Suspension Texas Speedwerks Springs... launch!
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,021
Likes: 4
From: Burlington, VT
Do these (or any spring only solution) have a smaller diameter spring so I can get some more negative camber out of my adjustable front camber plates? Or do you need to go to a coilover / new damper to get a smaller diameter spring?
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 577
Likes: 42
From: New Braunfels, Tx
+1
I can only get -1.7 up front. I don't want to take a hammer to the car.
Alan
I can only get -1.7 up front. I don't want to take a hammer to the car.
Alan
I just got done installing these springs sat night. After trying to find a way to install them with IE plates and no spring compressor, the install was great! The rears were MUCH easier than the front. One of the best parts of the springs is the customer service that is included. I am on the west coast and called Texas Speedworks about 6-7 my time and they answered, on a Thursday! I was very excited to hear from them. The car drives great know. Really havent started to push it to much, but after the alignment Monday, I will. Thanks guys!
If you do an alignment now it will be changed in a few hundred miles. It will be a waste of your money. Thought you would like to know.
I have TSW springs and am very pleased with them.
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: Naw-folk, VA
I installed a set of the 8" springs this last weekend, (well, I handed tools to my awesome friend who installed them anyhow. 
)
They rock! The car felt super composed on the road, and it wasn't thrashing me as badly as before. (I have an '03... a rough riding one since day one)
I already autocrossed... 6 miles of hard running actually on course. I did way better than I normally do (tires were a large part of that), but the car really felt great, especially over transitions.
I'll let the stance settle in over the next few weeks, then I'll fuss with alignment. Good advice on that, thanks guys.
Oh, and Jeff and Scott again come thru... they get my vote for top vendor on NAM. Can't wait to hear about Camber plates!
)They rock! The car felt super composed on the road, and it wasn't thrashing me as badly as before. (I have an '03... a rough riding one since day one)
I already autocrossed... 6 miles of hard running actually on course. I did way better than I normally do (tires were a large part of that), but the car really felt great, especially over transitions.
I'll let the stance settle in over the next few weeks, then I'll fuss with alignment. Good advice on that, thanks guys.
Oh, and Jeff and Scott again come thru... they get my vote for top vendor on NAM. Can't wait to hear about Camber plates!
I have the originals and love them, but I'm getting the 7 7/8 fronts shipped this week, can't wait! I'll have both....
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, CA
Are the "new" rears also supposed to lower the car more than the "old" rears, or is it just more front rake?
EDIT: Found the info. Fronts are shorter, rears are the same.
Don't need that - my car sits with a bit of rake with the original TSWs, and has pretty even wheel gap front and rear. I'm kinda gettin' the itch to go a bit lower - may have to get the coilovers eventually.
Last edited by 70spop; Aug 14, 2007 at 03:05 PM.
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere west
I didnt even notice this post. Not yet, I have a few more things to install this week before a show this weekend. So I also have a bunch of cleaning to do also. Will get some pictures for you, maybe after the alignment on monday or at the show.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,021
Likes: 4
From: Burlington, VT
In another thread there was a little more talk about a "narrow spring" product for more camber adjustability. If you need a northeast (NHIS, Watkins Glen, Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Lime Rock, possibly Mosport) product tester, let me know...
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Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,299
Likes: 0
From: Tejas
Yes, the shorter springs arrived today - and lots of sets already shipped.
FWIW, our current springs are about 1/2" narrower than OEM already (about a wire width). We just installed a set on a Cabrio this weekend with some IE street/race plates and dialed in -2.2* with liberal massaging of the inside of the strut towers. Even at -2.2, there was about a finger's width behind the spring (between the spring and the strut tower) for clearance.
FWIW, our current springs are about 1/2" narrower than OEM already (about a wire width). We just installed a set on a Cabrio this weekend with some IE street/race plates and dialed in -2.2* with liberal massaging of the inside of the strut towers. Even at -2.2, there was about a finger's width behind the spring (between the spring and the strut tower) for clearance.
You are now my first choice when I replace my OEM parts
1. Conservative drop - for those out there that do NOT want a 1-1.5" drop. Not everyone wants a huge drop, and in our experience with the MINI's suspension, anything more than a 1-1.2" drop is not optimal for handling. There is such a thing as too low. While testing our coilovers, we found that lower is NOT better. We had plenty of travel left, yet, the lap times actually increased. There is a happy medium. Also, the world is full of things that like to eat cars that are too low... And, not all aftermarket struts play well with lowering springs - case in point, the Koni FSD's, which are designed for not much drop.
2. Linear rates - why? Well, linear rates provide more predictable performance. It's been our experience in racing that linear springs are the way to go. The idea of a progressive spring is great, but IMHO, it leads to less predictability at the limit. The OEM MINI springs are linear for a reason - their engineers spent countless hours setting up the suspension. We've spent countless hours engineering and testing spring rates and designs... Linear is the best setup, bar none, for the MINI.
3. Increase in spring rate over OEM - why? We've take 3/4" (average) of travel away, so we want a slightly higher spring rate to compensate for the loss in height. And, the OEM springs are NOT well matched to the OEM shocks/struts. In our testing, the OEM shocks/struts need a slightly higher spring rate - they have too much bound/rebound. Our springs match well with virtually any strut. They ride better with the OEM shocks/struts than any other spring on the market - period. We've been on all of them and they all have some disadvantage - we evened everything out, and ended up with a superior compromise in asthetics and performance.
