I've found that having a variety of 18mm offset wrenches and sockets made it
easier to get the tools in there the last time I accessed the inboard control arm bolts.

 

Anxiously awaiting mine showing up.. Anyone recommend a good shop in Vancouver, BC for installing these and some other parts?

 

I went on a trip today through Ortega highway Route 74 to meet up with my brother (Harley guy) at Lookout Roadhouse American Bar & Grill, not only was it a gorgeous day, but what a view! Then for lunch we went to Rainbow Oaks Restaurant, huge portions.

This was my first time I really used my Ohlins R&T, need to go stiffer. Things are a little soft in the front, going to work my way up from 10 clicks (open) in front, rear is at 10 clicks from open. I initially set the front to 20 clicks from the top thinking I was at 10 clicks, I started from the wrong end. Thing is I liked how stiff and how crisp the steering response was at 20 clicks from open.

How are other member's front and rear settings, like do you tend to keep the rear softer than the fronts? I'm just in the learning phase since this is my first coil-over setup since ever.

 

Stiff front, soft rear is how I've set it up.

 

So far I like 37 psi on the fronts and 34 psi on the rears. For cumuting I set the front at #15 and rear at #12, but I'm about to move to the stiffest setting on my RSB as I'm still on the middle setting. Will a stiffer setting on the RSB cause my front tires to wear more?

 

i'd think less if anything

 

Any Midwest install shops?

 

Now that I have had ample time driving with my Ohlins 36+ psi up front seems rigid. Months ago I set them to 37 psi up front and let them drop over time (2 months) until I found when the tire pressure felt just right, I measured them and they were at 34 psi up front and felt smoother since there's no compression or rebound at slow shaft speeds on the Ohlins. Also remember that the door tag for inflation is targeted for run flat tires and not non-run flats. My Michelin Pilot Super Sports are still plenty stiff at 34 psi without feeling or looking low and handle well, at 36 psi and above is like a rock when you run over the reflectors on the roads and freeways!

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-2009-jcw.html

 

http://performanceshock.com/index.ph...oducts_id=1266

 

That looks a pretty nice price!

 

call them, they will most likely give you an even better price.

 

Exactly, that's what I did and Performance Shock, Inc sold the Ohlins system for my MCS for $2199 which at the time their website price was $2499. Demand goes, prices goes down. I wouldn't be surprised if it got cheaper as time goes on.

 

I have Swift springs , should I use them or stay with the supplied Ohlins springs?

 

You won't know until you try both, it comes down to personal preference. I believe Ohlins knows what there doing when creating a coilover system, they perform extensive testing before the product is finalized! If you go with the springs I think you're talking about (rfantastic running I think) you'll need to have the Ohlins revalued.

 

good to know, thanks I would just leave them with the springs as they come.


Does the Ohlins setup lower the car compared to stock?

 

Hello, I am also looking at Ohlins and Vorshlag camber plates as well. I've read this thread from the beginning but can't see if these come pre-assembled if you order the struts and springs along with the Vorshlag camber plates. Are you guys ordering these from different companies and then putting the whole thing together or are they ordered from the same company already put together, ready to install? If they need to be put together, how hard is it? Will I need a spring compressor to do this? If so, what are you guys using - how much and where to buy?

 

The PDF file say it will lower a stock Mini 15mm which might not sound like much, but 15mm is .7" inches. I never liked the look of super lowered Mini's, there's got to be some wheel gap in my opinion. I live in Southern California and we have roads here, some good, some bad and with all the hills where I live and my brothers driveway being syeep I would never get up his driveway without smashing the front end of my Mini first!

I'm more practical by nature anyways, whenever I see a super lower rider (not a Mini) driver bouncing up and down in his car I can't help but laugh my brains out for at least 10 minutes!

 

When it comes to installing the Ohlins, it amateur easy as the ride height adjustment for the springs on the bottom of the shocks and struts are already set, but always check them to be sure. Follow the instructions and make sure that after you're done torquring down the strut nut with a special strut nut tool you will need, measure the spring length from both top and bottom.

I believe the front strut springs length should be 400 millimeters, you need to buy a steel 400 millimeter long ruler but you can purchase at any Home Depot. The rear shocks I believe is 280 millimeters from top to bottom spring perches, but you won't have to concern yourself with that because the nut ran out of threads so I didn't need to be concerned about the torque spec because when I ran out of threads I checked the spring length and it was exactly where it needed to be.

The real pain in the butt, and I mean the most time consuming and aggravating time spent was removing the old hardware from the old stock OEM shocks, this is the only reason you'll need a spring compressor for. I didn't need a spring compressor to install the Ohlins springs, the springs will compress as you tightenter the strut nut.

I suggested you save yourself an entire day and buy new strut top mounts and all necessary hardware, nuts, washers and forgo with uninstalling the needed parts from your old shocks! Just remove you're old and busted shocks and toss them aside and enjoy installing your old Ohlins struts and shocks which is where all the fun is at anyway. If you going to spend the time installing a setup like an Ohlins coilover system get new parts because chances are you old parts are already worn and probably need replacing anyway, why do it twice?

 

Ah, that is what I was hoping and in the back of my mind - planning to do. Good deal!

Don't the Vorshlag camber plates take the place of the strut top mounts or is that something else? Does anyone have an exploded view of the hardware, nuts, washers, and strut top mounts that I would need to order?

 

Yes, do what SL said. That's how I did my install. The Vorshlag plates take the place of the top mounts, see my post #102 in this thread for the parts for the rear.

 

Here's the Ohlins installation guide (from their website, and what comes with the kit.)

In my experience I saw about 1.25 inch of lowering in the front, not as much in the rear until I backed off the preload a bit. Covered this in an earlier post.

 

If you backed off the pre-load then that explains your 1.25 inch of lowering in the front, I have a smaller gap in the rear and a little more gap in front. At first I wanted to lower the front to look like the rear but I don't want the nose of my bumper to be damaged going up my brother's steep driveway where I not only installed my Ohlins, but do all mod install in my brother's garage.

JPMM what year is your MCS? I can take a few pictures of my Mini this weekend to give you an idea of how your Mini will look if you follow the Ohlins instructions to the letter. If you need assistance that's why we are here.

Pictured below is a 22mm strut nut socket for a 2007 Mini Cooper S, you can always remove the plastic/rubber cap to access your strut nut to determine your size strut nut, you don't need one for the rear shocks. ESC Tuning sells all size strut nut sockets. It extremely important that you not allow your shock shafts to spin when you're torquing down the front strut nut! Just follow the instruction to the letter and everything will be fine, take your time with them, no rush. Rushing usually ends in tragedy, savor and enjoy installing the Ohlins.

 

to be clear, I only adjusted preload in the back, see post #82 for details.

 

Good advice,

The socket is right here:

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/ES2652183/