but they're by far my favorite tire. They stretch so amazingly well, offer great clearance for aggressive stances, and the soft sidewall is easily stiffened up by stretching them. You also can't beat the price.