We’ve got a new MCS arriving in a couple of weeks. I’m thinking of having the JCW suspension installed at the dealer before delivery. Can anyone who has the JCW susp in their car give some feedback?

We currently have an ‘04 with an H-sport comp sway bar on the gentlest hole – otherwise stock suspension. Can anyone compare the handling differences between these two set-ups? I’m interested in driving experience more than tech description (although I’m always up for that too).

I don’t do any track or auto-x, street (or more accurately, road) only. That being said, I live on the south side of Mt. St. Helens, and all the roads for at least 15 miles in every direction are wonderfully twisty – and I drive them way faster than I probably should. In other words, I REALLY use the talents of the MINI everyday! I’d like to make the car handle as good as I can, but I’d be wasting money to put on more parts than I can feel or take advantage of. BTW the new car has LSD, and I know I will get some use out of it.

Questions:

What all does JCW include in the kit? Yeah, I know I could look it up, but I was asking questions anyway.

Does the kit lower the car 1” at both ends, or only in the back? There have been times that my 04 has scraped his chin on the pavement going in and out of pitched driveways with stock susp. Will this tendency be worse with the JCW installed? How about speed bumps?

How will the ride comfort compare to stock? How comfortable to road trip compared to stock? I have frequent business trips of up to 8 hours at a stretch. I have pretty good endurance, but I am one of those “old guys” around here.

Thanks for any info you can give.

Brian

 

If you do a search there are some posts on this subject by people with the JCW setup.

It does not have a rear bar, that's the only thing missing.
It will lower the car front and rear about 10 or 12mm, that is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch.
You should try to hit driveways at a slight angle to avoid hitting.
It will ride a little firmer that stock, but not a problem according to those that have done the mod.


Hope this helps...

 

I don't see the point. Since the MCS comes stock with sport suspension, why not just install a good set of shocks and a new rear sway bar. And pick your tires carefully - you didn't mention what size wheels you ordered.

Beyond that, more suspension changes won't help street handling much. For track use, we're usually looking to achieve specific goals, such as zero under steer. To bring a more track-oriented setup to the street not only hurts the ride but it also makes your safety margin smaller.

Track drivers know better than to push a car on the street hard enough to get close to the limits. It is just plain dumb to do because the track is available for that level of fun. In fact, the more track time you get, the more conservative your street driving becomes.

For a street car, you WANT some understeer left in the car as a safety margin - unless you're an old 911 driver LOL. You also want ground clearance - I speak from experience here. With H&R springs, my Mini would touch ground when I farted.

I would think a rear bar and nice shocks would give you all the capability you'd ever want to test on the street. If money is burning a hole in your pocket, heck, send me a check! I could use a new set of track tires, or two. :smile:

My 2 cents.

Now, all that was speaking from my head.

From the heart, man, do what ever makes you enjoy the car more. Example. My wife took over the Mini when I bought a new truck. She asked me to remove the skull shift ****. I miss that shift **** when I get to drive the Mini.

 

You should take a look at this thread over on Motoringfile:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2005/04/...pension_how-to

I installed the JCW suspension (and ALTA 22mm rear sway bar) on my 05 MCS and it rocks! It's absolutely amazing the difference in handeling the kit makes. In my opinion, the kit was worth every penny (it cost me $800 and I installed it myself). The kit includes four new coil springs (custom matched to the options installed on your MINI), four new struts, all new nuts and bolts, and two bump-stops for the rear control arms to keep them from banging into the body of the car on a really hard bump. The kit only lowers the car by 10 mm (which is just shy of 1/2") so it doesn't look quite as nice as the other aftermarket kits which lower the car by nearly 1", but it rides great on the street (I don't track my cars either as I'm only a street guy). If you thought that the stock MCS handled well, you're in for a real treat with the JCW kit!

 

What has me interested in the JCW is that the springs are matched to the configuration of the car. And, reports that it has a really refined smooth feel compared to aftermarket. It's presented as a set-up designed with an optimum balance between great handling and a ride comfortable enough for the street - ideal for mountain roads as opposed to the track. This sounds very attractive to me, since most of my driving is on mountain roads.

