THE COOPER S’s SAVAGE SUSPENSION FAULT DISCLOSED

There was an interesting and probably unique road test of a Cooper S in a recent LATE 08 issue of ‘Octane’ motoring magazine. The Cooper tested was the latest 212BHP works Turbo model, and surprise, surprise, the reporter liked the performance of the 212bhp engine, but that’s where it ended, and the journalist condemned the car for it’s brutal bumpy ride and choppy handling.

I say surprise, surprise as it’s not often that a motoring magazine condemns any manufactures model, as car magazines like to get their hands on the manufactures advertising budget, which after all is what all motoring magazines, including ‘Which’ are about, yes advertising.

So I found the ‘Octane’ report on the new Cooper S Turbo very refreshing and honest, and about time too, as anybody that has driven the Cooper S will know, its handling and ride are nothing short of savage, nothing new there, but actually having a journalist confirm it, really is unique.

What a revelation from ‘Octane Magazine’, but the truth is what’s new, all Coopers S’s, and probably the Mini One and Mini Cooper model too, from day one back in 2002 handle badly on anything less than a billiard table surface, and should never have been allowed to get into the hands of the unsuspecting, but trusting motoring public, as many Mini Cooper drivers must have found out to their cost, including ME.

The fact is that if Ford, Citroen, Renault, Honda, Peugeot or any of the good hot hatch manufactures introduced cars that handled like the Cooper S, they would have been laughed off the motoring planet, but the S model Cooper got away with it as the press when it was first road tested back in 02, said and I quote….

‘And guess what they have got it to handle just like the old Mini too, Marvelous’

Do you know something, from that day on, no one ever questioned it’s handling publically, so BMW have gotten away with selling not only a terrible handling car for years, but in my opinion it’s plain dangerious as well in some hard driving circumstances, and I will soon explain why?

Advertising is a very powerful medium indeed, where the printed word is law, but where the truth is often hidden away.

Now if you’re just ambling along the streets, the Cooper S model is OK, but you will still notice that dreadful hard bumpy ride, 2hich is so bad that I know of girls that have sold their Coopers.

If your the kind of driver that like’s to press on when it’s safe to do so, your going to find my long overdue Cooper S suspension disclosure interesting stuff.

I suspect that when you think about it, you will understand my logic? because you couldn’t fail to have noticed that driving your Cooper at speed over bumps, and the undulating dips on motorways, let alone bumpy twisting country lanes, means that your going to need to wear a sports bra at speed, and it’s been like that for over 5 years NOW, as BMW have never figured out the Coopers basic and fundamental suspension ‘Cock Up’, which is quite understandable, as they obviously don’t know that it exists, otherwise you would have assumed they would have done something about it years ago.

You would have thought that with over five years of production, and endless road test miles, someone in authority at BMW would have questioned the terrible bumpy ride, and made it their business to uncover just why the Coopers ride is so bad?

So this explanation may help them out, and guess what it’s free, and it will be interesting to see if it does lead to a re-vamp of the suspension, but my guess is they will just go on selling bad handling and dangerous cars, as I’ve said, they have been doing it ever since the Coopers were first introduced all those years ago, so don’t hold your breath, manufactures hate being told they ‘got it wrong’.

It’s frankly amazing that a company with a great racing pedigree, that prides it’s self on turning out stunning performance and handling cars, that no one at BMW ever asked WHY the Cooper drives so badly. Could it be that BMW are not so smart as they would have us believe, or is it that, pre the credit crunch, they sold all the Coopers that they make, so why bother, what do their clients know?

Now, just a word on me, just so that you know that I am not a total ******, indeed I speak from years of driving experience. I have been driving race cars for over 40 years, and rarely been off the front row of the grid, winning over 30% of all my races, so I know how to drive, and importantly what good ride and handling on road cars should feel like.

You know with a little knowledge anyone can get a few more horse power, but making genuine grip, feel and handling improvements to suspensions, without setting the car up to bump and vibrate out your fillings, is an art.

Now I know that you guys on the various ‘Mini Forums’ like to have something to talk about, and what I am about to disclose to you all should really get you talking?

So here’s my observations of the fundamental suspension fault that all Mini Cooper S’s inherently suffer from, and how that basic manufactures fault (and a simple but not perfect cure) came about in the first place, it’s going to be a long haul so are you sitting comfy?

OK then I’ll begin.

Now I have to tell you that the following scenario of how the Cooper S got to have such savage suspension is pure supposition, so please remember that, but I bet it’s not far from spot on, and it does give a very plausible explanation as to how the Cooper S hit the streets in the first place, and has continued to do so, with such an appalling basic suspension ‘Cock Up’, let me explain, and although I never liked the bumpy handling of the Cooper S, I just put up with it like everyone else, until one fateful late summers morning back in 2003?.

