Suspension Brakes 1st Gen Most liked posts in thread: Raceland coilovers for the R50

Then Way happened. [emoji30]

 

I know nothing about them, but I'd advice that you look elsewhere. The suspension isn't a place to put the cheapest parts you can find. There are safety issues and future repair costs that should be considered. If you don't have the money, save until you do. It's your decision to make, choose wisely!

 

I suppose the next question is: What're your plans for the car?

*Street Only, including fast street and Dragon: KW V2 or V3, budget's choice.
*Mix of HPDE and street: Greene's might be a good option but they really reduce suspension stroke so keep that in mind. I'd tend towards HVT 6100i if you can afford it.
*Track Rat car: Probably not applicable for 99.5% of people, so I won't bother unless you're ready to open your wallet for lower lap times.

 

Think of it this way,
Mini has suspension built by the lowest bidder in huge huge huge bulk.
You wont be able to get a lower volume suspension with more features (ride height adjustable) and have it be better than what the car came with.
The posts talking about how "its so much better" is the best example of the placebo effect i can think of.

 

If you can't afford good coils, and if you NEED new struts, go Bilstein.

 

Colin's custom coilovers are about as low as I would look price wise... Because when it comes to most suspension parts you do get what you pay for!

Sure some of the low end coilovers have some adjustment features, but look at the way they are built and compare it to the higher end ones. Welds, piston size, adjustment range of the valving in the shock, weather or not its a twin tube or mono tube design, even the fluid used in the dampers, these are all things to look at... A good set of coilovers normally has shock dyno data available, if there is no data has the manufacturer even tested their product?

Look into reviews across different brands of vehicles about a certain company, chances are if the other markets say the products are a pile of [emoji90], and that company is new to the MINI market, chances are they are going to be a steaming pile for MINIs too.

There are more aftermarket manufacturers cloning or rebranding coilovers than any other part you could be in the market for, so research is key!

Not saying you have to do as I did, and drop $3000,00 on a set of AST 5100's, just watch out for small unheard of companies. Granted, Colin's coilovers start as BC's (which are mediocre at best but they have some strong points) then they are fully rebuilt, revalved, and the standard BC springs are tossed in the scrap metal bucket where they belong! For the $1700 price tag, you are getting exactly what you are paying for, a strong, durable, reliable, and all around good quality suspension for the money he put foreword to develop them into what the should be.

Needless to say I LOVE the AST's on my R53, but they are overkill for any type of daily driver, so when the time comes to do suspension work on my R60, I will be working with Colin. [emoji41]

 

^^^The way a daily use street car should be! [emoji2]

 

I would like to think my safety and the safety of those around me is worth more than $350... And a replacement warranty that pretty much says they know they will fail.

 

Not Raceland, but I had Rokkors (same manufacturer and price) on my 90 1.8T GTI. I figured I could buy them and then sell them later for almost what I bought them for. After a couple of years I got used to them and didn't really think they were that bad. I finally installed a set of Koni yellows with Eibach springs and Ground Control sleeves. The Rokkors were literally falling apart as I removed them from the car and the new suspension setup (which was used) was dramatically better.

 

Oh mama....:eek6:

 

I feel bad for using Taiwan-made stuff as the base for my suspension fix, but there's a financial limit to "doing it right" and sometimes a little research before you buy gets you a better deal than just following the conventional wisdom that some brands are simply better than others. (Koni now made in China, too...)

My original plan was Oehlins coilovers with Vorschlag camber plates, however, that combo comes up to $3k, plus there really isn't much info available online as to how well the setup works on the Mini. Very few have bought and even fewer have commented online on their experiences. Compared to the BCs from Colin, it was a big stretch to spend that much more for an uncertain outcome. Going cheaper (Megan Racing) was on the table, but being German and such, I don't do things half ass if I can avoid it.

So not being an expert on Mini suspension, I chose to do what others have found works well. And that it actually costs less than my original "do it right" plan is a bonus!

It's not like the car I have is that great - it was $8k a year ago, has 91k miles on it now, and it's costing me another $4k this summer to just get it to be safe and reliable again.

All the goodies I really want to add aren't even within my 2015 budget for it (header, custom exhaust, Aquamist, maybe a tune, roll cage, Sparco Evo seats, 6-point harnesses, quick release steering wheel, r56 trailing arms, braces, hood vents, gauges...), although once I sort out that second Mini for my son, there may be some room to start digging into that wish list before the end of the year.

Funny thing is, I still love the car, so it'll probably one day end up being a $20K ride my insurance thinks is worth $5k...

On the other hand, when I look at what you get at a stealership for $20k new these days, I am smiling ear to ear

 

If you're good at fabrication you can't beat the Subaru STI set up for the fronts. Rears, as I found out are a little more tricky. Actually a few Mini dudes have PM'd on the conversion. Most likely if I had not rolled I would have found a good STI solution for the rear.....

 

Because they will be so much different for the MINI? I don't think they have been available for the MINI for very long so it might be hard to find people who have used these, but if they are junk on VW's, Hondas, and other cars, then they will be junk on the MINI. Really honestly, the reason people get these is to slam the car to the ground on a budget so if your not going to do that then stick to your stock suspension or get some good lowering springs.

 

here you go. Enjoy.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba0rlETljCw"]Raceland Ultimo Coilover Review - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTFXF1eP7hU"]2011 + Scion Tc Raceland Coilovers Review - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HgfpboeVSg"]Raceland Ultimo Coilover Review Part 1 for Nissan 350z - YouTube[/ame]

 

have you guys ran D2's? They are local to me and a couple locals recommended them to me for my E39 540i/6

I'm leaving the e39 alone for now and my R53 is purely a toy so if it's a little harsh I'm fine with that