fishbulb: Yes, the 22mm on soft still has considerable understeer. Many people use this bar on the middle setting for street use, but, like you, I want some understeer for bad weather and for general safety.

I had the bar on before the fsd's, and noticed no difference in that respect: the fsd's do not affect the balance of the car like lowering springs can, where you are at the mercy of the spring-maker's priorities.

The biggest difference noticable from any stiffer rear bar is not body roll during a turn, it is immediacy of response to steering inputs - the car is more willing to go into a turn NOW, instead of turn the wheel - pause - the car turns. The stiffer the setting, the stronger this effect.

Many people use this bar on the middle setting for street use, but, like you, I really don't want the feeling that "If you sneeze, you're dead..." that this can produce on the highway. I've had this issue with other cars that I wound a little too tight, and that's why I wanted an adjustable bar - so I could tighten it up if I get into track days.

The Madness bar on soft is exactly what I want for street use, and I haven't even tried it on middle position - it's an excellent counterpoint to the fsd's at this setting.

 

My FSD's are ordered as is my 19mm rear sway. Out with the h-sports and back in with the stock springs (the h-sports didn't lower my 2006 MC that much anyway ).

 

You'll love it. Considering the biggest complaint I ever hear about the MINI is the ride quality, you'd think MINI would be beating down Koni's door to install the FSDs as OEM. Koni FSDs are OEM on some cars already, albeit not the production level of the MINI.

I'm hoping the FSDs add value to the MINI as well. The new BMW M Coupe is looking pretty good to me at this point. 333 HP.

 

The FSD's are on. So far I just have done some brief highway driving. They are quite a bit better at absorbing the chop of the uneven concrete we have to contend with for SoCal highways. I'm impressed, at least with the improvement in the driving under "normal" conditions. The ride is still not anything I'd describe as plush, but it is a definite improvement. Hopefully this weekend I'll get out on a good drive to experience the other side of the FSD's.

 

The more miles I put on mine, the more I'm impressed. The car is not at all "floaty" like an American car, but it sure takes the THUMP out of the bump.

They also keep the rubber on the asphalt a LOT better.

I have a local long, sweeping, fast curve on a freeway transfer ramp with a couple of rough expansion joints in it.

In a stock MCS with stock 17", the car jumped about 6-9" sideways when it hit the joints - kinda scary. In my car pre-FSD, with 15", 9lb. wheels, the car jumped maybe 3-4" sideways. With the FSD's, it just soaks up the bump, and stays planted solidly while cornering without any fuss at all.

This, of course, is what shock absorbers are supposed to do, but most are completely incapable...

 

The FSDs sound very nice, and I'm definitely thinking/planning to get them at some point (my MINI comes in April...). A few questions:

1) Do you think the FSDs will help alleviate the shock tower "mushroom" effect that happens when you hit a big pothole? If the damping is much better for high frequencies, I'm thinking it might be a worthwhile investment (in protecting our MINIs) for those living in pothole-prone areas (e.g. Los Angeles).

2) Will the FSDs work with the JCW suspension? I read some threads that many people consider the JCW suspension to be much better than the stock one, and it lowers the car about 1 cm. I don't have it ordered currently, but am wondering if it will work with the FSDs or how it compares...

3) How much trouble and/or how much does it cost to get these installed? I'm not the type to do it myself, so just wondering how much the installed cost would be compared with the price of the FSDs only...

Thanks!

Edit: Re-read the first part of the thread, and realized that LennyD paid ~$1200 for parts/labor. DiD, how much did your's cost, and where'd you get 'em installed? (I'm also in LA...)

 

It seems to me they should have more of a chance to react since you are using the stock ride height. That said, i would be hard pressed to say I think they will help prevent mushrooming. You hit the right pothole and all bets are off.

Not sure. I don't know if the JCW struts relocate the spring perches or not, but if the lowering is the result of just a spring change, then NO the FSD's would not work well with the JCW springs. Again, I'm not sure though

I paid $625 for the FSD's from the tirerack. 2-day shipping ran me $25 to L.A.

Install was done at Steve's Auto Clinic. 818 891 6109 16205 Nordhoff St , North Hills Ca. and ran me $200 for installation.

 

- Mini-Madness charged me for 1-1/2 hours of labor to install them, and $630 plus shipping for the four shocks - same price as Tire Rack. Actual elapsed installation time was slightly under two hours.

My other irrelevant opinions excised...

 

I have a feeling that shock tower mushrooming is only possible when the suspension bottoms out, otherwise there really shouldn't be enough force to cause any deformation.

If that is true, then spring rate and tire sidewall size will be the determinig factors, the dampers don't really have enough compression damping to have much of an effect in resisting suspension from bottoming out.

 

I think both bound and rebound have the potential to act with springs and tire profile...enough to contribute in a meaningful way to mushrooming. These components act as a shock absorbing and damping system. Too little damping or too much is a value relative to the other two components...bushing compliance works in here two.

It is really about either the initial velocity, or the total lack of damping. The latter affected by the amount of travel. If one has lowered his or her car 1.5", one has about 2.5" of travel left. Not very much, nope, not a lot at all.

To compensate, big springs are required to keep this mess from smashing into the strut towers. Too little rate and the whole mess smashes into the srut towers. Get it? One of the many reasons lowering the Mini beyond 10-15mm is not a good thing...just one of many.

Kinda brings new meaning to the word 'slammed', doesn't it?

 

Glad to see this thread still alive. After 1,100 miles the ride with the car, FSD and the bigger sway bar has been just great. FLat as can be around the corners and so much more civilized on the freeway. They're keepers for sure and worthwhile to get. In all honesty though the Mini, over rotten roads, is still rather firm and enough time has gone by to make me forget the difference from before. However, I do remember before, the ride really sucked on rough, bumpy, potholed, irregular roads and now they are tolerable. FSD's won't fix that. Nothing will (except driving my wife's 5 series Bimmer) but I can easily deal with it.

 

A belated thanks for all the advice given after I lost track of this thread. Looks another item to add to my wish list!