I was driving across the Berkshire downs from Reading to Wallingford, which is something that I have done every day in an assortment of very powerful cars for many years. As normal I was ducking in and out of slower cars having a ball in a 265bhp tuned Cooper S, when I came up to a truck about 100 meters in front of me. I looked down the road in front, and judged that I could get by the truck in safety, before the two oncoming cars were on the truck, so out on the other side of the road I accelerated hard to get by the truck, but the gap closed up quicker that I had estimated, but no problem, I braked quite hard and dived in behind the truck out of the on coming traffic’s way, something we have all done at times.

Now you may well be thinking ‘Yeah and upsetting drivers around you too’, well not really, because if you have big BHP available and you judge it well, believe me your up and gone before the car you just went by realizes it, well that’s my excuse anyway?

Back to the 265BHP Cooper S that I driving that day, there was plenty of room, so braking hard down from maybe 90 to 45mph at an angle, I dive in behind the truck, still pushing hard on the brakes needing just another 5 mph to get rid of before settling in behind the truck. When suddenly the Cooper gets a mind of it’s own, and kind of flick lurches off the road and up the nearside grass verge along a dry wide shallow ditch knocking down tall weeds and bushes as it goes, leaving behind a dust trail like ‘Wells Fargo’ had just made a delivery.

I keep it on full wheel spin throttle as the last place I want to be stranded is in that dusty ditch looking a real ******, for the police to deal with,

I get traction, and after what seemed an age I drive along the grassy banking, and after about 100 meters, I plonk back on the road again with the truck still in front of me, and its driver probably no wiser?

This was some grass cutting experience believe me, when I looked in my mirrors the traffic behind me was stationery in the dust, and oncoming cars were at a crawl, very embarrassing.

I headed on out of there pronto much chastened, trying to figure out just what had happened. I even considered that the car behind may have nudged me, but no, there was plenty of room, did I hit oil, Nah no chance. It was if a giant had flicked the Cooper off the road with his thumb, was the only way that I could explain it.

Back at my garage I put the Cooper up on stands, let the tyres down and pressure washed the car clean of encrusted turf and blew out all the grass that was wedged between the wheel rims and tyres. Tee cut and polished the front, and bingo it looked like new again, but I was much troubled as to why without warning, it had suddenly and instantly shot off the road, as if it had a mind of its own.

I knew that there had to be a reason why the Cooper S had left the road in such a manner, but there was no sign of any mechanical fault. Later that day when the Cooper was on a two post ramp on full suspension droop, the inherent problem dawned on me, I could not believe what I was looking at, I stood looking at the standard front suspension, and after a while I had fathomed it out?

On close inspection I realized that all these Cooper S’s had a fundamental ‘Cock Up’ in the way the front suspension operated under extreme driving situations, like for instance braking hard down to slow speed whilst slightly turning and thereby heavily loading up one side of the front suspension, in my case the near side, which caused instant and unnatural suspension behavior to occur, which sent me off the road, and into that ditch?

So just what had happened? Guys you’re going to love this, as your Cooper S has exactly the same ‘Cock Up’ as mine had way back in 03, don’t believe me, then read on?

The first thing that I did once I had the ‘cock up; figured, (through my solicitor) was to write to BMW to warn them, and to offer my services as a consult, explaining that I had discovered a basic fault in the Cooper S’s front suspension design, that in certain circumstances was potentially very dangerous, and that as models became older there was the possibility that a suspension component may fail which could cause brake failure, and saying that an effective remedy was very simple to correct in production.

BMW’s reply quite astounded me, as they wrote back saying that IF I had discovered a basic fault, then it was my duty to make that fault public. Yeah really can you believe that? That was their level of interest. Well I guess that I am now doing that belatedly.

The truth is that I had expected as time went by, and Coopers got older to hear of front suspension failures that had emanated from the manufacturing fault that I had discovered way back in 2003, but as I have not heard of any such front suspension component failures, or un-explained mysterious accidents or brake failures, I am disclosing the fault now in 2009, as it’s about time the whistle was blown on BMW, for continuing to turn out car’s that have an inherent suspension design fault, and especially as it’s so easy to correct.

The effect of this basic fault in certain driving circumstances is, as I found out startling, as it cause’s the car to pitch from side to side at the front on full suspension load, and if your unlucky it will steer the car unnaturally with a mind of it’s own under certain extreme braking and hard driving circumstances, not good.

