I bought a set of Koni sport shocks and H&R lowering springs as a package a few months ago. I'm thinking of going back to the stock height with the stock springs. Can I use the Koni sport (yellow) shocks with the original springs, or are they designed to only be used with lowering springs?

 

By Sport, do you mean the Koni Yellow's? That setup works just fine for me. I have to stay with the stock springs for D-Street autocross and I like the feel.

 

Yes you can use the stock springs on the Koni Yellows no problem, your car will prob ride better with the stock springs.

 

Yep, this was confirmed by Koni too. Thanks for the responses. Tomorrow, stock springs and the H-Sport RSB will go in. I also have new adjustable lower control arms (thanks Way!) that I was going to have installed, but I'm wondering if I should even bother since I'm removing the lowering springs.

 

2 days on the original springs + Koni yellows combo (plus the new H-sport RSB). (1) I don't like the ride height. It seems even taller than it was with the stock springs and stock struts. (2) The drive characteristics are better than the stock combo or the H&R springs and Konis. The axle wobble is gone (used to have a wobble from 20 - 29 mph with the lowering springs) which seems to make the acceleration smoother. I'm not sure whether I can notice a different with the new RSB.

 

I did not notice a change in ride height when I switched to the Koni's. The spring perches seemed to measure the same as OEM. Are the springs seated correctly?


The handling difference is there with the new RSB. I will hazard a guess that you have not pushed the car hard enough to notice it. I do not notice much difference between the softest and hardest setting on the sway bar during street driving. I really notice the handling difference when autocrossing.


A warning... with DSC off (and maybe with in on) and back end will break loose much earlier with the new RSB.

 

What was the issue with the H&R's? Car bottoming/scraping, or just a rough ride? There is not much suspension travel in a MINI, lowering reduces this significantly. When I had put my TSW's on stock shocks (about 3/4" drop), the car was very harsh over any kind of road imperfection, and the rear bottomed pretty frequently. Putting shorter bump snubbers on the struts helped significantly. I'm running the shorter bump stops from Way, but another source would be fatcatmotorsports.com.

Have fun,
Mike

 

I had axle wobble/shudder from 20 - 29 mph under normal acceleration. The H&Rs made the front end sit noticeably lower than the rear, giving it that "stinkbug" look. I'd often scrape the lowest part of the front bumper assembly going over speed bumps and driving into driveways. With the H&R's and Konis, it drove better than with the stock springs and shocks - less harsh.


However, with the combo of stock springs + Koni yellows + the RSB, it handles and rides better than I could have ever anticipated. The axle wobble/shudder disappeared entirely and without it, I feel like I'm putting more power to the drive wheels. There's one downhill righthand sweeper/corner near my house that I drive regularly that has some rough pavement - before, I was hesitant to take it any higher than 25 mph because the car would jump and skip around. Hit it at 40 mph this weekend with no hop or skip.


My wife notices the RSB more than I do, but it's her daily driver and she always complained about body lean. (She is often the more aggressive driver between the two of us.)


As for the increased height (I swear it's slightly taller than stock), while I don't care for the look, I'll take the increased clearance - I can take speed bumps and uneven pavement/corners/driveways at nearly full speed. Sorta took the Mini from looking like a little lowered ricer to a giving it a bit of a rally car appearance. With rally car performance!


The combo of the intake, exhaust, Forge FMIC, Koni yellows, and bigger RSB really has taken the Mini from just a "fun" car that looks good to a ridiculously fun and fast car that looks good! Stage 2 tune next....

 

Do you use the stock bumpstops with the Koni Yellows (stock springs, R50)?
Does the hole on the rear bumpstop also need to be enlarged because of the thicker shaft?

 

Yes, but I cut mine down and no, they didnt need to be enlarged. The only thing I had to do was drill out the top hat a little bigger. Everything else fit.

 

Thanks.
Did you cut them down with stock springs on, or have you lowered your MINI?

 

I'm lowered about an inch. I took an inch off the fronts and cut the top third off the rears. Rides fine.

 

Just ordered Koni Sports and an H-Sport 19mm bar, plus replacement parts for
most of the rubber bits, washers and bolts, and a pair of regular strut mounts.
Now just have to wait for them to get here and a warmish weekend day to do
the back shocks and bar. I might have the shop do the fronts, though.

BTW, great prices and service from James at Motoringwerks as well as ECSTuning.

 

You should be good to do the fronts at home. There are a few write ups ive seen (ex pelican) that list a bunch of additional steps that make it seem like a much bigger job than it really is. Unbolting the tie rod and control arm to get the shock out is entirely unnecessary for instance.