Hey all...what are people generally doing first in the way of suspension mods? I have a 06 JCW on the way that I'd like to get to work on. I'd like to lower the car a little but not having it set on the ground. This will be used primarily for street.

What's the best bang for the buck?

Self installable?

 

Try a rear sway bar. I have the H Sport competition rear sway set on the medium setting and it makes the car handle really flat and does not affect the ride. Really a great mod and not too expensive. About $250 installed.

 

H-sport rear comp bar, middle setting. Install the H-sport springs. Makes the car handle just like it should. I would recommend the rear camber adjustments, uppers and lowers. And the M7 USS.

 

Rear sway bar. Don't lower the car unless you enjoy the sound of plastic scraping when you enter driveways.

 

You're already paying for the upgraded JCW suspension, which is pretty nice for street use. Try it for awhile that way before deciding the go further. Get a larger rear sway bar, and set it on the softest setting first before going stiffer. Get some light weight wheels and good non-runflat tires right away. They will make a huge difference in how the car handles - and rides.

 

JCW Suspension? Not on the base level JCW kit.

 

Off topic:

But I would really like to see some pic's of your car!
Astro Black MCS JWC must be fantastic!

 

Hmm, perhaps I am mistaken. I thought the suspension was included with factory-installed JCW package. No?? Been making mistakes since 1950.

Nevertheless, I still stand by my recommendations for first mods.

 

Rear Sway!!! and of course, non RFs. And ditch the Slites if you got em.

 

Sway bar is a good choice. I would put some lowering springs on it first for some appearance, and it helps to improve handling as well....

 

Though not the best bang for the buck, i had the JCW Suspension installed...
I love it, lowered the car 1/2", really smooth handling!! great for street use and no rubbing! plus the snazzy red springs (bonus).

Now i'm lookin into the Sway Bar & M7 USS...

MotorOn .

 

Rear sway bar is the best bang for your buck. It reduces some of the understeer and really improves the cornering feel.

 

A bit more negative camber up front helps with the handling as well. I have RDRs, and Jimz68 just put on the Ireland Engineering fixed ones, and was raving about the improvment as well. If you like to corner hard, this will extend the life of the front tires. I was really grinding off the outer edge on the front with the stock set up.

Rear bar works wonders as well.

Matt

 

Congrats on the car, I have an 06 JCW MCS as well. I agree with everybody that says to get an adjustable rear sway bar, it will definitely sharpen the handling. My first suspension upgrade is a set of Helix camber plates(no cutting or drilling) because you can't get negative camber up front without them and without negative camber, a MINI used for spirited driving will chew up the outside of the front tires-the extra juice of the JCW will speed this process up considerably. My next purchase will be an H-sport adjustable rear sway bar, then a strut tower brace. Once your crappy runflats are gone, get some proper tires like the Falken Azeni, the difference will blow your mind.

 

Definitely a rear sway bar (I have the H sport set at medium like so many others here). Personally I think the next best thing is a good set of tires and some fix-a-flat (just in case) Save the rest of your money until you get a feel for how the car drives!

 

22mm rear sway bar, set to the middle position. I have an RDR/Helix bar, but there are many fine alternatives on the market.