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Slammed The MINI

Posted April 3rd, 2008 at 6:35PM

MINI Slam 3

This news is three weeks late, but it’s a big upgrade for the MINI so I can’t possibly skip it. I took the suspension to the next level with BC Racing BR series coilovers. Wee!

Before, I was running lowering springs, Koni Yellows, and front Helix/RDR camber plates. The coilovers replace all of that, and I’ve sold the springs and camber plates (still trying to find a buyer for the Yellows at this point).

For their price, the BC coilovers are a tremendous deal. You get integrated camber plates, 30-way adjustable dampening / rebound, flexible rear adjusters to adjust dampening without removing them from the car, and height adjustment independent of travel. I replaced the front springs that came with the BCs with some Skunk2s, and am now running linear 2.5″ ID 6kg springs at all four corners.

MINI Slam 2

MINI Slam 1

The install went smoothly. I had to cut 2″ holes above each rear coilover for the flexible adjusters, and now I can adjust dampening through the rear cubbies.

So how are they? Pretty flipping sweet. The dampening rates are quality and the 6kg springs are livable on the street. The range from softest to firmest is very wide and being able to quickly adjust will be a godsend once autocross starts up. The only drawback is, as a few others have mentioned, that they sometimes feel a bit “bouncy” over undulating pavement. With three or four people in the car, however, the ride is smoother than ever.

They feel a lot better and I bet they net a significant performance gain.

One big reason for both the comfort and performance improvements is because I finally have some suspension travel back. MINI Coopers are suspension travel-impaired stock, and throwing lowering springs worsens things.

I need to get some 5mm spacers for my Kosei wheels to clear the coilover tubes (slightly wider diameter than stock), and I’ll probably spring for a stud kit too for easier wheel changes.

But for now, here are pictures with my 15″ steelies and bald Blizzaks!

MINI Slam 5

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Taking The MINI Up A Notch!

Posted September 15th, 2007 at 3:47PM

After doing all of the suspension work on the MINI this past spring, the car was more than capable. But while it handled better than stock, it was also much harsher. I had installed H-Sport springs and kept the stock shocks. This meant less suspension travel on an already travel-impaired car. The ride was harsh on poor pavement, and I felt it.

It was also a bit “floaty” in the beginning – in quick transitions the car felt like it was near its limits when it wasn’t even close. It wasn’t “connected” to the road. I chalked this up to the progressive wind of the H-Sports, and became used to it.

So I had set out to create a more enjoyable ride, and ended up with something that was a bear to drive day-to-day. An all-too-common story.

Koni Sport Kit

Recently however, I found a Koni Sport Kit for cheap on NAM. The kit includes a set of four Koni Yellow shocks and Koni springs. Two weekends ago I went about the install. Having done the earlier suspension work with a friend, I felt comfortable taking apart the MINI alone this time around. It went fairly smooth, all things considered. I chose to use the new Koni springs, as they were designed to work specifically with the Yellows and they’re supposedly 6mm lower than the H-Sports. (The Koni springs also look to be wound about the same all around – the H-Sports were much stiffer in the rear, perhaps contributing to the overly tail-happiness of the MINI on fast autocross courses.. And the street.)

Koni Yellow shocks are rebound adjustable, and so I initially set them all to “full firm” because I’m so extreme. :roll: I take the car out on the road and…

…am amazed at the improvement! The car feels much more connected and immediate. And even at full firm, it’s less harsh than the H-Sport / stock combination. However, it was way over-dampened. Every bump could be felt. So yesterday I finally get around to adjusting them a bit (the rears need to be removed to be adjusted). Back them off slightly, and I can finally say that I have a car that’s better handling and still rides better than stock. (A claim made often in the MINI community, rightly or not.)

I wasn’t expecting such an improvement changing out the shocks. My stock units were not in terrible shape, but the Yellows are better in every way – cruising, spirited driving, rough and smooth pavement. Tomorrow will be the first chance to autocross with them, but I expect good things to happen.

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The Suspension

Posted March 17th, 2007 at 10:52PM

I’ve been holding off on this post because I have no pictures, but what the hell. Photos are forthcoming.

On Monday March 12th, a friend and I worked on the MINI and installed all of the suspension bits I’ve collected over the past few months. This included front RDR/Helix adjustable camber plates, Helix rear control arms (replacing the lower pair), an Alta 22mm rear anti-swaybar, and H-Sport springs all around.

It took us the larger part of the day but went smoothly. We had a clunking noise that turned out to be an incorrectly placed washer in the strut assembly – quickly rectified. I got an alignment on Wednesday which really allows the new parts to shine. I ended up going with stock toe all around, -2.2 camber in the front, -1.6 in the rear, FYI.

The H-Sport springs lower the MINI an 1″, and that seems just right in all ways. These specific camber plates raise the front a tad (quarter inch? I didn’t measure), so that pretty much eliminated all of my rake*. I like rake, but it still looks good! The swaybar is on the softest setting, and with everything in, the car feels SUPER planted and neutral around the curves. And to top it off, the ride isn’t significantly worse than stock – half the time it even feels a bit better! (Ride quality is pretty damn subjective in any case.)

And even better, yesterday (Friday) my new wheels and tires arrived! But so did more than a foot of snow, so I didn’t get a chance to try them out. Spring is just around the corner, and then I’ll finally be able to really work this baby out. Woot!

Rear Lower Control Arm Spring + Sway Shiny!

* Rake here means the front sits slightly lower than the rear of the car, giving it that “go-fast” look, FYI. MINIs come from the factory with quite a bit of rake, so taking out a little can actually be beneficial, both aesthetically and performance-wise.

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