This inherent fault is the very reason why the Cooped S particularly, has such a terrible bumpy ride and unpredictable dead handling, as no doubt some of you will have noticed, and it can’t be just coincidence that ONLY the ‘Octane’ journalist and I are the one’s to have experienced the terrible driving effects caused by this basic design fault?

Well after that snotty reply I was not about to do BMW’s job’s for them, so I decided to wait my time and I just let it ride, excuse the pun, until I had evidence of failures, which as I have said, doesn’t seem to have happened?

Now before I go on to explain the Cooper’s basic suspension fault to you, and an easy, although NOT perfect cure, a word about the tyres fitted to all Coopers.

Why supply a powerful car with dead feel ‘Run Flat’ tyres as original equipment which rob the driver of essential feel, and especially as there is an inexpensive and far better simple alternative.

BMW fit ‘run flats’ on quite a few of their models, and I have never understood why journalists have not taken manufactures to task over why they fit these savage dead feel tyres?

The truth is that ‘Run Flats’ are heavy carcass tyres that give no instant feed back to the driver, who relies on feed back from four driving sources, which are the tyres, the pedals, your bum and the steering. All ‘run flats’ do is give a dead and late feeling, and to illustrate this, amazingly a lady that I know who just ambles along, had no idea that she had a punctured rear ‘Run Flat’ on her BMW model for weeks, until I pointed it out?

So at a stroke with these tyres fitted you only have three driving senses to give you instant driving feed back information, which drivers need to get a feel for how the car is performing for them, it’s fundamental to driving feel and always has been.

Some manufactures who have a spare tyre packaging problem, simply supply a pressurized repair kit, (Lotus Elise) that has you back on the road again in about a minute, Lotus wouldn’t dream of fitting dead ‘Run Flats’. It would be totally against their whole driving ethic, why didn’t Rover or at least BMW when they took over do just that, and then fit proper tyres, very odd, I always fit ‘Goodyear F1 eagles’.

So, and it may be pure supposition but this is how I figure that the Cooper’s front suspension problem arrived in the first place. As the fault has been there from day one, we have to go way back to the very start of real time pre-production road testing that Rover did to set up the suspension for all road conditions and circumstances.

The original Cooper test drivers sensed that the car needed more roll stiffness at the front, so quite naturally the engineers fitted a heavier front anti roll bar, and they may have done this a number of times before settling for the very heavy duty front anti roll bar that all Cooper S’s have, believe me these heavy duty bars would be at home on any 3 or 4litre model?

Presumably now satisfied that the car’s suspension was performing to their liking, the test drivers signed the suspension off, oblivious of what was going on with the suspension under certain heavy load circumstances, as I found out that fateful summers morning back in 2003?

Now this is the bit they failed to understand. They did not realize that the very long anti roll bar drop link, that’s mounted high on the suspension strut and runs down to the anti roll bar end. was bending under heavy braking load like an archers bow, and then when it could not take any more bending force, sprung back to it’s original position, this happens every time the pressure comes off heavy braking with all Cooper S’s..

It was this under load bowing and springing back to position of the anti roll bar drop link, that had me off the road and into that ditch, which fortunately I managed to drive out of, but I am sure that there must be others in extreme conditions like an accident situation that will not have been so lucky as I was that day, and are left scratching their heads?

Think about it, your for what ever reason in a potential accident situation, it may just be a build up of braking traffic in front of you, or your using your best endeavors to drive around, or out of a situation, You going to stand little chance of success if the suspension when loaded up attempts to spring back to it’s intended original position, causing a reaction that you were completely un-prepared for, because when it happens, believe me, it happens without warning and instantly.

Amazingly the evidence is actually there for all to see, I looked at half the runners in the Cooper Car race challenge series at Silverstone three years ago, and virtually all the Coopers that I looked at, had badly bent drop links near to the bottom ball joint, which was caused by the fundamental suspension ‘Cock Up’ I have outlined to you.

How it had never dawned on the race mechanics that something must be very wrong to have caused that link to be permanently bent amazes me. You would have thought somebody would have concluded that there must be an un natural force on that drop link at some point, to permanently bend it so badly?

Some companies, sell stronger anti roll bar drop links, but they actually don’t do the handling any good, in fact they make it worse, as heavy duty links are not the cure, to do that you have to go back to the reason why that huge anti roll bar was fitted in the first place, as that is the problem, not the drop links.

Remember the original test drivers must have wanted more roll stiffness at the front, so the engineers naturally provided a heavier front anti roll bar, this cured the roll problem, but they hadn’t realized just what was going on under extreme hard braking load.

