Drivability will definitely suffer. Part of the game it seems....

I have KW V3's with KW camber plates (essentially clubsports). #450 hypercoil is front and stock KW springs in the rear at the moment.

Best place to buy hypercoils is www.shock-shop.com. Awesome price and service.

 

You have a solid setup.

 

FWIW since the discussion is about spring rates... the TC Kline Double Adjustable setup is recommended with 350f 190r springs and a big rear bar. That's not the spring rates we run however that is what TCK recommended. We run 350 square with stock bars and have no problem with rotation at auto-x speeds. The ride on the street isn't exactly pillowy but it's not bad. We're debating moving up to 400 square or maybe staggered with more spring out back but I haven't really sat down and done the wheel rate calculations yet. Unfortunately I haven't seen anyone who has figured out motion ratios/etc. for the mini suspension.

 

I really thinking my car is out to lunch on setup. I will definitely get out to the track and play with tire pressures and some alignment settings before i change anything up. I also have to see where my dampening settings need to be.

Funny how everyone says different things with spring rates. With suspension, one thing always effects another so what works on one car might not work on the next.

I'm pretty sure my car performed before i started playing with it. This is going to take some trial and error to get to perform.

 

Not sure where you are but if any of the mini people are in the Northern Virginia area and want to ride along in our car at an auto-x and talk car setup just let me know. We did a fair bit of tweaking and were pretty happy with the setup. The thing that really allowed us to dial it in was alignment changes. Now we have a diff which I'm sure means more setup changes once we figure out driving it. Just haven't had much quality seat time in the mini lately because we've been getting ready for SCCA Solo Nationals and the wife and I aren't driving the mini.

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I'm in Toronto, Ontario so a little far.

I will stop throwing parts at the car for the season and just tweak what I have. Having good parts is only one part of the equation setup is critical and i'm learning that the further and further i get away from stock. The more i read the less i learn that a thick rear sway bar is favorable.

We should start an alignment thread for setting based on what mods are completed. All while keeping it a tolerable daily driver.....which the more i read the more i think it isn't possible.

 

I think it is possible to have a compliant daily driver, but when you start making the suspension more stiff than it really has to, you're obviously compromising its daily purpose, hence my reluctance to switch out the coilover springs so quickly. I have an aggressive alignment with -3.1 fronts and -2.4 rears or something close to those values. I'll wear through my tires quicker than most on the street would, but that's a compromise I'm willing to sacrifice for grip.

 

It doesn't take too much investment to be able to perform your own alignments. I have a FasTrax gage, but there are digital versions that are probably a better buy. Learning how to setup a string box and setting your toe is a valuable tool. I bought two sets of used RCA's just after I got the MINI (and didn't know that I only needed one set), but having the two sets allows me to set camber and toe without having to jack up the car.

The nice thing about aligning the car yourself is that you can keep notes and perform track side adjustments. For example, you can document how much your front toe changes by moving the tie rod end 1/2 turn, and then see how that affects your track feel.

I do agree that it is a tradeoff from driver to racer, but everyone has their own idea of a compromise. I don't have high dollar stuff on my car, and it is only used as a driver, but I really enjoy it. What is great about the car hobby is that you can do what you want, and you don't have to justify it to anyone.

Have fun,
Mike

 

Lol yeah that would be a little far of a drive.

I agree that good parts are important but proper setup is what really makes the car come alive and "work". I've learned a lot about suspension setup since trying to build the mini into a competitive car and there is still a huge amount of stuff I don't fully understand. Ackerman angles, roll centers, etc. If you really want to jump into the deep end here is a good place to start... http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets5.html

I have a book of all the ride-height/alignment settings/shock settings/tire pressures/etc. we've tried. I'll try and remember to dig up our alignment. I know it's something like -2.4f camber and -1.4r camber. Can't remember the toe settings off the top of my head.

I agree that being able to perform your own alignment is hugely helpful when you want to try different setups. The most important thing is having a level place to work. If you don't have perfectly flat ground you can level it with linoleum tiles (about 1/8" thick) under the wheels. We use toe strings but I finally bought a SmartCamber gauge and dear god I don't know why I didn't buy one sooner.