Hey,

I have an 04 S with around 96k miles. Suspension feels shot so it's time to replace/upgrade.

I currently have stock struts/shocks with H&R springs. The springs have around 50k miles on them. I'm considering the JCW shock/struts. Would those work well with the H&Rs? If not, do you recommend the JCW springs? I'd like to maintain the ~1" drop that I currently have and I think the JCW springs only lower about half an inch. Any other springs you would recommend with the JCW suspension?

Also, I would go with Bilsteins but they are about twice as expensive. I've heard mixed things about KONI's.

Thanks.

 

I have KONI FSD and love them. They really improved the ride, but they do raise the car a little. Basically, I am choosing handling over aesthetics.

 

Lowering springs are not recommended for use with Koni FSDs or Bilstein B4s.

 

Very true on the Koni's. Although I do know a lot of UK folks running lowering springs on them without issues. I stuck with stock springs and still don't mind it at all. The ride and handing is more important to me.

 

Personally I like the Koni yellows paired with a lower sport spring such as H&R, H-Sport, and Eibach. I have the yellows on H-Sport coils and the ride and ride height are great for what I use the car for as well as looks.

If it were up to me I would say go with the yellows, mainly because they are a great riding/handling shock and carry a lifetime warranty, whereas the MINI shocks only carry a 2 year warranty. I'm not one to use the warranty as a selling point, but when it comes to buying $150+ shock when it fails you can't beat free. I've never had to replace a yellow under warranty either, the FSD's I've replaced a couple of but not an astronomical amount.

 

The Koni yellows were actually my first choice when considering new suspension. However, a friend of mine has them and has issues with the rear passenger shock failing three times now. Not sure if bad luck or what but it's a hassle I'd like to avoid.

That being said, I'm still considering them for the fact that they are adjustable and have a lifetime warranty.

 

I've sold and installed many sets of Koni yellows and not had issues so if you have a friend that has had 3 fail on one car I'd say something else is wrong.

I would recommend the Koni Yellows to use with the H&R springs you have.

 

How about koni yellows and eibachs for a 2014 clubby?? I would go with Bilstein b14's, but i just heard that they are not sprung right on the rears. Is that true?

 

Thanks for the recommendation Way.

Also, should I replace the springs with new ones or keep the current ones since they have 50k miles on them?

 

+1 for the KONI Yellows and I vote you keep the H&R springs.

 

Yeah you can run that combo, but I'd prefer the coilovers if it was me. I don't like the lack of suspension travel with the Eibachs or the H&R.
The NM springs would be a better option for springs.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/nm-engi...rings-r55.html

If they aren't worn out you can reuse them, but like I said above not been a fan as I want more suspension travel that is why I only use the TSW springs on the R50 R53 cars.

 

What combo do you refer to? Koni yellows/ eibach, or the bilstein B14's.

Also. Where do you stand on ST coilovers?

 

Out of those I'd do the Bilstein
http://www.waymotorworks.com/bilstei...7-r58-r59.html

But given my choice I'd go with out TSW spec KW V2 as they are more predictable and I think ride better.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/kw-vari...r55-56-57.html

 

Koni Sports + H&R --- Thats the way to go.
I have them on my car and love them. Way better than the factory JCW setup.

If you want, I'll sell you my old JCW red springs.

 

Curious, if I do end up deciding to go with the JCW shocks/struts, which springs would be best with those? My H&Rs or TSW or something else?

 

Are rear shocks a straightforward DIY project ? Running out of time before Rodan goes back to college. :^)

 

Rears can be out in half our with just a floor jack and some power tools with long extensions. swapping springs takes the most time.

 

Thanks ! Good to know.

™

 

Doesn't look like anyone's posted on this thread for some time so I'll highjack it with a related question. I'm looking to replace struts on my 2006 R53 (original shocks/springs with 129K miles.) The rear are obviously in need of replacement, but it's difficult to tell if the front are also in need. Is it recommended to replace all four shocks at the same time? Do the springs need to be replaced as well? Also, I was going to upgrade to JCW shocks; can I use the stock springs with JCW shocks if I choose not to replace the springs?

 

I generally do all 4 at the same time unless I have a good reason to only do 1 or 2 (like shock failure or crash damage) If it were my car, I'd do all 4 with your mileage/age. From my experience the springs don't really wear out so as long as they're not broken you should be good to reuse them. I think the JCW shocks were designed for lower springs than the normal R53's so I don't think they're a good match for stock springs but I might be mistaken on that.

I've had H&R springs with bilstein sport shocks and the handling was amazing, but the ride was stiff/somewhat uncomfortable. My current setup is stock springs with Koni FSD's and the ride is better than stock and the handling is better too. If I was going to go with lowering springs again, I'd probably try adjustable Koni Yellows or if money was no object, Megan EZ-street coil overs. I also run a 19mm adjustable rear sway bar. I spend 98% of the time on the street and deal with snow so I didn't want to go too stiff. If snow wasn't in my life I'd probably go with a bigger/stiffer rear sway bar.

 

What's your budget? If you don't lower your car, Koni FSD's are supposed to be great. If using lowering springs, a lot of people go with Koni yellows.

ECS has a great sale right now on ST Coilovers

Non-adjustable: https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2005-...16A/ES2795144/
It says these come with a $50 gift card, too

Adjustable with camber plates: https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2005-...ers/ES2730623/

If you're looking for stock, I have my original struts and springs with about 38K that I'm thinking about selling. They came off an '05 S in Sept. 2014. You'll just need to reuse your rear top mounts and bump stops because they were needed for my coilover install.

 

Thanks for the quick replies and the recommendations. I recall loving the handling of my car when it was new. If FSD's ride and handle better, they might be a good replacement. I found the set for $585.48 on emnotek.com. Does anybody know where I can find a better price?

 

Disregard that last question. I just ordered the Koni FSD's from emnotek.com after doing some homework on the product. I typically order from ecstuning.com, but emnotek's total price was less by $20. Thanks again for the recommendations guys, much appreciated!

 

Hello NAM subscribers. I've now been riding on these Koni FSD's for several months and wanted to provide some feedback. I wish I could say that I've had the same experience as Racingguy04, but I cannot. For the first month of daily driving, these struts felt lofty as my car roll significantly when corning. After that, they finally began to settle into what I'd consider a much stiffer ride than stock. To my disappointment, these struts became EXTREMELY NOISY on the shitty streets and highways of California (they were reassembled properly.) To be quite honest, I was perfectly satisfied with the stock suspension prior to wear and wish I had replaced my struts with more affordable, authentic Mini parts.