What’s actually happening is the link bowing is giving the Cooper S another suspension spring medium, making it three in all, IE, the road springs, the anti roll bar and third, the anti roll bar drop link, that’s doubling up as a torsion bar, crazy?

On a race car that does not have huge down force, you really want the softest roll bars that you can get away with. Like for instance most drivers disconnect the anti roll bars for wet races, they don’t do that for the fun of it, they want the instant steering feel you get with softer suspension.

The heavier the anti roll bar, the later in the corner it gets to optimum load, and you don’t really want that, you want to turn in and have the car immediately in a settled position, which will give the driver the confidence to get on the throttle as early as possible in the corner.. If the suspension continues to load up well into the corner the driver never feels that he is driving a smooth, settled and good handling car that gives him the confidence to go to the edge of his talent, cars set up like this always feel nervous and edgy, and you just can’t get the best out of nervous edgy race cars, and it’s no different on street cars either.

Ok, so now I have told you the problem and why that ‘Octane’ journalist hated the Cooper S’s bumpy ride and handling, let’s tell you of a very simple cure.

Now I stress that this cure is NOT by any means the perfect answer, but it sure gives the car back it’s feel, and with proper tyres fitted like the ‘Goodyear F1’s’ your going to be amazed and love your Cooper all over again.

The ideal way to effect a cure would be to remove the anti roll bar and replace it with a smaller size bar, which will not load up the anti roll bar drop link, thereby giving the car proper front roll control, but there’s a problem with a simple cure, as it’s difficult to get the original anti roll bar out easily, but there is a road alternative?

Now I stress this not the perfect remedy, but it sure is better that being bumped about all over the place, and resorting to wearing that ‘Sports Bra’.

I have one particular country lane that I drive most days that is so bad in a Cooper S, I can’t go over 65MPH, but my little 800cc Daewoo will easily go along at 70MPH without attempting to launch itself into the hedgerows?

So what is this none perfect cure?

Simple ….just disconnect the anti roll bar drop link at the top strut mounting joint and, ‘tie wrap’ the link safely out of the way to the shockabsorber strut tube, I always do this if I have to drive a Cooper S for more that a few days, as I hate being ‘Sea Sick’?

Do this and right away your going to feel a full footprint of rubber going into roundabouts and tight corners at reasonable speed, which means your getting better front tyre grip, and the bumpy ride virtually disappears instantly, so you can discard the ‘Sports Bra’, and your lady will love the new ride, so your getting ‘brownie points’ that don’t cost a nickel, when did you last do that with the little Lady?

Your going to notice that the car now rolls too much at the front in certain driving conditions, but once you have that in mind you just drive around that by turning in on a tight line smoothly and more progressively, which minimizes and slows down the front end roll. So in fact it helps you to become a better driver too, and guess what, it cost nothing to get the feel back, except a few minutes jacking a wheel up on full lock and unbolting and securing that single drop link.

Of course the perfect cure is to fit a properly rated front and maybe rear anti roll bar, along with better rated shockabsorbers, and bingo you would have a Cooper S that’s handling characteristics compare with any hot hatch, now why didn’t they do that at birth? OH I just told you didn’t I, and who’s going to shoot that journalist that the rest followed like sheep way back in 2002, that said…..

’And guess what they have made it handle just like the old Mini Cooper, marvelous?’

Where do you go from here?

Well why not write to BMW and ask for an explanation as to why your Cooper S handles so badly, and also why it’s fitted with dead feel tyres too?

If you really want to ‘get them at it’ think hard, have you had an off road excursion, accident, or weird driving experience that has mystified you?

Then also ask them why they did not take advantage of a cure, when given the opportunity way back in 2003 by ME? Remember my warning letter to them in 2003 that they arrogantly ignored?

Or you could just simply disconnect the front anti roll bar and get on with it, it’s not the perfect cure, but it sure turns the Cooper S instantly into a half way reasonable car, and remember it won’t cost a nickel either.

Get the jack out, and happy Cooper S motoring,

David Brodie

tldr.

shortened version ?

First, that is too flipping long.... I read it but man you need to get off your rant.

This is a known issue in the suspension but if you don't drive like an arse on regular roads, the chances of that happening to you are slim to none. If you track your car then you should look at making some suspension changes. Nothing new really, we all know the front sway bar is garbage.

Issue aside, I always thought the MINI was renowned for is good handling. Point it where you want it to go and it will oblige! But agree, far too long, read two thirds of it and gave up to be honest! :p

The MINI does fine in handeling during a run, it is under braking and cornering conditions that the above can happen. I think that the post is a bit trollish or an add for that octane rag.

