Has anyone seen some kind of tool (or made one) to permanently mount in the boot of their MINI to adjust rebound settings on their coilovers? I want to drill as small of a hole as possible to access the top of the damper but don’t necessarily want to reinvent the wheel. I’m not sure if a really long 2mm allen key will reach the top of the damper if I drill a hole. I know I’ve seen these at the track on some Mustangs and Vettes with these long springy adjusters that are elegantly positioned in the trunk. BTW, I have KW V2 coilovers.



Taking the damper out every time for adjustment is just silly when you can just open your boot and fiddle with a small adjuster on the inside.

 

I have my adjusters in the trunk/boot. Megan Racing came stock with these lengthy adjusters. You may be able to find something that can attach to your KW's that does the same thing. I know they exist, just don't know who makes them and what brands they're compatible with.

 

I don't know how much torque it would take to adjust your shocks, but I would worry that a 6" or 9" wrench would torque too much to give you an accurate amount of adjustment. look at mcmaster.com, page 2842 for a heavier duty option.

I would think that you could find some plastic or rubber plugs to fill a larger hole, if you are worried about it. Maybe you could find some flat black plastic dots at a craft store to cover the hole.

I assume that you would drill the hole from underneath? After a hole from the bottom, a unibit would do a nice job of deburring the top of the hole, as well as making a round hole.

Good luck, and have fun.

Mike

 

I am curious about this as well.

 

I drilled some pilot holes when I had the rear coilovers out this winter. The distance between the top of the coilover adjuster and the interior sheet metal doesn't seem to be that far apart. Maybe an inch or two. Now for the hole saw...

 

I would start with an 1/8" drill, then you can pick and probe to see how close you are to the lower hole. Most hole saws use a 1/4" pilot. Are you planning on leaving the hole open, or plugging it? I would use a unibit, they cut round holes in sheet metal, and generally can cut through the vinyl or plastic without tearing it.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

Mike

 

This is what I just did:

I used a 3/4 socket extension with some tape wrapped around it so it was tight when I fit it through the dampening pad.

I put a bit of red plasti-dip on the end and slid it through and made s mark on the underside.

Then I took a 2mm ball end Allen and swapped out the one in the dial that came with the KW kit.

I have a Coupe, so thus is how I can access it without being too intrusive. Just taken out the tabs and pulling the panel out, the grey box needs to come out on the passenger side too.

I also modified my jack holder to hold the KW Kit parts.

 

That's a great idea Scooter. I have been in the hunt for coilovers for my R58 and I think the KW's are what I want to get. Did you get the V1 or V2..? How does the car sit and ride? I would love to see some photos.

-Z

 

I got the V2 and they ride great. It's hard to explain, they're stiffer than stock, even on the softest setting, but the rebound is more smooth, so it feels better. It sits great.

This is the only picture I could get to post.

 

Are you riding on the softest setting for your DD then? What about ride height? I hear at their highest it's about 2 fingers. Looks like you are lower than that. No issues running soft and low? I worry about my front lip on my JCW.

 

I have it at the softest in the back with a stiffer rear sway bar and 5 turns from the softest (out of 20) in the front. I had some rubbing from the height in that picture, so I brought it up about 3/8". It's really bumpy in Hawaii, so I have it soft so I don't rattle my teeth out. I plan in stiffening it up and lowering it back down after I leave here.

 

Very smart idea Scooter09. I never thought of modifying the ****. I will make sure to pass this thread along to others!