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HELP. My countryman S all 4 sport is too stiff how can i undo the sport suspension

25K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  rodhot 
#1 ·
Hello,

I went from the E46 M3 to a Mini Countryman S all 4 with a sport suspension. i am driving it to DC, and DC is a very bumpy city. i have 18 inches as well with run flats which is annoying. the car handles like a dream on corners but hitting the bumps is 1- loud, 2- it shakes the car and 3- stiff, really stiff for a CUV. and i am not happy, and would like the stock countryman.

now, what goes to a sport suspension from MINI? what changed from Regular? springs, shocks, anti-sway bar, all?

best recommendation to unstiff it, PLEASE, i am willing to swap anything with a non sport, its too stiff for DC awesome for Virginia on nice smooth roads. what would be the cheapest way to fix this issue?

Gimmick or fact?

1 - I heard things like there is a bigger sway bar on the sport suspension? do all countrymen have anti sway bars? if i take the sway bar off would that help? the regular countryman S, do they have smaller bars than one with a sport suspension?

2 - The springs, are there any softer springs that would keep the stock height? i am sure the springs are major in this issue.

3 - Are dampers/shocks the same on countryman S without sport suspension or the sport suspension have a stiffer damper?

4 - 17 inch wheels? i am going for that, i have no choice.

5 - is it hopless and just sell the car, or am i panicking for no reason?

6 - if there is no easy exit, anyone wants to trade non sport suspension with mine? i will not charge anything, clean swap. i live in VA

Please help, i would really appreciate it.
 
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#3 ·
I don't know what the Countryman sports suspension includes but on regular Minis, I believe the sports suspension does not alter the springs, but just increases the anti-roll(=anti-sway) bar thickness and stiffens the settings in the dampers. So if your Countryman is the same, there are not some magic springs that will fix the ride.

Just my thoughts are:

First step should be to stay on 18s but get rid of the runflats - they produce a crashy ride and regular tyres might give you just enough improvement for you to put up with. It's a simple solution that doesn't change the car at all, or invalidate its warranty, so while four new tyres aren't cheap, this may be the first step that should be tried.

Switching to 17" wheels with non-runflats would be the next step up in simple comfort as it takes you from a 45 series tyre to a 55 series (tyre height). You might be able to find someone with a Countryman who would like your 18s in a straight swap, so this option might be the cheapest of all. Again, your warranty would not be invalidated.

Changing the suspension is a major task. Almost whatever you do is likely to cost you enough that it might be more sensible to trade in your current car and get another without sports suspension - it might look cheaper to change the suspension, but then you have to think about what it would do to the resale value.

Trying a tyre and/or wheel swap has to be the first test. You might even find your dealer able to help by loaning you wheels, to keep you happy.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for your reply, i have driven same car, wheels and tires but reguler suspension.... MY GOD it was so much softer, stiff enough not to drive like sadan but sporty enough... SPORT SUSPENSION IS BEYOND STIFF, ESPECIALLY IN DC.

if only i know what has changed on the mini countryman sport suspention so i can take them off or eliminates them... but 17 inch non flats IT IS. next in questions is

1- springs, same or modified?
2 - dampers, same or modified?
3 - sway bar, same, modified, do regular CM even have a sway bar?

PLEASE IF SOMEONE KNOWS THAT INFO, i called the dealer and they said i have to reorder the suspension completely 4 - 5 grand... car has only 300 miles.... I DONT TRUST THEM
 
#5 ·
Opposite Problem

I have the opposite issue, having come from an MY05 JCW MCS with JCW brakes and suspension/strut brace,

My new Countryman SDAll4 Manual was ordered with Sports suspension, but has ended up being shipped without. I found this out this week, after placing my order back in February, my car is less than 2 weeks from delivery.

Options are:
• re-order my spec with the Sports suspension fitted waiting another 4 months,
• take car as is with standard suspension, and risk more body roll and softer ride, or
• get the Sports sway bars fitted, but keep the stock springs and shocks. (dealer reckons not enough money in the deal for them to replace all items at the dealership, so no option there)

I do like my ride stable and firm at speed, so am tending towards the sports sway bars, and retain standard springs/shocks..

any comments, thoughts?

Thanks,

Marcus
 
#7 ·
I have the opposite issue, having come from an MY05 JCW MCS with JCW brakes and suspension/strut brace,

My new Countryman SDAll4 Manual was ordered with Sports suspension, but has ended up being shipped without. I found this out this week, after placing my order back in February, my car is less than 2 weeks from delivery.

Options are:
• re-order my spec with the Sports suspension fitted waiting another 4 months,
• take car as is with standard suspension, and risk more body roll and softer ride, or
• get the Sports sway bars fitted, but keep the stock springs and shocks. (dealer reckons not enough money in the deal for them to replace all items at the dealership, so no option there)

I do like my ride stable and firm at speed, so am tending towards the sports sway bars, and retain standard springs/shocks..

any comments, thoughts?

Thanks,

Marcus
I just ordered a Countryman S a couple of days ago and asked about whether I should go with Sports Suspension. Dealer said he delivered one to a customer and said the car was almost undriveable with the car bouncing all over the road (his words).

My current car is an R53 S with sports suspension which is very stiff and Countryman S felt just a firm with stock suspension.
 
#10 ·
The Sport suspension is heavier than the standard suspension. And when in SPORT MODE the electronics stiffen the steering and change the overall dynamics of the DSC which helps stabilize the car. MINIs are bouncers in the Sport Tune, and to try to make an S or JCW smoother will be nil, trade-in would be cheaper and get a base car with smaller smoother tyres and softer susupension. The ALL4 S will never be as smooth as the M3, wheelbase is shorter and the rollover stats of a Countryman ( wheelbase to height ) keep it from being Solo 'd ( Autocrossed ) by SCCA.
 
#11 ·
In the end did you try out regular 205/55/17 tires and if so what was your experience?

I just got back from 2500 mile trip in my 2011 Countryman S from Fort Lauderdale to Maryland and drove a few days in DC. I recently purchased the CM as used car but in excellent condition, with a brand new set of RFT 225/45/18s.

Previously I had 2011 Audi A3 S-line TDI and that car was a dream when it came to handling and it had a tight responsive steering that was not bumpy, precise and quite. It had non RFT Continental ContiPro tires.

I find the MINI has great steering and fun to drive, but my GOD the tires are noisy and do you get jolt each time you hit so much as a crack in the road. Driving in DC was absolutely the worst, it was like driving a 1945 CJ7 off road.
 
#12 ·
Bumpy suspension

The anti-roll (sway) bars don't affect ride quality. Fitting stiffer bars counters leaning whilst cornering.
I've recently come from a Toyota MR2 Mk3 and fitted uprated bars which hugely improved the car's cornering ability without compromising ride quality.
 
#13 ·
i have an all4 with sport suspension and 18 inch wheels, my sister has an all4 with standard suspension and 17 inch wheels

her countryman is like an old caddy in the corners, and the ride is soft and bouncy

my all4 was rough with the stock runflats, but after replacing them with michelin pilot super sports non-rfs oversized to 225/50R18, the ride is firm, but not harsh and it handles corners much better than my sisters

if i were to buy another all4 it would absolutely have the sport suspension, but i would again ditch the rf tires

for the record, the sport suspension uses different shocks, different springs and different sway bars
 
#15 ·
17" rims + non run flats for sure. tires vary among the same sizes as well, some ride better + others handle better. i dislike bigger tires + rims as they are not practical, smaller sidewalls make rims more easily damaged. lighter wheels + tires allow suspension to work better to control the ride. 16" would be even better + a great choice for snow tires if needed
 
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