I am just getting into both increasing HP/torque, and improving my cornering ability but do not want to give up too much ride comfort. Already replaced the runflats with some nice Michellens and that has both improved the comfort and cornering all at the same time.

I completely understand that stiffer ride = better cornering but I also feel there are things that can be done to improve cornering without turning it into a butt killer.

My wife and I take Buster (2015 MCS) on long trips all over the US, going to try MTTS all the way this year (only did a few stops last time). While we do travel quite a bit so we need some semblance of a smooth ride, we are also always in the fast group on group rides (usually the only non-JCW in the bunch, heh).

I have thought about a strut tower brace, a new rear anti sway, some wheel spacers (although with the 18s on there now I am not sure I can put spacers on there without the wheel hitting the wheel well.

What I am asking for is a direction to go to improve the cornering as much as possible while keeping my and my wife's butt semi happy on long trips.

Thanks!

 

Rear sway bar sounds like what you want.

 

Suggestions on a particular one?

 

Never got around to buying it because my son took the car, but http://www.vipcustomparts.com/R60%20parts%20page.htm was what I wanted. Several vendors on NAM have a range of products.

 

Way has a 25MM RSB that will greatly reduce understeer and body roll.

What is understeer? Understeer is the front of the car hits the wall.
Oversteer is the back of the car hits the wall, HP is how fast you hit the wall and torque is how far the wall moves.

You'll really enjoy the roads less traveled with the upgrade.

 

get max performance summer tires. nothing will improve lateral grip more.

 

I have both the installed on my wife's CM car. It has really improved the handling. Really enjoy going into corners and powering out. The go cart feel when you change lanes at highway speed to accelerate past other cars.

 

OP, I have the same mindset as you..

I started by putting on the rear sway bar on (25mm hotchkis), and put it on the hardest setting. I tried middle but it was too soft for me and I prefer slight over to slight under-steer. The joy of a sway bar is that when you are not in a corner, and the load on the bar is low, the impact on suspension travel is near zero.

Then I felt the front was not hooking as well, so I added IE camber plates, and that got me to 85% of where I wanted to be and honestly made a huge difference with these two mods. I also put on hsport rear control arms and set rear camber to -1.25 to match the fronts. I also changed tires to lm32 SNOW tires from road tires, so I cant image what my car is like with pilot sports, which I'm planning to install in the spring. you DONT need the rear lower control arms to get to -1.25, the stock setup allows this, but my arms were bent, so thats why I went aftermarket.

I considered stopping there but just yesterday ordered megan coilovers to get another 10%-15% of what I'm looking for. I know the ride will be (I'm guessing 25%) harsher but modding a car like this has been on my bucket list for ages, so what the hell, lets do it!

The new coilovers include solid camber plates, so I will likely have my IE camber plates for sale soon.. I'll have to see if its too harsh when it gets installed - I can dial a bit of that out with the IE plates back in (hoping the stud size is the same).

So get a thick rear sway bar and IE camber plates and you'll see no impact on comfort really, and have a much tighter platform.

 

Thanks for all the feedback, just a couple of quick followup questions.

1) When looking online at sites like M7 Speed, their RSWs are in three different sizes. The 19mm has no notes on it but the 22mm and 25mm both recommend 10-15mm wheel spacers which I am not sure I can put on my countryman with the factory 18" wheels. Should I stick with the 19mm or go larger, and does anyone know if wheel spacers will actually fit on without the tire rubbing when bottoming out?

2) Subw00er, you mention IE camber plates, do you have a link to some of those?

I have already replaced the factory runflats with some non-runflat all season performance tires and that did make a HUGE difference so I have that covered.

Thanks again!

 

https://www.waymotorworks.com/irelan...e-r50-r53.html
outmotoring may sell them too?!

I'm not sure why you'd need to mess with spacers with a sway bar change?! They are not connected..

I personally think it makes sense to go with a 22mm. The 25mm bars are typically hollow and 22mm solid bar equivalents. So get at least an adjustable 22mm bar.

 

Get the VIP rear bar and don't look back. If that's not enough, step up to camber plates and get a performance alignment. If that's not enough, go with coilovers. But definitely start with the RSB. After tires (which you've already done), that's the biggest bang-for-the-buck improvement.

 

Lots of good products out there and the majority are all sold by vendors here on NAM, several with their own shops and some that have very good technical and/or diy information.

I have done group runs with some CMs. Went on one run thinking both the Club/Country MINIs were over bloated but came back amazed at how well they both handled in stock forms including runflats. A MINI is not about 0-60 but rather the feeling you get on a good twisty road. More fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Sold my LS3 Vet but kept my R52 JCW, living my previous sentence for sure.

One thing that many will say is that if you put adjustable camber plates on the front, a stiffer rear sway bar may not be needed. Neither will impact the "ride" but can greatly improve the handling. On the tour I noted above there was a R50 Justa, no mods. Was a real sleeper as with a NASCAR Stig (drives the cars you see in a commercial that does not entail an actual race) that had no issues keeping up with many modded cars.

 

You should NEVER need to install spacers to install a larger rear sway bar. If that is the case the sway bar is not made correctly.

We offer our WMW 22mm rear bar for the countryman that we found to be ideal as it reduces body roll and really helps improve the handling.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-co...-sway-bar.html

Now spacers aren't a bad thing as they can give you a little wider track and clean up the look, but aren't needed with our sway bar.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/15mm-c...l-spacers.html

Front strut braces do very little for handling so if you want one go cheap. Don't spend a ton at more money doesn't make it better.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/alumin...e-r60-r61.html

 

+1 Way Motor Works...had the 22 bar on my last Countryman and difference was amazing!

 

Got the VIP sway bar on order, I liked the welded stop and of course the color ;-)

WayMotorWorksWayMotorWorks, I love the idea of the spacers and love that you have them in a kit, just worried about the body hitting the tire on bumps. Have you installed those on a 15 or so Countryman with 18" wheels? If they work, I would love to have them.

Allan

 

I put a set on a Countryman with the stock 18inch and stock tires and it didn't rub at all. It actually looked so much better. So it would depend on your wheel and tire setup to see if it would clear. I'd suggest taking a tape measure and measuring to see where your current setup would land if you moved it 15mm as that will be the best indication for you.

 

My problem is I am not sure where to measure from. If the body drops 2" where it sits now, no problem. If the body drops 3" then where it sits from the factory will hit the tires.










Hopefully these photos of the rear, from the rear, will show you what you need to know.

Thanks!

 

This made my night! I'm using it tomorrow. I don't know how yet, but I will work it into someone's conversation...Especially since I found the "go fast button" on my turbo diesel up-armorer land cruiser! (You should see the suspension on that thing and still has a ton of body roll!

 

Think you got it, 2inch looks like you can do 15mm no problem. 3inch drop and you will likely rub.

 

So the question is, how much can the Countryman's body drop before it hits the factory stops? Anyone know?

 

imo the #1 way to improve cornering with zero change in ride is to add negative camber, a little positive caster in the front, zero toe up front and a little toe in the rear

it does not change spring or shock rates at all

 

Mega72 has probably tried just about every set-up you can think of to get a little quicker time out of his track car. He has some videos up where is he close to 1.2 gees in the turns.

Not too shabby for a car that some says looks like a Pig on Wheels.

 

Linky to videos?

 

I have lots of vids here

https://m.youtube.com/user/mrblahh

 

I just realized this is the r60 forum, the "new posts" makes it hard to tell what sub forum a post came from. I do not have any experience with an r60