....so, I finally got my gold XXR 530 17s installed... now I'm hating the gap. I don't do autocross or take it out to the tracks or anything like that... the closest thing to that would be going into a freeway offramp without breaking or even accelerating into it But right now, I'm really hating that gap (oh... did I already say that? lol)... it looks like I'm about to take it on a desert rally j/k...

anyways... so, coil overs kit vs springs + Koni Yellows... what's the verdict on going this route? How's the ride with springs/Koni vs stock?

Also, I'm seeing people also getting the "control arm" in addition to coil overs... what's that for? I apologise for the lack of knowledge... and I thank you in advance for any input/advice

 

Bilstein B14s and enjoy the ride

 

Which MINI model and year?

Wheel gap can be reduced by adjusting ride height.

This can be done by any method that lowers the suspension but not by adding Shocks alone. The most common methods are lowering springs (using OEM or aftermarket shocks) or full coilovers (has both springs and shocks). Coilovers can be more or less adjustable for ride height and dampening or rebound but can cost more for fancy adjustments.

Once suspension is lowered usually alignment will not be stock and result in more negative camber (inward tilt of each wheel) both front and rear. While more negative camber in front is OK for higher speed turning, more rear negative camber can increase tendency for understeer (front end pushes and takes a larger turning circle when you don't want that).

As a result of lowering, many owners add a rear lower control arm (one set needed) which allows adjustment of the rear negative camber back into the OEM alignment range, roughly -1.2 to -1.4 degrees is fine. If you don't then negative camber is more likely to be -2 or more degrees using stock suspension parts for limited adjustment.

Bilstein B14 (PSS) is a basic coilover set that is ride height adjustable-
Avg. low 25-40mm Front & 10-30mm Rear ride height range
There are no other adjustments for the shocks
$967 for kit closeout at tirerack

Bilstein B16 (PSS10) is a more adjustable coilover
Avg low 10-40mm Front & 10-40mm Rear ride height range
Has dial with settings (10 possible) for each shock from firm to soft
$1830 for kit at tirerack

You can also contact Way at Waymotorworks to talk about your options

 

Thank you for the detailed information
My MCS is 2012 (auto). I'm in Canada, so buying certain things is sometimes a bit tough. And then there's the dreadful exchange rate

 

If you don't autocross or anything, entry level coil overs will give you the most options, but may not ride the best (and in some cases may ride poorly, I haven't ridden with many of them so I can't comment on that).

I love the Swift Spec-R springs with IE fixed front plates (this is on an R53), both in terms of performance and looks, they ride firm but not jarring, although they're definitely aimed more towards performance rather than looks... the drop isn't much, which to me is a good thing. Other strictly "lowering" springs may compromise some on performance but give you the look you want.

Not sure about the 2012, but the R53/R56s do not gain much camber (if any) in the front when dropped, due to the MacPherson strut setup... the rear however could be an issue as mentioned.

 

 

The problem is with lowering springs you have to compromise just to get the "look".

I started with lowering springs which was nice, lowered look, lower center of gravity, stiffer spring rates for better performance in turns.

Downside was it can wear out your stock shocks faster, ride quality suffered especially on bad roads, combined with lower profile Max Summer tires you got a jarring ride and you had to be careful of bumps and potholes.

I moved to Bilstein PSS9 (fully adjustable height, 9 settings for dampening on shocks) and ride quality got better but still pretty firm, shock settings are OK at the extremes but hard to tell much difference in the middle. Easy to reset adjustments for street vs performance use.

Bilstein B14 would be an investment, cost is good due to non adjustable for shocks but it should work. Plus all the updates they have made since 2004 when I got the PSS9.
Cheaper coilovers give you the drop but ride quality does vary as does prices. Quality varies as does durability and Bilstein does rebuilds for their shocks.

Is there a local MINI group for you? Check with them for MINIs with suspension mods so you can see and ride in them.

 

For good lower priced coilovers look at ST. They are made by KW and are essentially the same but use galvanized strut bodies instead. A little more expensive are the ST XTA coilovers which are basically KW V2's with adjustable rebound, but with linear springs and adjustable camber mounts for the front.

If you live in an area without harsh winters the ST's should be fine. What's your budget and where do you live?

 

I am not aware of any local Mini groups... last I checked.. but then again, it wasn't much effort, I just Google'd it


EDIT: Okay, I looked again... I believe there "might" be local groups

 

I'm in Vancouver BC... our winters aren't too bad, but because of the rain and believe it or not... this past winter, we had snow several times (which is odd for us, we usually get maybe 2-3 days of snow at most). THAT said, the rain DOES cause a lot of pot holes :(

I would say realistically, my budget would be around $3k CAD (which is about $2200 USD). And this would have to include labor because I wouldn't know what to do, nor do I have tools or a place to work on it since I live in a highrise

 

Definitely there are local groups for both vintage mini and newer MINIs

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...U_TBavqXJsKlcw