Put the Koni Sport/Yellow adjustable shocks on this AM to go with the NM springs already there. WOW!! Can't believe the all around improvement in handling. Front end squat and lift are gone, turn-in is spot on, no more "skip" when I hit a bump in a tight corner and even the Bott's Dots don't rattle my teeth as much. All this and no real change in ride quality, everything just feels "planted". Put them to their softest setting to start with. Probably the best way to describe the handling change is that when I pulled into my garage I just sat there and laughed for awhile! Here's a couple pics during install.

 

cool! thanks for the write-up !

could you please describe your whole suspension set-up ? I may go the same way (riding on TSW springs over stock shocks now...)

 

Hope you've got some time to kill cause I can talk about my MINI all day long, LOL! My goal at the start was to improve the all around handling of the MCS Sport suspension and still have a comfortable DD. I went with the NM RSa springs because of them being a progressive rate spring of very high quality. They lower the car 30mm (1.2") F/R. Just be sure to trim the bump stops to NM's specs! I also put on H-Sport's adjustable rear camber arms at the same time. If you don't you'll end up with about -2.5deg rear camber. Nice for track/AutoX, but hell on tires. After install I had the alignment re-set to OEM spec on the front, but did have the rear camber increased from the OEM of -1.5deg to a massive -1.7deg. I'm staying with that alignment as it works just fine for me.

I also have the H-Sport tubular 25.5mm RSB set at it's lowest stiffness. That bar has the same stiffness as a 22mm solid bar, is ~8lbs lighter and has zerk fittings on the bushing blocks. To stiffen up the suspension mounting points I put NM's STB and plates in front and RacDyn's CF STB in the rear.

To lower un-sprung weight I put on Konig Britelites. This cut 6.5lbs off each corner from the OEM Webs. I dumped the RFs long ago and now have on Michelin Pilot Sport A/S in 215/45 ZR17 set at 34psi. Not sure, but I think they're about 4lbs lighter then the RFs, stick like glue, are a great rain tire, don't track on any rain groves I've encountered and don't ride like they're made of cast iron. I'll gladly buy another set.

The above mods produced what others concider the best handling street MINI in my club, West Coast MINI. The handling is now dead neutral. The Koni Yellows were more then icing on the cake. I really didn't expect that big of an improvement after all the other mods I'd done, but I'll happily take it! The all around tautness of the handling still has me grinning, but the ride comfort is the really surprising part. These 67yr old bones don't tolerate hammering quite like they used to, LoL. Taking off on a +5K "test" run Sunday and am taking the adjustment **** along just in case. Rocky Mountains here I come!

PS: Did I put you to sleep with all this? LMAO

 

I know exactly what you are saying......I felt the same way when I installed the NM's and Bilstein HD's.

 

Sounds good! I really like my Konis on my R53.

I think you could get away with a lot less rear camber for better handling and tire wear. But your set-up works so enjoy.

 

that's pretty impressive, Dwight!

thanks for all the details, not asleep, but inspired

 

Just finished my 5K "test" run and now I REALLY recommend the Koni Yellows!! They never bottomed out once and I drove on some truely abysmal roads. Settled on 1.5 turns for the fronts and zero turns on the rears and this seems to work just fine. They're worth every penny I paid and then some in my book!

 

Thanks for the info Dwight.
I know my car is not here yet but plan on ordering before it gets here.

I'm in a dilemma myself, I can't decide if I want to go Coilover or Strut/Spring setup.

I know I won't be making adjustments by my self and seems like most systems, the rear is a pain if you want to play with the Dampining.
What to do... Lol

 

In my old car, a C36 I had Bilstein struts and Eibach springs and was alot of fun.

The mini is gonna a DD.
I just want some drop and better cornering.
A mechanic told me instead of going RSB witch I wanted to do to, he said you can add wheel spacers in back to get the same improvement without the Squeak.

 

You do have to take the rear shock off to adjust, but once you have that set where you want, you don't need really to fiddle with it.

A properly installed rear swaybar does not squeak.


- andrew

 

IMHO I think your mechanic needs to do a little more research. I believe only NM and H-Sport have zerk fittings on their RSB's bushings. I've run the H-Sport bar now for over 25K and still no squeaks. They're also adjustable and the spacers aren't.

 

I know I've read alot of reviews here, especially about the H-Sport RSB and the Zerk fittings. He's a little old school and back then most RSB's squeak if I recall.

 

I know you have to take the rear strut off to adjust or drill a hole inside but what bugs me is once installed, you won't know how you like it setup until you drive it. I don't want to pay and adjust again and again until I'm contempt.

 

Even without zerk fittings, a rear swaybar does not need to squeak. Teflon tape works wonders.

- Andrew

 

@Dwight
Do you think I need Camber Arms if I go the same route???

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with Koni Yellows but undecided on Springs.

 

I'd recommend camber arms to dial in camber where it should be. I'd go with -1.25 to -1.5 at most. If you lower the car you will be over that -1.5 mark.

- Andrew

 

I got Alta Sway Bar and they squeak after 25000 KM. I have to take the bushing off and lube it. It really depends on the type of bushing.

 

So Camber arms for the Rear only?
Thanks

 

Definitely go with adjustable rear camber arms. If you don't, you'll end up with something like -2.5deg camber with the NM springs. I kept the Sport front camber arms and sway bar. The alignment shop was able to return the front to OEM specs.

 

I have the H&R touring cup kit. H&R lowering springs, and Koni Yellows, painted H&R metallic light blue, to match the springs. H&R sticker proclaiming "made in Germany"(!) on the shocks, but still has the "Koni" "made in Holland" stampings, and uses the standard Koni adjustment ****. They are allegedly custom-valved for H&R for each individual application. For $600 for the whole kit at Christmas a couple of years ago (thanks Alta!), it was a smokin' deal. I initially dialed in about a full turn on the fronts, then went to about 1.5, thinking this was going to be "better". After a while, I decided the front end felt too bouncy, so I dialed them all the way back to out-of-the-box settings, and I'm MUCH happier set there. Remember, Koni will tell you that the adjustment on these is to adjust for wear as they age - not specifically for dialing in more resistance initially. My experience, at least for my taste, bears out this advice. YMMV of course, and if you're happy at 1.5 turns, more power to you. Just wanted to toss this out in case you want to experiment at some point - you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Your mechanic is way off base here. Increasing rear track width is not the same as biasing the roll distribution further towards the rear, which a larger/stiffer rear swaybar will do.

 

I have rear camber arms and front IE fixed camber plates and my alignment is dialed exactly the way I want it. Even for my 100% street car, OEM specs are far from what I want...there is a LOT to gain from getting a good performance street alignment. More than there is to gain from just a rear swaybar but that's my opinion. My alignment is around -1.6 front and -1.3 rear camber, with 0 toe front and rear (maybe a tiny hair of rear toe in). Tire wear is even, the rear is more even than it was with the OEM alignment.

For your R56, the front has a little bit of adjustment built in with that free camber mod (do a search). It's not much, and I personally would get the IE fixed plates but it's a start and free.

I missed this, James is correct. Rear spacers would do the opposite of what a rear swaybar would do.

- Andrew

 

^^^thanks for the info but I might not be getting the R56 anytime soon.
I might have to wait for a 2012.

 

Where do you have you Konis set at? I have mine at set in the middle and I like it but, I am probably going to tighten them all the way up just to see what the ride is like.

 

To use the teflon tape method, do you just wrap the bar with teflon where the bushing would go? Also, If I use teflon tape should I the grease on top of that?