TheOfficeMaven, which hole are you using on your sway bar? And how is your car for road tripping?

Thanks for the input guys! I'm on the ragged edge of ordering this thing.

 

Brian,

Those are the same things that led me to the JCW suspension kit as well. It has an amazing ride that you won't be disappointed with. Everyday driving is no problem and the handling is there when you need/want it.

As for my rear sway bar... I have it set on the stiffest setting and it feels great. The car feels very flat around corners (i.e. no body roll) and the under steer is all but gone (save for my stinking runflats that is ). I do notice that the car now has a touch of over steer if I'm in a fast corner and I let of the gas real fast, but I seem to be able to control it as I like with the gas pedal. The suspension is perfectly matched to the car and my daily driving style. I can always back it down to the softer setting if I need too.

 

I'm getting it, sight unseen. Everything I have read has been positive, including OfficeMaven's writeups. I figure: "How bad can it be?" Any afer-market suspension will cost more, and you just don't know what they'll do to the car (They'll probably be an improvement, but you're going to have to tweak a lot). You have to think that the JCW has a lot more testing miles at the factory than any other type of suspension.

Frankly, I can't wait! I'll be picking up my MCS on Friday, April 29th, so I'll be sure to check in with my early impressions.

BTW, Brian: What else are you going to do with that money that's burning a hole in your pocket?

 

Is that true? The installation instructions at:
http://www.motoringfile.com/2005/04...spension_how-to
...show replacement of both the front and rear stabilizer bars.

 

The JCW kit for the MCS is springs and struts only, no sway bars - because the MCS already has stock front and rear bars (although they are undersized by most accounts). So adding a larger sway bar is a separate and additional expense. It makes sense to do them both at the same time.

The JCW kit for the Cooper includes a sway bar (I think just the front one) because the car does not come stock with one. Therefore, the MC kit is more expensive than for the MCS because it includes more parts.

 

I really like my Bilstein set up. The car is aggressive but refined. I can sit in it for hours and I really enjoy the "twisties." I believe the cost is down to about $1500 for the four corners. I really think this is the ultimate compromise from "track" to street.
My previous setup was Koni "yellows" and H sport springs which I thought was way too stiff for the street.

But what the heck do I know

 

New york to West Pam beach and back several times on my PSS9s, love them ride was more comfortable than OEM SS+, and the car ride like its on rails at the track.

 

Brian,

Before you get the JCW you owe it to yourself to check out the PSS9s. They are pretty magical.

 

Just adjusted mine, they are incredible!!

 

I have to say that I have absolutely no regrets. This suspension really seems to be everything I expected and more. You really have road feel, but you don't feel as though someone is kicking you in the butt. The body roll is minimal, making esses a snap. Just pick your gear, but your hands at 10 and 2 O'Clock on the steering wheel, and HAMMER IT!!!! Whoo Hoo! I really think that this is the best $1,300 I could have spent for go-fastness.

The stock MCS is plenty fast for real-world driving. In fact, it's enough to have a substantial effect on my driving record!

Observation. If you're really worried about ride quality with the JCW, I have found that if you drive conservatively (i.e., shift at about 3 grand), you really don't have to worry about ride harshness. I reckon that's the beauty of progressive springs. Also, because the suspension is so quick to respond to your input, avoiding potholes and other road anomalies is nothin'.

Anyway, for me, I feel that I have made the right choice. Sure, the PSS9 system is very nice, but I just can't help but feel that the JCW setup is an ideal real-world piece.

That's it for now . . .

 

My new car arrived at the dealership and is having the JCW installed, maybe as we speak. So I'm continuing down that road. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

HOWEVER, we still have the '04 MCS. Who is to say, I might able to convince my wife that some additional "safety" features for that would be a good thing. In that case, I'll definitely look into the PSS9s. Who sells them, and what do cost? (damn this addiction)