Suspension ST Coilovers installed, some thoughts and pictures
#101
Yeaaah man!! Lovin my MINI. Had it bout a year now. I had been looking for one since 2009. Had to move back to Tulsa after the new ownership shut down my store. It sucked shutting the store down, but it is what it is. I'm selling homes now. Been doing that like 6 months or so.
How's Fay treating you? How long have you had the MINI?
#102
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fayetteville, AR
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Still awesome here. Miss your store though! I've had the MINI since July and I LOVE it. I don't get to drive it much because I'm on the road all the time for work, but I drive it every chance I get when I'm home.
#104
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fayetteville, AR
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#105
That's awesome. I miss it there, and I miss my store being there. Fayetteville is a great place to be...
#107
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vancouver Island, Canada
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Sounds like everyone is really enjoying them so far! I'm counting down until the Spring! I'm wondering what height to set them at (or rather, to have the mechanic set them at.) to get the drop around 1-1.5", as low as I can go without scraping speed bumps. I'm prepared to cut the bottom of the plastic trim piece at the front.
Would about the halfway mark do it? Just past?
Would about the halfway mark do it? Just past?
#108
#109
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fayetteville, AR
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It's going to depend on the offset of your wheels and how low you want to go. For me, I don't think needed spacers, but it was for peace of mind. I'm at full ride height up front and I'm running 215/45 with the factory wheels.
#110
#111
#112
Is anyone getting any noise when your car sits over night or for more than 8 hrs then then you reverse and get sort of a spring settling noise? Scenario: I park the car in the garage, in the morning when I go in reverse out of the garage then drive forward there seems to be settling noises like the spring moving into place. I have removed the wheel and made sure all bolts are are torqued to the correct specs and I have new tower strut hats, aka the rubber top piece with the 3 bolts on top. It goes away when I stop and start, again it only happens when the car has sat for more than 8 + hours. Thoughts?
#113
#114
Is anyone getting any noise when your car sits over night or for more than 8 hrs then then you reverse and get sort of a spring settling noise? Scenario: I park the car in the garage, in the morning when I go in reverse out of the garage then drive forward there seems to be settling noises like the spring moving into place. I have removed the wheel and made sure all bolts are are torqued to the correct specs and I have new tower strut hats, aka the rubber top piece with the 3 bolts on top. It goes away when I stop and start, again it only happens when the car has sat for more than 8 + hours. Thoughts?
Nothing has been reported to me atleast on this noise.
#117
#120
#121
Question to the OP:
1. I'm thinking of upgrading my current suspension ('12) to a JCW or other (H&R,Eibach coil over kit), but I noticed you are upgrading already from a JCW kit. Why?
2. Do you have issues, due to the lowering, with having your car go through a car wash tunnel?
Thanks!
1. I'm thinking of upgrading my current suspension ('12) to a JCW or other (H&R,Eibach coil over kit), but I noticed you are upgrading already from a JCW kit. Why?
2. Do you have issues, due to the lowering, with having your car go through a car wash tunnel?
Thanks!
#122
I have a KW3 on another car, and I was really impressed with it. It's night and day difference between stock.
I'm not interested in the kit for cosmetics, but rather for great handling. The fact that I'm able to adjust a coilover is probably best, for me, since I don't want it lowered so much to be worrying about bottoming-out entering ramps, striking speed bumps, or entering car wash tunnels.
Comparison data (price):
1. JCW (kit plus F/R springs) vs. H&R RSS -- $1400.16 vs. $1,242.00.
If I add H&R sways or the Eibach Kit:
H&R Sways: $1,242 + $389 = $1631.
Eibach Sway Kit: $1,242 + $251 = $1493.
For the minor difference in price, including the sway bars by Eibach, it's a no brainer, in my opinion. I've not heard too much about the JCW suspension, so I can't comment on that, and which is why I wanted to know from the OP why he decided to upgrade.
#123
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fayetteville, AR
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Question to the OP:
1. I'm thinking of upgrading my current suspension ('12) to a JCW or other (H&R,Eibach coil over kit), but I noticed you are upgrading already from a JCW kit. Why?
2. Do you have issues, due to the lowering, with having your car go through a car wash tunnel?
Thanks!
1. I'm thinking of upgrading my current suspension ('12) to a JCW or other (H&R,Eibach coil over kit), but I noticed you are upgrading already from a JCW kit. Why?
2. Do you have issues, due to the lowering, with having your car go through a car wash tunnel?
Thanks!
I don't have issues going through a car wash because I would never do such a thing. The only type I've ever driven through are the spray and wash kind and it's me that's doing the spraying. Usually, my car is handwashed. I use the spray type wash maybe 3 or 4 times a year when it's too cold to hand wash. I'll hand wash in 40 degree weather, LOL.
Mine isn't lowered a whole lot either. I have a very mild drop on mine. The only reason I went with the ST coilovers was because the springs and struts were matched versus going a mix and match setup. AND, the cost for this setup came out to be about the same as say NM springs and Koni or NM and Bilstein.
I'll probably never adjust them down any further. Right now, it's low enough to look good, but high enough that I don't have to worry too much about speed bumps.
#124
I don't have a JCW. I just have the JCW package -- i.e. the body kit, wheels, and some interior trim bits.
I don't have issues going through a car wash because I would never do such a thing. The only type I've ever driven through are the spray and wash kind and it's me that's doing the spraying. Usually, my car is handwashed. I use the spray type wash maybe 3 or 4 times a year when it's too cold to hand wash. I'll hand wash in 40 degree weather, LOL.
Mine isn't lowered a whole lot either. I have a very mild drop on mine. The only reason I went with the ST coilovers was because the springs and struts were matched versus going a mix and match setup. AND, the cost for this setup came out to be about the same as say NM springs and Koni or NM and Bilstein.
I'll probably never adjust them down any further. Right now, it's low enough to look good, but high enough that I don't have to worry too much about speed bumps.
I don't have issues going through a car wash because I would never do such a thing. The only type I've ever driven through are the spray and wash kind and it's me that's doing the spraying. Usually, my car is handwashed. I use the spray type wash maybe 3 or 4 times a year when it's too cold to hand wash. I'll hand wash in 40 degree weather, LOL.
Mine isn't lowered a whole lot either. I have a very mild drop on mine. The only reason I went with the ST coilovers was because the springs and struts were matched versus going a mix and match setup. AND, the cost for this setup came out to be about the same as say NM springs and Koni or NM and Bilstein.
I'll probably never adjust them down any further. Right now, it's low enough to look good, but high enough that I don't have to worry too much about speed bumps.
That's the information I was hoping to get.
The ST setup looks great on your car, and the height is what I'm aiming for as well.
#125
Is anyone getting any noise when your car sits over night or for more than 8 hrs then then you reverse and get sort of a spring settling noise? Scenario: I park the car in the garage, in the morning when I go in reverse out of the garage then drive forward there seems to be settling noises like the spring moving into place. I have removed the wheel and made sure all bolts are are torqued to the correct specs and I have new tower strut hats, aka the rubber top piece with the 3 bolts on top. It goes away when I stop and start, again it only happens when the car has sat for more than 8 + hours. Thoughts?
To Kris @ suspension source, any thoughts??