'06 MCS Suspension Options (Street)
 

Cliff Notes on last line if you want to skip the lead-in info and details.

Hey all. I just registered after being a long time lurker. I've been modding cars for over 10 years and I'm a seasoned car forum veteran. I signed up on NAM because I have recently acquired an '06 MCS. The '07s didn't appeal to me whatsoever. Plus a first year run vs. 5th year run - no brainer.

I got it to retire my RestoMod Lexus SC300 turbo to weekend and night prowling usage. www.cleansc.net if you're curious about that. I've invested too much time and effort into the SC to risk it on the streets as a daily.

Being a rather hardcore car guy, it was very hard finding a car that wouldn't make me RUN back to my ~440hp SC after driving it.

The '06 MCS was the best car I came up with. :thumbsup:

Now the car is a three-year lease as I didn't want to finance or buy the car outright. I'm sure after that time two things will have happened. 1. I give it back and walk away or 2. I completely fall in love with the car and I buy it and keep it. :grin:

Either way, I'm a car guy. And car guys need mods. :razz:

I have searched and read for hours on end on this forum and my eyes are bloodshot, I'm full of opinions (none of which are mine - heh) and I still find the need to ask my very specific question. So the search ninjas can put away their weapons. :wink:

The car is brand new. Got 100 miles on it as I type this. I will be getting wheels, something in the Panasport/S-Lite range of style. I have my eyes on the ASA JH6. Maybe in a 215/45.

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...4x032&code=yes

I will keep the wheels 17's but I feel the car needs to be lowered to get the proper stance I'm after. That's all I want. The car slightly lower. An inch or maybe less. Just to make the 17's fit the wells right. I love the handling the way it is already. Quite a departure to what I'm used to. Agressive street use only.

Being an '06, can I do this without camber correction measures if the drop is slight? I don't want terrible camber wear. Slight is okay (let's be real here :grin: ). I'd rather do without the bars and plates.

The shocks are new so I won't change them. They only need to technically last me 30k miles which is what I'm signed up for.

Anybody see any huge problems in modding a lease? I can return to stock when I turn it in, no problem. I'm more worried about warranty or any future complications.

I'm open to other simple suggestions. Can't get too crazy on this one.

Cliff Notes: I want to properly lower my car slightly with just springs on my '06 MCS. Possible?

Thanks, all!

re Cliff Notes: Not only possible, terribly easy. I just put the Texas Speed Works lowering springs on my '06. At $199.00 plus shipping, they are a great option. The car sits about 1/2" -3/4" lower. While I was doing this I also installed the Koni FSD shocks. Together these make for a great ride, superior to stock. One other very simple, cost effective mod you may want to consider (parts are easily sellable after you revert to stock) is an upgraded rear sway bar. This is BY FAR the single most effective handling mod you can make to your MCS.

As you can see by my sig, this is not my first (nor likely my last) MINI. I have done this mod with my first MSC, my daughters Cooper and now my 2nd MCS. I can't say enough about the FSD's though... just simply outstanding.

Thanks for the quick reply, Blue. The swaybar was already in the plan. :thumbsup:

So you just have shocks and no camber correction mods? Can you align the car back to within decent spec?

Just got off the phone with my local service manager. He races Minis on the weekends. He gave me the green light for intake, exhaust, pulley (!) and suspension mods. He said only obvious failures to the rest of the car from the mods would be denied under warranty. Otherwise no worries. Of course I will still worry but I can be a little more relaxed now.

Cool guy. Looks like the mania is starting. :grin:

Lowering inch or so should give you better camber up-front than stock, but not overkill. Camber in the back is slightly adjustable on an '06, should you want / need to dial it back a little bit. Should work out fine if you don't want to go all the way with camber plates / etc.

That is correct, shocks, springs and no camber adjustment. Since I just put these on 3 days ago, I am still evaluating the need for rear camber adjustment. To the naked eye, it does not appear as there is much change at the rear (unlike my older MCS that had the H&R Springs that definately needed new rear camber arms). I picked the TMW springs for 2 reasons, 1 they are a steady state spring like the factory springs and 2 for the very mild lowering characteristics.

Good luck! Whatever you chose to do, I am sure you will be happy.

Sounds good, Blue. If you got any pics, feel free to post them up. :thumbsup:

UPDATE:

I went with the TSW Springs and the Alta 19mm rear bar. They have been installed now for over a month and I LOVE THIS COMBO. The car is completely changed it's attitude for the better.

The TSW springs are FANTASTIC. Easy to install and the ride height is perfect. I'm usually a coilover guy so I can fine tune the ride height but TSW got it right on the money with these springs. My '06 looked like a car on bags at full height when it was stock. Now she sits just right.

I also got away with no camber correction. My alignment specialist said it wasn't worth it as the camber was still adjustable back to spec.

The local Mini guru wanted almost $600 for the install of the springs and sway bar with an alignment. I did it myself instead after work one day with time to spare for dinner before the 10:00 news. All it cost me was the $90 alignment at the local specialist.

So thanks to all that helped with the suggestions, especially Bluegarvis. :thumbsup: And thanks to TSW for making excellent products for us.

I got exactly what I wanted with a fantastic bang for buck ratio.