Ok so I've done a little bit of searching on here about coilovers, and have found a bunch of different threads discussing specific coilovers but i haven't found the info i was wondering about.

I have a 2011 MCS its currently riding on 17 option rims and i have a set of 16's for snow tires. I was looking for a set of coilovers which can lower the car but also can bring the car back to near stock ride height. I am a little apprehensive to just get a set of coilovers because my friend has a g35, and he Bought BC branded coilovers which on the highest setting still has the car sitting pretty low. I live in NY and need the ground clearance for the winter. Does anyone have any of the coilovers who can specifically say the travel the ride height adjustment really has?

-Jim

 

Jim,
As a fellow NY-area MINI owner, I swap between winter (stock) and autoX (KWv3) suspension as well as brakes, wheels, and tires ;-)

Virtually all coil-over setups lower the ride height, as lower center of gravity is one of the advertised performance benefits. The springs employed are also usually stiffer (varies a LOT), and so is shock valving (adjustable on more expensive setups).

Are you sure you want coil overs?
What problem are you trying to solve?

HTH,
a

 

Well, I was looking for a way to adjust the ride height as i want as well as camber and other small fine adjustments as i would like to take the car up to Toronto MSP. The main reason I didn't just want lowering springs is the fact I would need to switch out the springs twice a year which would cost me a fair amount each time. the coilovers allow for the adjustment on the car which allows me to save money and time. I could easy fit my needs with lowering springs and camber plates and adjustable arms i was just looking for the easiest way. thanks for the reply.

 

I don't have coilovers or an 2nd Gen MINI, but I've read that the Ohlins coilovers
for the R56 drop the front and rear about 18 mm +/- 15 mm (drops 3 to 33 mm).
This appears to be a more modest drop than most coilovers and they can
get closer to stock height than any other coilovers I've read about.
They are expensive (about $2200) but appear to be a real quality product.
Here's the PDF on the mounting instructions for the product:
http://www.improvedracing.com/manuals/BMSMI20.pdf


and for the R50/R53:
http://www.roadandtrackbyohlins.com/...MI_BMSMI10.pdf

 

see that would be perfect. i dont like the whole parked hard look and a 3mm ride height drop would be good for the winter. Thanks for the info though. definitely seems more like a performance coilover.

 

Check out this thread for some firsthand experience from others.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-the-r56.html

 

Wow, that's two extremely different environments you want to use the car for. How often do you go to the track? Maybe a set a set of track wheels/tires and adjustable rear sway bar would be better for the double duty. Would just have to change wheels and adjust sway bar for each situation.

Track wheels and stiff sway bar for track, winter wheels and softest, or disconnected sway bat for winter, street wheels and softer setting for the rest of the year.

Definitely a compromise, but probably the cheapest and least amount of hassle if you have the space to store two sets of wheels.

I just wanted to throw another option out there in case it might work for you.

 

Ive got winters on right now but im pretty sure my summer tire is gonna be the potenza re11, which is pretty much a street/track tire. The sway bar was gonna be done regardless.

 

Interesting question. I too struggle with this in Upstate NY. So far I am still on stock parts because of that. Most coilovers start with about 1 - 1.2" in. drop and go down from there. Expensive ones do better but even these start with about 0.5" drop (http://www.waymotorworks.com/cross-c...coilovers.html).

BTW - You might want to try the Dunlop ZIIs instead of the RE-11s. They have gotten better reviews, they are lighter and less expensive. Personally have run them at LRP and WGI. Great in the wet and dry.

 

I can't think of any coilovers that will get it back to stock ride height. Most will lower the car a min of 1/2 inch all the way up. In reality if you did camber plates and strut mounts you could leave your old struts as assemblies and swap them as easy as taking the time to thread the coilovers back up.

As for coilover selection. You should really consider our TSW spec KW coilovers as they were spec'd by TSW years ago to be a proper setup using linear springs matched to the weight of the MINI. These allow the ride to not be harsh daily but out perform everything else on track. They aren't just an off the shelf set that will leave you wanting more performance.

 

I wish I knew what brand a guy I know had, but he said that his adjustables had an inch or two higher than stock ride and he could pretty much drop it to the ground. I myself saw the low, but was skeptical at the "Higher than stock" claim. I guess all I can say is there very possibly is a brand out there can can both raise and lower well. The guy was pretty cheap so I almost want to say they could be ebay parts. Which, yes, are sketchy and risky, but if they get the job done and ride well I can't see a problem.

 

Incredibly unlikely for there to be a coilover which can go higher than stock and also lower the car a bunch.

OP: Keep in mind every time you change ride height you'll have to get an alignment. I think you'd find a quality coilover on close to stock ride height would still handle pretty well and you could just set it to one ride height and leave it. Lets be honest you're not going to be bombing down roads with 14" of snow on them even if you were at stock height so if the car is lowered an inch does it really matter?

 

well thanks but that was the question which coilovers get close to stock ride height. so far the Ohlins have a very modest drop from 3-33mm, but i;m not sure on other brands. I know that BC dump the car but I'm not sure about either Megan sets but i can only guess they would be the same as BC. I am not sure about D2 however because i've seen cars running D2's with modest drops but not sure of the actual height setting. It seems that the coilovers with the more aggressive drops have more adjustability, which is not surprising as track racers always want aggressive drops for areo.

 

I'm running koni yellows with TSW springs (about 1/2-3/4" drop). I have summer and snow wheels/tires, and an adjustable RSB. this is my 3rd winter with this car, and I have not had issues with ground clearance. It is not fun hitting the ice chunks that fall of of cars, but having an extra inch of ground clearance would not make a huge difference.

My car is a daily driver, so I have a single purpose car. If you want to be competitive on the track, then drive back home, adjustability is the key. Find rear shocks that have adjustments on the bottom (the Koni's have to be removed to adjust in the rear). Your rear sway bar is going to have multiple mounting holes, so you can stiffen/soften the bar.

Therefore, you can adjust the damping and rear roll stiffness with ease (likely don't need to jack up the car) when you get to the track.

Like stated above, changing the ride height will require an alignment. Maybe you could raise the ride height in November (get an alignment, swap wheels), then in April drop the ride height, realign, and put on the summer wheels. Understand that the toe will be changing with ride height, and you can align this yourself (especially with 2 sets of rear control arms).

Just because your car is lower does not mean that it will perform better. Using quality dampers (preferably adjustable to match your driving style and roads) and appropriate springs are the important things.

If I had the money, I would seriously look at the Ohlins. I don't regret my decisions on my car, and my current setup meets my needs.

Have fun,
Mike

 

Talked to the guy I know and he said they are Megan Racing Coilovers

http://www.waymotorworks.com/megan-r...coilovers.html

 

KSport makes a really good coilover, I have them on my 07 mcs and there is a lot of adjustment.
http://ksportusa.com/products/coilovers/kontrol-pro/