4. Same spring rate front and rear - why? It produces the best handling. We've tested all sorts of offsets, and matched rates work best. ALL of our suspensions come with the same spring rates front and rear. It allows you, the user, to dial in the car with your choice of swaybar(s) and camber plates to your liking. When you have high offsets in spring rates, or mix linear and progressive, the car is MUCH harder to dial in...
4. Material - same as most high-end springs in the market. Cold winding and the highest quality material ensure that the spring rates stay the same, there's no sagging, and you get a great product.
5. Cost - our springs cost less than the others on the market.
So, conservative drop, matched, linear spring rates front and rear, plays well with ANY choice of shock/strut including OEM, and they're made from excellent materials... that sums it up in a nutshell!
2. Linear rates - why? Well, linear rates provide more predictable performance. It's been our experience in racing that linear springs are the way to go. The idea of a progressive spring is great, but IMHO, it leads to less predictability at the limit. The OEM MINI springs are linear for a reason - their engineers spent countless hours setting up the suspension. We've spent countless hours engineering and testing spring rates and designs... Linear is the best setup, bar none, for the MINI.
3. Increase in spring rate over OEM - why? We've take 3/4" (average) of travel away, so we want a slightly higher spring rate to compensate for the loss in height. And, the OEM springs are NOT well matched to the OEM shocks/struts. In our testing, the OEM shocks/struts need a slightly higher spring rate - they have too much bound/rebound. Our springs match well with virtually any strut. They ride better with the OEM shocks/struts than any other spring on the market - period. We've been on all of them and they all have some disadvantage - we evened everything out, and ended up with a superior compromise in asthetics and performance.
4. Same spring rate front and rear - why? It produces the best handling. We've tested all sorts of offsets, and matched rates work best. ALL of our suspensions come with the same spring rates front and rear. It allows you, the user, to dial in the car with your choice of swaybar(s) and camber plates to your liking. When you have high offsets in spring rates, or mix linear and progressive, the car is MUCH harder to dial in...
4. Material - same as most high-end springs in the market. Cold winding and the highest quality material ensure that the spring rates stay the same, there's no sagging, and you get a great product.
5. Cost - our springs cost less than the others on the market.
So, conservative drop, matched, linear spring rates front and rear, plays well with ANY choice of shock/strut including OEM, and they're made from excellent materials... that sums it up in a nutshell!
6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,362
Likes: 1
From: Winston-Salem, NC
Yes, the shorter springs arrived today - and lots of sets already shipped.
FWIW, our current springs are about 1/2" narrower than OEM already (about a wire width). We just installed a set on a Cabrio this weekend with some IE street/race plates and dialed in -2.2* with liberal massaging of the inside of the strut towers. Even at -2.2, there was about a finger's width behind the spring (between the spring and the strut tower) for clearance.
FWIW, our current springs are about 1/2" narrower than OEM already (about a wire width). We just installed a set on a Cabrio this weekend with some IE street/race plates and dialed in -2.2* with liberal massaging of the inside of the strut towers. Even at -2.2, there was about a finger's width behind the spring (between the spring and the strut tower) for clearance.
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere west
I finally got my cars alignment done yesterday, what a difference. I think it was off before I did the springs, but swapping the suspension sure didnt help. The most camber they could dial in was 1.3 in the front, or the camber plates would only have two bolts in them, I wanted four. However, when they put it on the alighment rack and lossened the bolts completely, the car sat with 2.5 deg neg camber, I asume limited by the inside of the body. Not bad though. The ride is so much better after the alighment, much less twitchy.
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Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Tejas
I finally got my cars alignment done yesterday, what a difference. I think it was off before I did the springs, but swapping the suspension sure didnt help. The most camber they could dial in was 1.3 in the front, or the camber plates would only have two bolts in them, I wanted four. However, when they put it on the alighment rack and lossened the bolts completely, the car sat with 2.5 deg neg camber, I asume limited by the inside of the body. Not bad though. The ride is so much better after the alighment, much less twitchy.
Did they get -2.5 with the bolts in?
And yup, an alignment is a must - especially with plates!
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,755
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From: Somewhere west
Yep those IE street/Race.
-2.5 with just the last two bolts in the outside holes. With the most inside holes used as I installed them, I have negative .6 deg on the driver side and was dead even on the passanger side.
-2.5 with just the last two bolts in the outside holes. With the most inside holes used as I installed them, I have negative .6 deg on the driver side and was dead even on the passanger side.
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Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Tejas
Hrm... On an '03, sans the added ribbing, you should be able to get at least -1.7 (if not more) using 4 bolts - 2 in the middle and 2 in the outermost hole. IMHO, something may be wrong...
Can you snap a pic of the install? Are the slots completely perpendicular to the car or do they angle back (they should be like = and not like //)?
Can you snap a pic of the install? Are the slots completely perpendicular to the car or do they angle back (they should be like = and not like //)?
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere west
They are at an angle, but they wouldnt go in the other way. I wish IE labled there stuff, thats my only gripe. At any rate, I think I may have one of the peices installed backwards after talking with Jeff for 20 min. I am till going to snap some pictures on lunch, hope to have that posted around 10 this morning.
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Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Tejas
Yup - it sounds like the top plates are swapped to me, too (the top plates being those big, trapezoidal shaped plates with the studs welded in them). Unfortunately, that means dropping both struts out again and swapping the top plates. But, you'll be a lot happier when you get all that negative camber! The slots should look like = in the strut tower and not //.
I tell y'all what - next time we install a set of IE plates, we'll document the heck out of it and put the instructions up on the site.
I tell y'all what - next time we install a set of IE plates, we'll document the heck out of it and put the instructions up on the site.