Hummm, I agree. Will be interesting to see if he come back after his 1 post! ;)

I doubt it...

I wonder if this is the racing legend Dave Brodie
Ford Escort:Dave Brodie (http://www.racing70s.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/racing70s/Fordcars/escortbrodie.htm)

Who now runs Brodie Brittain Racing morego. - Performance Car Tuning Specialists - BBR.-Gti (http://www.bbrgti.com) which is BBR or morego racing morego. - Performance Car Tuning Specialists - BBR.-Gti (http://www.morego.co.uk/bbr-gti.php)

Dave Brodie used to race in the 70's along with touring car legends Tony Lanfranchi, Gerry Marshall, Tony Dron, Barrie Williams and Andy Rouse.

Fantastic to watch these guys - yes I am an old touring car fan. Old being the operative word :D

But hey that post is way to long and hard to read.

... but if you don't drive like an arse on regular roads, the chances of that happening to you are slim...

+1. Sums it up nicely. Drive within the cars (and drivers (not a dig at the OP, just a generalism)) limits is basically the course of action here I would think...

That is quite a 1st post though!!

.........But agree, far too long, read two thirds of it and gave up to be honest! :p

You got that far ? I gave up well before that !

Steve

Yea far to long, fit Koni FSD's and brace top, bottom and middle plus super flex bushes, all problems solved.

You are talking complete b*ll*cks (or the Journalist concerned is).

I have an 05 R53 with Works suspension and 18" Dunlop SP-01 runflats.

An R56 Works is a magic carpet ride in comparison (yes, I have driven one).

My car is currently cushy compared to the original fitment SS+ suspension with 17" Dunlop DSST 9000.

This is as nothing compared to the ride with Euphorias from the same MY.

The suspension of the original 1st Gen MCS with Euphorias is, in comparison, not for the faint hearted.

Tell the journalist concerned* to grow some gonads, or go back to testing Zeppelins.

HTH :)

*name, publication and e-mail please.

So he overtook a lorry and didn't really have the space and he had to get back on his ownside of the road too quick and clipped the loose stuff at the side, I not surprised that the car ended up down a ditch, one wheel on tar, one wheel on dirt, foot to floor, something was going to happen. And then he blames the car..Its always easy if somebody/ something else can take the wrap for it.

Plus why wait 6 years to tell us our cars don't handle, maybe its because mine does and I dont drive in ditches.

The OP posted this a few moths ago, and it was removed by admin, and the poster banned for none sponsor advertising. The reason being back then it was full of advertising for the OP's company Morego, and probably still is but I can't be bothered to read it again.

nah he doesn't mention them... i read it all through.

TBH I have had this happen to me once or twice but you need to be doing full on foot to the floor 90mph+ to virtually 10mph stops which you then release from suddenly. Most folks will never have it happen

R

Wow!
I spun my car off the road last year after a silly understeer/oversteer/drop-throttle severe oversteer dance.
Can I blame it on this "design defect"?

Could not agree more about savage ride. Had 07 cooper on 16" runflats for 5 days now and reason I am on this site is to hopefully find a way to soften the ride, it is awfull ! I get the message re tyres but can anyone tell me if mini one springs are softer and would they fit ok

Anyone who thinks the R56 JCW has "savage and brutal suspension" shouldn't be working as a motoring jounalist.

It's actually too soft in standard form.

I am assuming this is the chap?

BBR.-GTi - The Two B's (http://www.morego.co.uk/bbr-gti/two_bs.php)

I did read all of the post and feel that the descision to wait 6 years and failures is playing with peoples lives, whilst he was trying to extort money from BMW for himself acting as a consultant, that's not nice... :(

quite interested in the subject but tbh cant be bothered to read all that!

The chap has a vested interest in the subject matter as the link I posted is to his tuning company that will tune and race prepare cars, they are running their own Cooper S

Having said that, he looks to be very experienced and an accomplished driver, You would have to assume correct in his findings...???

It's advertising I think... pointless dribble.....

Could not agree more about savage ride. Had 07 cooper on 16" runflats for 5 days now and reason I am on this site is to hopefully find a way to soften the ride, it is awfull ! I get the message re tyres but can anyone tell me if mini one springs are softer and would they fit ok

Koni FSD's on stock springs and dump runflats will solve the problem :D Comfortable and handles even better, fitted to my "S"

er..........anyone got any aspirins?

...and by the way, gave up halfway!!

He thinks the anti roll bar end link is bowing? Ok, fit a stonger, link... Problem solved.
A coupld of rod ends, and a threaded bar should do the trick....