[tnoy66]

Ok folks, just been for a drive with MarkW19 to give him an idea of how they are, I'll let him post his thoughts as a passenger.

They're settling down nicely now and from the comfort side they have to be a must have.
Whilst you do know you've still gone over a bump/dip, all the crashing and banging has been eliminated, more of quiet thump. Not really sure how else to put that into words

We went down one road which is very undulating, this always felt unsafe, even at 70ish with the steering wheel being pulled side to side in reaction to the wheels. It now feels very safe going, errrrrr, a bit quicker

With our cars parked side by side, we came to the conclusion that the ride height is the same, if there is a difference (up or down), it must only be a couple of mm. Visually it's the same, so don't worry about that

Cornering is improved, though Mark said there was still some body-roll but much less than standard. You can definately attack corners with a bit more speed and confidence and it will still grip, which is just as well, as I had a car coming in the opposite direction a couple of times ......I went for a further ride after dropping off Mark and attacked some better known corners.

Trying to think of words for summing these up, they seem to retain the stiffness without the harshness so you get a more relaxing drive in everyday use but have the control over the car when you need it.

I'll add to this that I have non-runflats and currently have the OMP lower brace (which is another great addition) and a JCW strutbrace. The JCW will soon be replaced by the new GTT version. I'm very interested to see what difference the new GTT brace will make

BTW Mark, did you notice the difference as much getting back into your car

[MINIMANIAUK]

fitting lowering springs or any springs that are not designed with both the shocks and the and the car in mind is not a good idea , other than lower the car,the springs cause the shocks to operate in a region where they cant do much,and can cause excess wear in the whole steering/suspension, The Konis were designed around stock spring rates and height to both improve the handling and ride,the various spring rates on the MINI is within their operating range, to get better results than the Konis provide, is only possible with coilover spring/shocks sets designed for the MINI and set up acordingly,and most are track orientated but still adjustable for road use and provide a good ride quality

[MarkW19]

I was impressed!

However, they've not suddenly transformed the car into a comfortable luxury saloon, as some people over on NAM would have you believe.

But it's a good improvement, and certainly worthwhile - as Tony says, it's still a firm/responsive/stiff ride, but the crashing/banging/harshness over bumps has gone. Small bumps are virtually non-existant now, and the bigger potholes etc. much more pleasant to drive over - you don't think one of your dampers has been smashed off when you drive over a big pothole and hear that awful crashing sound!

Also, bad/uneven roads now don't unsettle the car, and it just glides over them feeling a lot more stable and controllable than before.

As far as handling goes, I'd say it's a good bit better than standard, although nowhere near a decent set of coilovers. The roll is down a good bit, and the car hangs on in the corners better than standard, feeling more composed and it gives you a bit more confidence to corner a little faster.

But they aren't about handling - they make the car feel a lot better, more refined, quieter, and easier to control, without sacrificing the go-kart feel we're all used to. And all this without affecting the handling (as you'd expect) - maybe even making the handling better.

If you want to improve the suspension on your car and make it a more pleasurable everyday drive, and aren't bothered about lowering it for looks, then I'd give them a look

Cheers Tony.

[T-bone S]

will do some investigative work - but looks like these might get on the wish-list - I hate the way my MCS sometimes crashes through bumps and potholes. If these keep the stiffness of my ride but make it more refined - I'm all for it.

[PCooperS]

These sound just what I am after, one question, did you replace the front only

[tnoy66]

Quote: Originally Posted by PCooperS (original)

These sound just what I am after, one question, did you replace the front only

Noooooo
Never only change one end of the car, it would not be safe!

All four shocks were changed

[tnoy66]

Some pics of the shocks fitted, bit hard to get good pics as the wheels are in the way

Front



Rear

[SteveM3]

Just another note to day FSD's seem good but no miracle cure. I found going from runflats to
conventional tyres improved the ride. The FSD's improved the ride a little more but if I still had
runflats it may have been more noticeable. I presume I had the softer factory SS+ suspension
as the ride has never been harsh so earlier cars should notice an even bigger improvement.
The handling is still flat at road speeds with next to no understeer off the track. Possible a little
better with FSD's but difficult to be sure without back to back comparisons. Again earlier cars
may well give different results. Factor in the supercharger and the upshot is I now have a pocket
rocket when I want it and a car that is comfortable in terms of ride and ease of driving when I
am stuck in traffic .

[KiwiJCW]

I had FSDs fitted 3-4 months ago. Just before that I went from 16" to 17", and then run-flats to Goodyear FS1.

My observations FWIW:

16" to 17": more grip but not so chuckable; slides happen much faster

Pirelli runflats to Goodyear FS1: Big improvement in road-noise & comfort. More grip including in the wet.

Standard MCS shocks to FSDs: didn't notice any handling/roadholding difference but comfort levels much improved on rough roadseal. No need to avoid potholes. Biggest comfort difference is when travelling with a passenger.

If I was to do it all again, I'd stay with 16" but get runflats and FSDs as my priorities are handling, & then ride comfort on New Zealand's rough roadswith a passenger rather than roadholding. My driving is mostly commuting along fast but rough coastal roads.

[alski]

[quote=MINIMANIAUK;2665841]fitting lowering springs or any springs that are not designed with both the shocks and the and the car in mind is not a good idea ,


i was at the autosport show last week, and spoke to a koni guy on this, as i also like the idea of FSD and a lower car, he suggested i keep an eye this summer on the american koni website
"as somthing is under development" to address this very point,
so if you can wait you might be able to have your cake and eat it after all

[jmargolis]

I've had FSDs and H&R springs on my 2005 MCS for a few months now and haven't had any problems at all (other than scraping the occasionally high speed bump). Had the SS+ before the Konis definitely take the edge off. Once the weather starts to warm up again, I'll swap out the run-flats and put on Yokohama Neova AD07s. I suspect the non-run-flat tyres will make a bigger difference than the change in suspension.

[DSCS]

one of the best thread!!