So I installed H-Sport springs along with some other tasty tidbits, and the car feels much improved over stock. But for two things. (Let's get the nick-picky one first.) As I was worried about, the camber plates raise the front just a hair too much, so that the front wheel wells aren't filled as perfectly as the rears. I could overlook this, but why should I when...

The car feels a little soft when pushing it at speed in the twisties. It's not body roll, just a bit of a floaty feeling. (Ya know what I'm talking about.) This is with stock dampers, which – I know, I know, is far from optimal.

So I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to test out different spring combinations. There are some who gripe about the front rates on the H-Sports being too soft (200lb at firmest I do believe). The rears are 250. This 'softer-in-the-front' business flies in the face of common logic (both the logic that goes "firmer in the front b/c of more weight" and "equal rates all around just b/c").

I'd like to hear some idle, baseless speculation on the idea of swapping in a set of front springs in the 300-350lb range with a drop of -1.1" to -1.2" (compared to stock). If I come along a cheap used set of front springs, of course.

Or, alternatively, is this slightly unnerving floaty feeling just the result of the progressive wind of the springs? In which case.. I'm probably screwed, short of buying +$1k coilovers......?

My thinking is, if I find some springs for cheap... "What's the worse that can happen?"

(famous last words)

thx.

EDIT: Oh, and as always – the car faces frequent autox (soon as the season gets here) and daily twisty duty.

 

From reading and not being an expert at all it seems that the floaty feeling is a result of the progressive rates. I don't know that I'd ever consider progressive the way to go with the MINI and what I know I like about handling.

I have no idea if it's really the source of the floaty feeling or if your proposed solution would work. I think the stock springs/shocks are great!

mb

mb

 

Well you're wrong.

I'm worried that it is just the nature of progressives, in which case.. I should probably cut my losses and move onto something completely different. Or just live with it.

 

Progressive springs sound like things people buy who want the "best of both worlds." But we all know what happens when we compromise on things like that: we end up placing more importance on one of the factors and become dissatisfied with the result. Your case shows the point and your best solution might be to buy something else since you notice the flaw in the progressive setup.

Best advice I've gotten on suspensions came from DMH, Txwerks, and MEB (antiquecarnut has experienced a lot, too). Shoot them some pm's.

mb

 

Here's a tidbit of history... Porsche used progressive rate springs on some of their 944 series cars... it made it a ROYAL PITA to tune the damn thing.

What at what rate do you set your anti-sway bars? Full-Soft? Full-Hard? In between? What ever the case with springs that change rates, you'll never have an optimized swaybar/shock setup so ESPECIALLY in autocross, you'll transition from UnderSteer to OverSteer at the worst time (like mid-corner).

HTH.