The Background

I'm on my third R53. The first had the OEM non-sport suspension. My second had the JCW suspension and my lastest came with Koni yellows and blue lowering springs. After driving my latest adopted baby for many months on less than ideal road surfaces I would consider the ride to be "unyielding". I've also read that Koni Yellows can be comfortable when set correctly. I recently had the tires replaced and I specifically asked the mechanic to check out the struts to see if they were failing. He said besides the yellow paint cracking and rusting a bit, the struts are not leaking and are in perfect mechanical condition. He also said the alignment was spot on.

The Problem

Because my MINI came with the Koni Yellows and I have no idea how they were setup/adjusted, I need some absolutism regarding the clicks and rotations I've read so much about. I've found lots of information regarding adjustment but this advice is always from someone who knows where they are adjusting from. I want to figure out how my struts are currently setup to so that I can adjust them accordingly.

The Questions

1. Are there stops for full soft and full firm?
2. This leads to the next question, how do I know I'm at full soft or full firm?
3. Is it possible to adjust beyond full soft or full firm and if so how would I know if I am doing so and could any damaged be caused?
4. How many fractions of turns or full turns in difference are there between full soft and full firm? I've heard this discussed in percentages, in clicks and in rotations. From one member stating "So for the rears I started at soft and did one full revolution which is 50%" I would assume two revolutions is 100% which would be the transition from full soft to full firm, is this correct?
5. Lastly, because because Googling this has taught me that different Konis adjust differently, for MINI-specific Koni Yellows I want to confirm that turning clockwise is to go softer and counter-clockwise is to go firmer? This is assuming you are standing above the strut and looking directly down on it.

Thanks!

 

Here's some documentation from Koni. I hope it helps you out. As far as I can tell, there are no stops at full stiff and full soft.

 

Thanks for the Ikea-furniture like diagrams I've heard mentioned before but never seen! The first/vertical picture seems to confirm that between full soft and full firm is two rotations or 720º. It also seems to confirm that counter-clockwise is stiffer, so now I have questions four and five answered! Hopefully I'll get some definitive responses for questions one through three. Thanks.

 

There's a couple YouTube videos on Koni yellows adjustment that might answer your other questions.

 

You can only adjust the fronts on the konis for our cars. The rears have to be removed and compressed to adjust.

 

I thank you for your attempt to help and you are correct that the rears have to be removed to be adjusted but they do not need to be compressed. Some Konis are adjusted this way (Including Koni's own threaded coilover set for MINIs) but not the Koni Yellows for 02+ MINIs. After doing a little research it even says so on their website: http://www.koni-na.com/Mini.html. There are a number of people on NAM that have drilled into the rear panels to provided access to the top adjustment **** to adjust the rear struts so that they don't even need to be removed for adjustment.

 

There are stops for full soft and full stiff.

I have mine on 1/4 turn from full soft at all 4 corners. I use the little Koni tool pictured to adjust.

- Andy

 

Thanks for the clarification

 

I am actually in the process of installing my Koni yellows and didn't realize that there is a stop at full soft and full stiff so I started fiddling with the struts and here is what I found:

1) You don't need to compress the strut to adjust as mentioned above.
2) Initially, I was just placing the **** on the adjustment tab and turning the ****, but I couldn't see a change being made in the setting. As I was doing this, the strut shaft was also turning. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the adjustment tab is a separate piece from the strut shaft as shown in the pic. So I held the strut shaft steady with my hand while I turned the adjustment tab and here is how I found the stop for full soft and full stiff.
3) At full stiff, when the strut is compressed, the shaft will not rise up. You have to adjust to a softer setting for it to rise up again. I guess this means that we should never set the Koni yellows on full stiff or else the car would always bottom out?

After reading this thread, I'm considering drilling the rear panel to make it easier for future adjustment.

 

The damper (mostly) adjusts rebound. So on full stiff, it's resisting extension with it's max force...which is quite a bit. Off the car, since it has little gas pressure, it's not going to want to extend back.

On the car, you have the spring pushing the shock down, so it will extend.

I still wouldn't go full stiff because it's just too much and the car can "pack down" if your springs aren't stiff enough. Then you would be bottoming out a lot.

