Hello! I've had lot's of questions about my setup, so I thought I'd give everyone a rundown of what's up.

I absolutely LOVE this setup. I've been in several different cars running similar suspension setups, and not surprisingly, i've never felt one with this much grip! It's richeous!

IMHO... To fit, you pretty much need a 17x8 wheel with around a 42-48+ offset. Mine are 45+, was told they were 42+ when I bought them from Tire Rack (Motegi Trak Lite 2's). Wish they were 48+. More on that in a sec.

When I wasn't lowered, I had NO RUBBING ISSUES what so ever!

With my M7 springs (1.3-1.5" drop) I am having some rubbing issues in the rear. The front is damn near perfect, so close in fact that the front tires rubbed about 1-2mm off the plastic fender lip, sanded it if you will, so they are about perfect, only problem is the M7 springs dropped me unevenly, the passenger front is about 1cm higher than the drivers front. And the rear is 3/8" -.5" lower than the front, and not even on either side. (Yes, I'm **** about this sort of thing)

Now the rears....



I knew it would rub, and I was prepared... It started by sanding it self off about 2-3mm of the plastic fender lip, then it started rubbing the fender liner, so I pulled them out and cut back about 1". Then on a long highway trip (600 miles round trip), with full luggage for two adults, I started getting a new "bump" turns out, the drivers side rear has less camber than the passenger side rear, cause the drivers side rear tire was barely getting "groved" about 1mm by a metal strip that sticks down behind the fender liner. Normally this would not be exposed, except for I had already worn past the fender liner (plastic). So, having rolled and cut many of fender lips in my day, i proceed to do the same thing... I gently pounded the metal strip flat against the fender so the cutting edge would be blunt. I started by only doing this to the drivers side, as the passenger rear, although lower by .4" wasnt hitting the metal piece. I even drove around with a passenger back there, and it would rub the plastic, but not marks fromt the metal. My only conclusion is there must be a touch more camber on that side than on the drivers. However, when looking dead on at the rear, you can't visablly see any difference in their camber, it's that close. And only when I've got other people or lots of stuff in the car. When it's just me, there is no rubbing, 99% of the time.

So, that's where I am today. I really really really want coilovers, but I dont want to pay what they cost right now. Maybe Mrs. Santa will love me that much this year?

I need to figure out if it's the M7 springs that are the problem, which are allowing it to drop too much under light load, or if thats the struts. Or maybe it's both (my guess), and fixing just one won't solve the problem.

I'm considering fabricating some Rear strut spacers (like Mini Mania sells) this way I could pretty much make them whatever thickness and even up the drop in the rear at the same time.

But before I do that though, I'm going to try installing some full size factory bumpstops. I cut the stockers in half with the M7 spring install as directed by M7. Hopefully this slight reduction in suspension travel will take care of my clearance issues.



More pics in my Gallery, updated soon...

 

Damn that looks good!
(Can I say that w/out getting into trouble?)

 

that looks very nice! the odd thing is that the rear of your car is sitting unusually high for M7 springs. My M7 springs dropped the rear much more = more rubbing. I had no problem with different ride heights though. I now run Koni coil-overs and did go through the whole process of dremeling the inside of the fenders, hammering back that metal strip and bending back that large metal lip 3/4 into the rear wheel well... but it got rid of the rubbing... I run 215/45/17 on a 7.5" rim with 40 offset btw.

anyway, your car looks awesome

 

That's looks plain sick! Very nice!

About the M7 springs, I also noticed a little uneven drop in the back. I made a strut spacer for the left side.
I am also very **** about that stuff.

 

I had a similar experience, as I am running 225/50/R15's on TD PR1.2's with an ET30 offset.

Obviously with this much offset, the tires rubbed in the rear, so I proceeded to use a VERY sharp razor knife to cut down the fendor liner, and re-fold the edge in it. This solved 99% of my problems, but the big offender is the plastic 'bump' that surrounds the fender-liner-mounting hole towards the rear of the car (it's tucked up, and behind, near the reflector). This 'bump' is now the only thing that rubs in the entire assembly. I am thinking about fab'ing a different fender liner all-together. Let us know how your work goes, maybe I can use some of it!

