Bilstein PSS9's installed, adjusted running great! Pics from New Dimensions show.
 

Well after the H&R's leaving, and finally taking a 350 mile drive on the Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, I can reiterate how great they are! Great ride, perfect stiffness on hard and soft settings, and best off all the fit a lot better than then H&R's with no clunking and better ride height!

Take a look, some pre show pics at New Dimensions 13th Annual Charity Auto Show, and congratulations to DCS9 for his 1st place victory!

I am very happy with the Bilsteins and highly recommend them over the H&R standard coilovers!

Here is a link to all 65 pics:

http://www.sfbavw.net/gallery/NewD2005

Enjoy:
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05566.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05571.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05575.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05582.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05588.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05589.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05587.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05591.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05593.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005/DSC05599.jpg

Your car looks great Itsdchz! Any likes or dislikes about the PSS9, now that you've had it for a bit?

matt

What settings are you at ???:thumbsup: NICE RIDE

Very nice! Good luck with your ride.:thumbsup:


Michael

Hi Itsdchz,

Thats a nice ride you got there, were did you get the black stick on gravel protection in front of your rear wheels from? I could do with set of those.

Thanks RED5 :thumbsup:

Thanks everyone!

The PSS9's are absoulutely the best. After the H&R coilover turmoil and I am happy with my choice. I have ran Bilstein PSS's and B&G coilovers on my last 4 vehicles so I wasnt unfamiliar with the purpose and feel of the coilovers.

I strongly recommend the PSS9's as they are great riding and very well made.

I was running 9 in the rear and 6 in the front for break-in.

Now I am running 6 and 6.

I am going to bump up the stiffness to 4 in the front and 5 in the rear this weekend.

The stone guards are OEM MINI, just be careful when you are running a high pressure washer to it, as they go flying a few feet ;):thumbsup:

I actually had my PSS9 on for 2 months. They were very low, slammed

BUT, I have now raised them 10 turns(1.5mm thread?) and now feel a better ride, less scraping and bottoming out :thumbsup:

I was running 9, then 6, now 5 on the street. 5 is a good comprimise.

9 is just SLOPPY, bouncy too. 3 and below is too stiff for most pothole rodas IMO

Thanks for the update! 5 is where I reside as well, now!

I'm now doing 6 in the front, and 4 in the rear... I'll play with other settings later...

Sport suspension vs. Bilstein PSS9
 

Hi,

I'm picking up my new Cooper S convertible next Friday, it has the Sport suspension package, but I ordered the Bilstein PSS9 today.

I wonder if it was needed since my car already have the Sport Suspension, I guess the Sport package was a waste of money since I'm also replacing the wheels and tires.

Now my question, will there be any improvement with the PSS9, and last but not least, I read 100's of old posts on Sway bar and it's confusing because there is a lot of different cars and they have different needs, going from the Classic mini to the Cooper S, I'm sure the sway bar is different, how about the Sport suspension, what size of Sway Bar is on it and will I benefit going with a bigger one? :confused:

Thanks
Al

HUGE improvement over sport suspension, and try it w/o swaybar to start with as you will be pleasantly suprised, it really handles quite well without one... Also what are your driving habits, and track/street criteria, that will also determine your need for a sway..

Thanks for the reply, now I have one more question, I was on the John Cooper Works link from the Mini Web site and when I tried to get the specs on the Works Suspension, it says "Not available for the Convertible" ??:confused:

My car is Convertible, I sure hope the PSS9 will fit on my Convertible.

With such an important question, I'd call Bilstein USA to get the scoop. I rang them a few weeks back, and the customer service was exceptional. The guy even called me back at my home, addressed all of my questions, and in no way rushed me at all. I don't have the number readily available, but it shouldn't be too hard to locate... Good luck!

Hi again, I got my car last week and I'm expecting the PSS9s Monday, I would like to remove the suspension this today and I suspect the PSS9 will have instructions but right now I have nothing, so I took on of the front wheels off and was wondering if there is a trick I should know on how to remove the front suspension without breaking anything?


Anyone have any suggestions before I start?

This will give you much of the basics:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=30575

PSS9 and ride height
 

I just installed my front PSS9 and I totally forgot to measure the height of my car before doing the swap.
I have 215/45-17 tires and would like to know the height from the ground to the top of the fender so I can set it up close to stock.

Bilstein gives us 210 mm to 230 mm as an adjustment range and they are set at 210 mm from the factory, if I go to 230 mm, would that be stock height or higher? At 210, the front end is slammed right down and I'm sure if I drive it one block like that, the front fender flare will come right off.

Anyone ever found out the settings on the PSS9s, is there a way to get the car higher than stock or is the highest setting the same as stock?

My goal was to try it at about 0.5" to 0.75" lower than stock and hopefully it won't rub.
Thanks

PSS9 Ride Height
 

When I bought my PSS9's, I thought I could set the height to the stock configuration and the idea of having adjustable was to lower it if so desired, but it turns out the car seems to be about 1" lower with the front set to the highest setting, I wonder how this will go in the snow, it's already so low as it is, I will need wood planks just to get out of my driveway now.
So far I never had tire clearances issues but I think it will rub on turns in the front now. :confused:

Better check your install as I stated I have a good 8 turns to reach the highest setting and I still have nearly 2 finger clearance:
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005_/DSC05589.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005_/DSC05588.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005_/DSC05590.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005_/DSC05594.jpg
http://www.sfbavw.net/albums/NewD2005_/DSC05567.jpg

Thanks, your link doesn't seem to work anymore.

As for your pictures are they all with the same setting? it seems like the one on the bottom, the car sits a lot lower, as for tires, do you have the stock size, 205/45-17?
I have 215's and I turned the front nut exactly 10 turns, I marked it and counted each turn and there is only 4 threads left on top of the adjusting nut and it is a lot lower than stock compare to my pictures of before.

As for the rear, I just finished it and what I did is measured the distance as per the instructions and got it to the maximum 195 mm from the centre of the mounting bolt hole to the top of the adjusting ring and it sits as high as stock in the rear but I didn't drive it yet, so I'm sure it will settle as soon as I go over a bump.

BTW, your car is exactly what I'm trying to convince my wife to buy, the same color top to bottom and the same wheels, even the window tints, if she ever decide to buy one, it will be an exact twin of your car.
The wheels would be the same style but not the same finish, I'm looking at the Fikse FM10's, they are not cheap but well worth the money, I have the 17x12.5 FM5 on my ZR1 and I love them.

BTW, Thanks for posting those pictures, it gives me something to go by.

Here's mine with the stock suspension, before the PSS9, I'll try to take new pics tomorrow.

Update: I added the "After" photo with the PSS9 set to the highest possible setting.

I have my measurements in the garage, but I measured from the bottom of the strut to the distance between the two locking nuts around the shaft, the fronts are a bit lower than the rear if I recall I will dig up the measurements, but I know I had about 4 full turns left in the front.