Hello

I need some help and opinions. I have a 2004 MCS JCW w/17" R90s. I want to lower the car about an inch.

I do not care about racing ... to old, to slow

Don't care about autocross ... been there, done that

I do care about have a safe, neutral driving car that I can drive hard and the wife can drive safely.

Opinions please?

I am considering the following:

H Springs (because Randy Webb recommends them)
22mm Alta rear sway bar withe alta lower control arms

No new shocks, no coilovers. etc. I would have went with the JCW Suspension & swaybar but MINIUSA won't let them be install in Pre-July, 2004 builds

All opinions are welcome

thanks in advance

 

how low do you want to go is the question.. i run eibach prokit springs and they are pretty low...

h-sport is 1 inch, if you want lower, m7 is 1.3.... even lower u need to go eibach sportline, which is 1.4 and 1.6... i think b&g i've seen also lowers 1.4...

 

one inch is good. Lower just mean hitting more stuff in the street ... a bad thing

 

ALTA springs lower it about an inch.

 

then you should consider h-sport.. very nice progressive rate, and many people say it improves ride!

alta drops about 0.75, and i think you can also take a look at tein h-tech, which is about 0.6 inches

 

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Just got the H Sports on our MC and they are awesome. The ride is so much smoother on our bumpy LA roads, but when it comes to cornering WOW! I have some before and after shots I will be posting soon. It only dropped 1" if that (I wish I had measured). We have 17" R90's. I kinda wanted it to look lower, it just looks clean. There is still a good gap between wheel and fender. Keep in mind, if you change the springs you have to get new control arms. Steve from Steve's Auto Clinic has designed a pair that will make you drool, $240 sweet light and aluminum. If you don't the back wheels will be sitting at an angle and you will wear your tread unevenly. Like they do for track. I highly recommend the H Sports !! Oh and I noticed if I went any lower G MINI would not have made it throught the car wash.[/size][/font]

 

What if the rear drop is 1/2 like Dinan. The Dinan stage 2 suspension does not include rear control arms, supposedly because the drop is just a little bit. Do you think a 1/2" drop in the rear would require control arms?

 

Minimonkeygrrl, can you give us more info on Steve's Auti clinic or the rear lower arms he has? Thanks

 

I've been getting advise to go with H sport Springs and Read sway bar. No need for shocks, no need for control arms(supposedly dont need them ... ppl just want to sell them).

What do you all think?

 

Randy Webb did my HSport install himself. I love those springs! I asked about the rear camber and he said no changes are needed. It look fine to me, not like the H&R springs or the M7s where it has much more severe camber on the rear and should require new adj arms.


Good luck!

-Steve

 

I will call Steve today and find out how to help him distribute these beauties! I would put them on just because they look so good and have such a sweet design. It is not necessary so to say, but any drop is going to change the angle of the rear wheels. Any angle change is going to affect the tread wear. These runflats are just too expensive for that. He did show me the specs on the alignment. It's not a huge change but it is visible. Anyone doing suspension should be aligning the car afterwards. I will post pics tonight after I figure out how to change my signature on here again.

 

Minimonkeygrrl. Are these the control arms you're speaking about:http://www.stevesautoclinic.com/PROD...rol%20arms.htm

 

Let some air out of the tires. That is the cheapest way to lower the car -- and the quickest.

Hey, you asked for all opinions.

 

Can't say enough good about Steve's. I had him do my H-sport springs and sways and got his control arms at the same time. If you're in Southern California he's a good guy to know.

Steve

 

I think you're high.

You don't need a sway bar, either. People just want to sell them.



Really, do you know *why* you want a different sway bar? Don't do it unless you know why you're doing it.

 

I too sing the praises of Steve's Auto Clinic. The best place to go in Southern California. His control arms are the best! Regarding spring, I love my M7's - they lowered it just the right amount (for the look I wanted), but the ride is so much nicer!

Your wife would have no problem driving and handling the car. However, if the road is rough... the ride will be rough. If the road is smooth... then the ride will be too!

 

I would go with the M7 springs if you're staying with stock shocks.

 

i'm very happy with the eibachs on my early 2003 mcs. my measured drop is 1.1 to 1.2" in front and 1.2 to 1.3" at the rear. these springs with dunlop runflats are softer over small bumps than the stock springs with pirelli runflats (before 2003-2004 softened suspension.)