RM2k5

 

Holy *****! You think that's high for M7 springs??? Good gosh, when there is 50+ lbs in the rear, it drops another .5"-1". Unacceptable. I was sold on the awesome all-around progressive springs before, but now, I think my needs may require a linear spring... and coilovers... hehe!

 

so you think there is 45mm offset?
everywhere i see the wheel advertized, it specifies 42mm offset.

i understand you have coilovers now, how is the rubbing been affected?

i'm planning on similar wheels and would like to know what i'm looking at doing so it won't rub, i am running KW var1 coilovers.

what if the neg. camber is more aggressive? will it still rub? what camber setting are you at now?

most of all, Stoptech big brake kits...how do they fit under these wheels?

 

I'll take a close-up picture of the wheels... Their stamped, or molded or whatever with +45 on them!

I know, I thought they were +42, cause EVERYWHERE i read, said they were that.

Installing my Koni Coilovers next week along with some IE fixed camber plates. Anyone want my M7 springs?

I'm trying to get back up to around a 2 finger gap all the way around.

I think with the more camber up front, it will be perfect (I had a slight rubbing issue up there, but it corrected itself with no real damage).

The rear... well thats another story, with my current M7 spring drop, there is definetly a bit of negative camber, probably about the max I would run for a primarily street vehicle. The passenger side definetly has a touch more than the drivers side, which means that I didnt have to do any pounding or dremeling to that side for the metal lip not to cut a tiny groove into my tire, as it did on the drivers side.

All of this really isnt my problem though, as I feel I just need more suspension travel during day to day use on these crappy NC roads. Especially when I have a 1/2 to full tank of gas, that lowers me an extra .75"!!!!

I think the benefit of being this aggressive on the offset, means that you can add the extra camber without worrying of rubbing on the inside.

 

so you think that having close to 1.75 neg camber on the front should rid of the rubbing issues once the coilovers are on? You think they'll tuck in under the fender lips in the front?

the rear can't be adjusted? You don't have adj. control arms on there to give it more camber?

I love the rims/tire size, but already got a Stoptech kit, wonder if there's other wheels with that size 17x8 and 45 offset that'll fit over the Stoptechs, i'd wanna see a 235 tire under my Mini too

 

The front rubbing issues are already obsolved from the tires "sanding" the inner lip of the plastic fender lips (the pieces that go UP when you open the bonnet).

Not adjusting the rear, with the roughly .75"-1" drop I'm going for, I dont think there's much need, as the camber will be within tolerences for me. If not, I'll pick some up later, that's an easy one. But I'm certainly not going to do it if it's not necessary.

Thanks for your positive comments. I'm betting the Stoptech kit will fit under them, humm... Anyone in the TRIAD have this Stoptech brake kit??? I could mount one to someone who has it and test fit for you...

 

"The front is damn near perfect, so close in fact that the front tires rubbed about 1-2mm off the plastic fender lip, sanded it if you will."

Got any pics of this? The part sanded is the trim piece that goes "up" with bonnet or plastic stationary "wheel well"? Thinking of pre-sanding (or cutting) myself.

"I am having some rubbing issues in the rear. It started by sanding it self off about 2-3mm of the plastic fender lip, then it started rubbing the fender liner, so I pulled them out and cut back about 1."

Pics? Any advice in retrospect on this before I precut?

"I started getting a new "bump" turns out, the drivers side rear has less camber than the passenger side rear, cause the drivers side rear tire was barely getting "groved" about 1mm by a metal strip that sticks down behind the fender liner. Normally this would not be exposed, except for I had already worn past the fender liner (plastic). So, having rolled and cut many of fender lips in my day, i proceed to do the same thing... I gently pounded the metal strip flat against the fender so the cutting edge would be blunt. I started by only doing this to the drivers side, as the passenger rear, although lower by .4" wasnt hitting the metal piece. I even drove around with a passenger back there, and it would rub the plastic, but not marks fromt the metal. My only conclusion is there must be a touch more camber on that side than on the drivers."

Any pics? I will cut plastic my self, but rolling and hammering I will take to a shop? Any other advice?