Hi guys I have been all thru the forums looking for an answer lol.

I'm a noob to this but I want to get my justa a better suspension system.

I don't know much about shocks, struts or coilovers and I am trying to figure out exactly what I need.

currently my ride seems very stiff and when I hit a pothole (my god) I feel like I just drove into a ditch.

I live in NYC so I am not sure that I want to lower it too much, but I wouldn't mind lowering it a tad bit. I just really don't know if I just need to buy the springs or if I need the struts as well. also what is a sway bar?

any other info u guys have would be great and highly appreciated. if there is already a thread to suspension you can just post it.

thank you guys.

 

what tires are you running?

 

Sway bars limit body roll when cornering briskly. It is a bar than runs from the left to the right suspension and connects to the frame to limit independent movement of the opposite sides. A larger rear bar is a popular MINI mod to help the car turn into a corner sharper.

Second the question on tires. If you have runflats then replacing those with non-runflats is your biggest bang for the buck in improving the ride. The size of your wheels will determine what choices you have in tires.

Koni FSD shocks are popular for improving ride. Coilovers and lowering springs are usually mods to improve handling and/or looks rather than ride.

Your year and model will determine what suspension mods are available to you.

There are many, many threads on suspension and tires. Try the search function or post the tire and car info here.

 

my mini is an 08 cooper base.
r56
I currently have 15" cooper touring tires, not the best I know lol.

my next question is, if I go with the Koni FSD, do they lower the car? the shock and the strut is the same thing correct?

 

stick with the 15's if you need to contend with lots of pot holes. I Wish i could fit 15's on my MCS for the winter.

Any lowering you do will typically make it stiffer.

 

15's aren't runflats and touring tires ride better so I don't understand why you have such a stiff ride if you have the factory standard suspension. FSD's require stock height springs per Koni.

Struts aren't just shocks but some people use the words interchangeably.

Enter the last seven digits of your VIN and see what the installed options are:
http://bimmer.work/

 

Your car should be setup for a fairly reasonable ride, in the MINI world. The taller the tire, the more compliant ride. In other words, 15" wheel/tires would give a generally better ride than 17" wheels. You cannot compare the ride of your MINI to the ride of a Camry, MINIs are sports car and a stiff ride is a part of this.

There is a chance that your suspension is worn out. Especially if your car has lived its life in rough roads, your suspension bushings and shocks may be past their prime. Rather than replacing the shocks with stock replacements, good ride quality has been achieved with Koni FSD shocks. The front bushings frequently wear out, my car was noticeably improved when the front control arm bushings were replaced.

For some of your other questions:

- Struts and shocks are related. Shocks are used in a suspension where they just control the movement of the suspension, but don't affect the alignment or movement of the wheel. Struts contain a shock, but they perform as a structural member and affect the movement and alignment of the wheel. For a MINI, Struts are used in front, and shocks are used in the rear.
- Springs affect the ride height of the car. Using the stock springs with different shocks will not affect the ride height. Springs can also affect the ride quality of the car, but your springs should be appropriate for a decent ride.
- Your tires should be fine as far as ride goes.

Find an independant shop that works on MINI, and get their opinions on your car. Don't be surprised if they recommend shocks/struts and new front bushings, it could be $1000-$1200. How many miles on your car?

Have fun,
Mike

 

Is this bushing bad? I'm thinking yes but would like another opinion.