- andy

 

MCS2011PT, thanks for the pics! When you say you didn't realize there was a stop at full firm or full soft, have you actually encountered this? Full soft is what I'm curious about "finding" as I only need one starting point to adjust from and most suggest starting from full soft.

Andy, if the front shocks are set very firmly is there a greater possibility of strut-tower mushroom damage as more of the force of impacts will be transmitted to the towers? I'm honestly not planning on keeping the shocks set firm on my daily driver, but am curious regarding potential future changes.

 

Yep, I put my Konis on full soft for now as I figured that would be a good starting point as well. When the strut/spring is assembled, you can just adjust the tab clockwise and go to full soft and you should hit a stop; you will hit a stop also at full stiff. If you disassemble the strut/spring, you have to hold the strut shaft to keep it from spinning while adjusting the tab. The one advantage to disassembling that I can think of is that you can make sure both front and rear struts are exactly equal by compressing them at the same time and then watching the rods extend back up.

 

There is a stop at full soft.

I don't use full stiff (or go beyond halfway) simply because it's much too stiff and overdamped. It doesn't match my springs and won't handle any better IMO. There may be a higher chance of mushrooming.

- andrew

 

Has anyone here done it or know someone who has drilled the rear sheet metal to gain access to the rear shocks? It would be EZ to do with a metal hole cutting saw. A pic to locate the point to drill would really be appreciated.

 

I didn't do it cuz I would like to first find some kind of plug or cover for that access hole to prevent the wires nearby from getting wet and dirty, but here's what I was thinking:

If you take just the top mount, place it upside down and trace that on a piece of paper and mark the holes for the bolts, then finding the center between the two bolts should be approximately where the tab goes? And if that's the case, you can use that piece of paper as a template for drilling the rear panel for the access hole. Idk, I'm open to other suggestions too. = )

 

http://www.*********************/lib...#axzz2MePiB6fL

There's an addendum on installing coilovers and drilling the rear panel near the bottom of this install guide. I guess the tab won't be exactly centered because if the strut being at an angle, but it's got pics that might help out.

Edit: Sorry the NAM seems to not allow the link to show because the link isn't for NAM. It's on MA.

 

hmmmmmmmm....I expanded the link address and it seems to be a NAM post. Doesn't work if copied and pasted either.

 

"I didn't do it cuz I would like to first find some kind of plug or cover for that access hole to prevent the wires nearby from getting wet and dirty, but here's what I was thinking:"

Duct tape!

 

Actually it's motoring alliance dot com. Hope that helps = )

 

LOL..this is why I will keep reading on NAM...for the why didn't I think of that moment.

I have to look at the Koni ***** again, but I think for them to properly fit, the access hole would need to be about a half inch.

 

That's why I want you to cut the holes first! If you're off target, the holes will have to get bigger! (Not really...An extension can be made with a piece of Aluminum or steel rod, then using a Dremel Tool to rout out the recess to fit the KONI strut adjuster.)

 

Took a look at both rear panels tonight from inside the boot. The right side has good space; unfortunately, the left side is being occupied by the HK amplifier. Guess I won't be drilling after all.

 

Just got through drilling the access holes using a 7/8 inch metal-cutting hole saw with a 1/4 inch pilot drill. Location is 2 inches inboard on the frame rail on a line from the rear of the cross brace. Just be sure to keep your wiring harnesses out of the way. To cover, I used black 7/8 inch hole plugs or you can use duct tape. (Anyone wanting hole plugs, just PM me...I've got plenty.) Only problem is the KONI adjustment tool is too short so you'll have to find or fashion another one that will extend deep enough. I got lucky and found an orange Briggs & Stratton "Touch-N-Mow" BS-695951 (or Arnold MTD #BSSK-10) lawnmower starter key that has the exact same slot in the end and has a long enough reach to easily adjust the rear shocks.

 

Looks good!

 

You should never drive on off-the-shelf-valved Koni yellows turned all the way to "full stiff." They are not designed to be driven that way and will fail and leak fairly rapidly. I've seen a set on a Miata set to "full stiff" fail in less than 6 months.

Instead, if you want them stiff, turn them to "full stiff" and then back it down maybe 1/4 turn.