1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: What is your suspension setup?

I've got a 2006 MCS that came with the sport package.

Jango is an all-around car. I like a lower, agressive stance, but I also live in a metro area with lots of pot-holes and speed bumps. It is part daily driver, part show car and part track toy.

My current suspension setup:

1. Stock struts
2. TSW springs (I've got the beta version of the rear springs, so they are a bit lower than the springs that are currently sold... they added about 1cm of ride height to the spring specs after they saw how my car settled). The front height of the production TSW springs (now Way Motorworks springs) is the same as my car.
3. 21mm hollow rear swaybar
4. Ireland Engineering fixed front camber plates
5. Adjustable rear lower control arms (went to -3 degrees of camber without them... car looked like this from behind: /--------\
6. Powerflex LCA bushings and rear trailing arm stiffeners
7. A UMP lower front brace, M7 upper front tower brace and a upper rear tower brace.

There are lots of pics in my garage, including one in the suspension section that I photoshopped one pic on top of the other, to show the before and after look of the stock springs vs. TSW Springs.

In a year or so, when my stock struts wear out (at 58k miles now), I'll probably put on a set of coilovers... I'm thinking of the TSW KW Variant 2 setup (KW Variant 2 Coilovers R50,52,53 - Way Motor Works)

 

Let's see...

I've got
Hotchkiss Adjustable Camber plates
H-Sport Lower Rear control Arms
R56 Al rear Trailing arms
Leda single adjustable coil-overs
Currently running ~325 in/lb springs, but will go back to ~250 in/lb sometime soon.
Alta PSRS front control arm bushings
TSW X-brace
Running a cheap 17x7" wheel (light and cheap) Kazera KZ-Vs (they were on sale)
-2 front -1 rear camber, lowered about 1/2", 0 toe all around.
Some 19mm rear bar on mid position.

Springs are too stiff for the street, that's why I'll go back to the 250 lb/in springs. I'm pretty happy with the PSRS, but if I were to do it over, I'd go with Powerflex polys. The PSRS is nice, but mine needed the sleeves welded. Bit of a pain. I had the RDR (now Helix) adjustable camber plates, but they add a touch of ride hiegth. The X-Brace really stiffened the car up, but couples noise into the cabin. Still, I think it's a great part that is well worth it's cost. 0 toe makes it a bit twitchy, but that's not a big deal. With all the settings I'm getting really, really even tire wear. I live in hills and every day has some twisties.

Without the camber plates, track days would ruin tires something awful. Some is my driving, but going to -2 up front really cured the problem, and practically doubled tire life (well over 20k a set now, up from the low teens). Tire life increases paid for the camber plates for sure. I paid for the RDRs, but got the Hotchkiss for free. Bought the Ledas used, and had them rebuilt last year for ~$400.


Matt

 

Dibs on your TSW springs if they're not promised elsewhere and are not worn out when you upgrade to coilovers.

My suspension is stock right now.

 

Jeremy... I'll try to remember to offer 'em to you first. Just start saving your pennies for the other bits. When you do these springs (especially the rear beta springs that are super low in the back), you will need adjustable lower control arms and I'd recommend doing fixed front camber plates as well if you can swing it up front... plus an alignment a week or so after things settle.

I'd expect the springs to be fine. The struts however, after 60k miles on lowered springs and half a dozen weekends at the track will probably be shot.

 

Thanks! I'd definitely want to do the rear adjustable control arms and some sort of fixed camber plates. I'm still on OEM struts myself, but I haven't been to the track. At 80k miles, not sure how long they last.

 

They are gonna be pretty well shot by the time I get ready for the coil overs and the springs will be available. 80-100k is about the limit on stock struts with moderate use. I'm planning for the coil overs 'cause with the lowering springs and track days, mine will go sooner than usual.

 

Oh well. Keep me in mind anyway and we'll see. If the struts go out while I'm still under my aftermarket warranty, I may see if they'll give me money toward struts and I'll pay the difference for KW V1s myself. Wishful thinking.