https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=33555

 

Tru dat

 

Wow, what you have going on here?

 

Just an aluminum skid plate, but I notched it out so the M7 USS would mount correctly. No big deal ... it's part of the game

 

Would you do that for a friend?

 

So, I took a little drive this weekend, down to Mulhause to the Schlumpf Collection, and then on back up through the Black Forest. If you're not familiar with the Black Forest, here are a couple (1, 2) of (low speed) videos that show the terrain and the kinds of roads.

I run these hills about once a month, I guess. Not the same route, but throughout the area. So, I had a pretty good feel for how the car would drive.

That's all changed. Post-USS install, the car outperforms me. It will turn sharper, quicker, than I am willing to try. It feels as if there is nothing that the car can't do. The car will go where I point it, now matter how extreme that is.

I consistantly worry about my tires -- my poor tires! The outer edges of them are going to be just melted off. I'm going to go through tires like there's no tomorrow.

It is indeed a go-kart. Call it the M7 Go-Kart Kit, if you want (M7 GKK for short).

 

Get yourself a proper suspension. Will make you forget all about what you think you know now.

 

LOL, baby steps with Abu, we are slowly converting him into a mod fiend.

 

So true. Barely 7k miles on the car -- one thing at a time....

 

What are friends for?

 

When you say proper suspension, what exactly do you mean?
I'm about to pull the trigger on the USS, M7 FSB, and either a H-Sport or H&R 19mm rear bar along with a set of camber plates. I believe someone mentioned adjustable lower rear control arms as well.

Do you mean you have to have coilovers to have a "proper suspension?"

Just curious, honestly. I want the sickest handling mini possible, for the money. lol

 

Coilovers are the best way to go, adjustable ride height. I would love some, but mucho deniro .

 

As above, ideally you want coilovers, adjustable control arms, camber plates, sway bar. But as above all those = $$$$$$

In my case I am currently running H-Sport springs with Bilsien SP shocks, H&R sway bar, IE adjustable camber plates and adjustable lower control arms. The car feels a lot better than stock.

And just to expand a little bit on my statement. I had the USS on my car some time ago. It's issues with fitment and getting the run around from their staff notwithstanding, it did seem to do what they claimed. I must reiterate "seem". In my attempt to get rid of the racket it was causing I upgraded my suspension to the state described above. I and my co-driver immediately noticed a tremendous and positive difference. However, the USS was still making way to much noise so I finally elected to remove it completely. Surprisingly, once removed it had no negative effect.

To summarize: with my suspension upgrades (mind you this was done on the budget, so it is by no means top of the line) the USS seems totally unnecessary. Unless you feel the need to drag a few extra pounds around.

 

OK - I get that - and accept that it's possible (and perhaps even likely).

But, hmmm... lessee....

Upgraded shocks AND springs AND control arms AND camber plates AND a sway bar...

I'd sure HOPE that setup would provide more results than 7 lbs of aluminum...

And I can even see how you'd NOT feel much (or any) difference any more from the USS with all that on. Cause rear sway plus camber plates will do a LOT to eliminate understeer in the car - but it does it by playing with suspension geometry and physics (which isn't bad - I have a swaybar ). But the USS achieves a lot of this just by making the chassis NOT flex/vibrate when it shouldn't... and, as far as I can tell - the list above doesn't do anything for stiffening the front of the chassis...

So you - and/or your suspension - is still having to fight that flex, you're just not feeling / noticing it anymore, cause of the awesome stack of suspension stuff you have offsetting it...

But it's all good - I'm happy everyone's happy with whatever wallet lighteners they have. I love mine.

 

If I am not feeling it, or noticing it than how am I fighting it? Sorry, but I don't follow...

 

This is just more negative vitriol from you.......give it a rest.

There are many people, nay legions, who have felt a tremendous difference in their cars after they have installed the USS. While nobody has posted any measureable difference in handling (comparable auto-X times, for example) - this in no way negates the "butt" feeling these people have enjoyed after installing the USS.

You appear to be jaded because you were too ignorant to note that M7 had clearly stated (as any good vendor would) that there were known fitment issues with your exhaust. After I am done eating dinner and shaving my wife's back, I will post the link to their site showing where they dutifully and clearly outline the known fitment issues with this innovative and effective product.

Hope that helps!

Skip

 

EXACT SAME MOD I HAD TO MAKE TO CLEAR SKID AND USS
OH, THE MODS WE DO TO MOD OUR BELOVED MINIS

 

Okay, so I now have one person claiming that removing the USS from a heavily modded suspension had no negative effect. I take that to mean, the USS made no improvement to said suspension.

Can anyone else support or refute these claims based on personal experience? I mean, why spend $350 on the USS when I could just do springs, shocks, camber plates, FSB, sway bar and have a better setup anyway?

 

I think you just opened a can of worms....

 

I've found that keeping the worms in the can prevent them from gathering all the information that aid a consumer in choosing the products that are best suited to his or her individual needs.

Let the worms crawl where they may, I want to know where to spend my money, and do it right the first time. If the USS is worthwhile, I'll get it. If doing all of the above renders the USS obsolete, I will not, because I AM going to do all of the above no matter what.

 

Ok, you have one person refuting these claims, read two post's up, there are legions of people that are using and liking the USS. Go into some USS threads and 90%+ of the consumers like their purchase.

 

My vote is for worthless. unless buying from Custom MINI shop, then its worth every penny.

 

I assure you I am not "one person". There are others. And out of the "legions" how many have only the USS? I will put forward that there are legions out there who have done extensive mods to their suspension and skipped the USS and didn't think twice about it. A 100% of them don't want it, or miss it. And a 100% of smokers enjoy their habit. And out of the people who buy ugly clothes at least 90% of them don't realize it's ugly.

Lets not throw meaningless number around. What do you say?

 

I suspect that no one is going to build the mother of all logical arguments for your decision on what to buy. That burden, my friend, is on you.

I would also suspect that all of the information that you might want to use in making that decision is not in this thread. There's all of NAM, and then there's that whole "internet" thing out there to explore. Read until you're satisfied, wait for the pause in your breathing, and squeeze the trigger.

 

I wonder if I could fish up a more condecending post than that one?

Thanks for the internet lesson, I wouldn't have been able to figure it out without you!