Suspension Brakes 1st Gen Coilover reviews

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by Sleek Motoring, Mar 23, 2015.

  1. Sleek Motoring

    Sleek Motoring Local Shop Owner

    Dec 7, 2014
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    I am looking for reviews from people that have owned different sets of coil-overs. I have a customer looking for a set, his requirements are:

    -Slight drop 1"

    -Spring rates good for daily driving (the wife cant hate the ride completely)

    -Adjustability for track duty a couple times a month.

    He will also be running different control arms, new power flex bushings,camber plates, front/rear sway bars and adjustable control arm links.

    He likes the:

    KW-clubsport and V3's

    AST 5100/5200

    Megan racing Euro street

    Bilstein pss9


    What would you suggest to him?
     
  2. Savvy

    Savvy Well-Known Member
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    GreenePerformance's revalved BC coilovers with swift springs. Have had them on for a year now with my daily driven R53. No complaints. One thing for your customer to consider is keeping 16" wheels on for daily wife shuttling. Depending how bad the roads are (especially this time of year) the extra sidewall will keep her happy. Then swap out to bigger wheels for the track. If he wants to go that route.
     
  3. Sleek Motoring

    Sleek Motoring Local Shop Owner

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    Thanks for the advice! Do you see any track time with your setup?

    I was looking at Colin's BC setup. But don't the BC Racing and Megan coilovers come out of the same D2 coilover factory in Taiwan?

    He already has 17" wheels, He doesn't mind spending the money if the setup does exactly what he wants.

    I just want to steer him (literally) in the correct way!
     
  4. Savvy

    Savvy Well-Known Member
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    I have not. But it was installed just prior to the dragon last year and was quite the improvement over the stock setup. Also, I haven't really played with fine tuning the dampers at all. I simply set the siffness in the middle and haven't looked back.
     
  5. myles2go

    myles2go Active Member

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    I agree with Savvy, Colin's reworked BC's with the swift springs are really nice. Put them on my GP before the dragon last year. If he's worried about the wife, come down a step on the spring rates.
     
  6. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    I had KWv2's valved specifically for the MINI with the TSW specced springs-a really nice double duty set up, WMW sells them in this configuration now. I've heard nothing but good things about the Bilstein's. The one issue with the KW's is they only adjust from the top, I cut holes in the rear towers so it wasn't an issue for me, but it might be for others. The Bilsteins adjust from the bottom which is very nice.

    I'm switching to JRZ's this year.

    Jan may be able to get a good price on the AST's, which is what I'd chose on that list.
     
  7. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    #7 Dave.0, Mar 24, 2015
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2015
    ^^^^ I have the same Custom KW V2's but I dumped the crappy KW springs because they were too soft. I upgraded to Swift Springs and it was like a completely new setup.

    Just so everyone knows the early original "custom" TSW coilovers, before WMW bought TSW, custom KW Coilovers used to come with SWIFT Springs not the crap soft KW springs they have now. I have the specs if anyone wants them from TSW.

    Colin's Custom BC are revalved and do not I repete DO NOT use BC internals. He uses much better internals designed for MINI's and he added Swift Springs and they come with Adjustable camber plates. How is that not a WIN WIN. :Thumbsup:
    If I was shopping for new coilovers I would be buying Colin's set up.

    For full disclosure I was going to buy his coilovers but he said all I needed were better springs and recommended Swifts. I got them from him and could not be happier. That shows me he is honest and did not take the big sale and only sold me what I needed to make me happy and I know other vendors that would not have done that.


    I have the Texas Speedwerks (now WMW) KW V2 coilovers on my car.

    The details I got from Texas Speedwerks:
    Front Springs: 60mm ID, 200mm length (8"), 6kgf/mm (336 lb/in) spring rate
    Rear Springs: 60mm ID, 140mm length(6"), 6kgf/mm (336 lb/in) spring rate

    336's ( 6k) is too soft on all 4 corners and I went with Swift 450's in the rear and 400's up front.
     
  8. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    Colin is a stand up guy. I forgot about the revalved bit on the BC's. If/when they need to be rebuilt, and all of these do if you drive them long/hard enough,, it's nice to know who to send them to..
     
  9. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Cough AST cough
     
  10. Savvy

    Savvy Well-Known Member
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    even if he does have a mild case of "sphincter-tacos" disease... and resides on the "spectrum" somewhere.

    :lol::lol:
     
  11. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    I'm pretty sure anyone with more than twelve posts on the RMW site resides one or more standard deviations on the spectrum somewhere, it's just a matter of the number of degrees where we differ individually.

    We're kind of like a traveling leper colony of the MINI forum world.
     
  12. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    And we are proud lepers with real power, :cornut:
     
  13. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    I have the AST 5100 with Swift "80" soprings on mine. (You've seen it) but its been so long since I have driven the car, I forgot what it felt like! I will probably be able to write a review in a couple more years. :(
     
  14. Sleek Motoring

    Sleek Motoring Local Shop Owner

    Dec 7, 2014
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