[TallAndy]

E-Mail i got from JCG after enquiring about their suspension upgrade

-----email-----
The cost the suspension is £900.00 inc vat fitted
It lowers the car by approx 1 inch
It stop all the body roll gives you much better handling and stops the rear skipping out.
It stiffens up the car
-----------------

Anyone got this upgrade? Bit pricey I think i might stick to just getting eibachs

Andy

[Paul]

£900.00?!



That is to say....

Also interested to hear feedback from owners/those who've tested it.

[Tonyt3]

It would be interesting to see whoose product JCW are rebadging..... probably find eibachs or similar with a JCW badge...


Bit like the Sparco seats with JCW logo.....

[cooper4me]

Funny thing is that all the product information in German says the JC setup lowers the car by only 10mm. Sure makes a difference to me - wonder where the mistake happened...

[scooperman_uk]

it lowers by 10mm i saw one being fitted at my dealer and asked what the drop was. oddly enough the customer was going the whole hog and having JCW conversion, seats and 18inchers too...

[cooper4me]

10mm plus an even harsher ride won't do it for me then - especially at that cost.

[scooperman_uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by cooper4me

10mm plus an even harsher ride won't do it for me then - especially at that cost.

i thought it was a little odd. so did the mechanic. but hey some people have more money than sense. We didn both wonder if it would end up scrubbing the tires on the arches too!

[wibbly]

JCW told me an inch when I enquired with them on Monday when I was there having my Upgrade

[Raify]

I think I've tried a 210 works with this suspension. I went for a quick 10 min blast to confirm that I wanted the extra 10 ponies, and after reading this month's Evo, it's clear that I tried the same model they did, with JCW suspension.

I didn't really think that the ride was overly harsh. It was riding on JCW 18's (didn't check for runflats or not) so the turn in was a little sluggish compared to mine (on 16's).

The roads I tried it on were fairly smooth, so it didn't get many pot-holes / ruts to unsettle it.

I don't think I would part with another grand, as the difference wasn't that great.

All IMVHO of course

[kabulcooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by andeh

E-Mail i got from JCG after enquiring about their suspension upgrade

-----email-----
The cost the suspension is £900.00 inc vat fitted
It lowers the car by approx 1 inch
It stop all the body roll gives you much better handling and stops the rear skipping out.
It stiffens up the car
-----------------

Anyone got this upgrade? Bit pricey I think i might stick to just getting eibachs

Andy

I'm booked in for a Works upgrade on my 04 MCS this Friday. JCG gave me 250 quid off the suspension upgrade which I am having done at the same time. Not quite a bargain at 650 pounds but better than the advertised 900 GBP. Total price is 4657 inc VAT (that includes a pair of front spots also). Yes I know a could get a BBR Phase 2 for that but insurance ease, re-sale and warranty concerns pushed me to JCW.

The discount really made the difference as I was sitting on the fence as to whether a suspension upgrade was worthwhile at this moment in time. I'm not sure if many others would entertain a simultaneous JCW210 and suspension upgrade but if you are that way inclined, it might be worth asking for a similar discount.

Off thread: As an aside my insurance went down 140 GBP ; how bizarre is that. Try First Alternative!

Cheers

Fraz

[LordNikon]

I tried the JCW fully kitted demo, and the ride was awful, harsh, noisey and just plain gittery, the 18's + the suspension made it unbearable !

[TallAndy]

Was going to say Fraz you test drove the suspension?

[kabulcooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by LordNikon

I tried the JCW fully kitted demo, and the ride was awful, harsh, noisey and just plain gittery, the 18's + the suspension made it unbearable !

Quote: Originally Posted by andeh

Was going to say Fraz you test drove the suspension?

LordNikon, thanks for the input. I have heard a couple of similar comments. Unfortunately, I find my Oct 03 MCS standard set-up with 17"s and run-flats pretty gittery when I push it hard; I was hoping that JCG would improve the overall feel of the car given the power upgrade to 210. If your experience was so disappointing, I wonder if there was some sort of set-up problem; I understand that there are 3 degrees of firmness depending on weight. Evo mag were full of praise for the JCG kit but it's all pretty subjective stuff at the end of the day I suppose. I will enquire tomorrow morning 'face-to-face' and get some reassurance with a test-run before they fit.

The results - either way - will appear on here in due course.

Cheers, Fraz

[LordNikon]

Fraz

Dont get me wrong, it handled well and it stuck to the road like to a blanket, but it was too firm for our average road system in the UK.

I recently ditched my runflats on my S Spokes to normal tyres and this has helped the gittery feedback and tramlining alot on the standard suspension.

I would imagine the JCW I went in was on full stiffness, but it was bad, and I have had some pretty mad suspension kits on previous cars. I'm going to stick with standard suspension, even with the extra 220 bhp planned, and just strut brace the front turrets, and ARB the rear ......

[Penguinracer]

Lord Nikon & Fraz,
suspension set-up is as you say a subjective thing. If you want to try a car with a lovely ride/handling compromise try West Tunings demonstrator which is running koni coilovers & Ray West's own specification of spring.
The Mini is a car for the twisties, so what always surprises me is that people who already have 200+ bhp go looking to spend even more money to get 230-240 bhp when the car can't even deploy 200 bhp efficiently out of damp, slimey-leafed corners. I always recommend ditching the last 20 bhp & installing a quaife or at least some form of lsd. A 240 bhp Mini won't be any quicker round the B-roads than one with 200 bhp. Improve the traction, sharpen the handling and upgrade the brakes if you want to make the car significantly quicker. Just piling on the horses won't do it. The motorway is the only place where the big power will confer a significant advantage - but that's hardly exciting is it - just a big number on the dial as you plough down some straight with one eye on the mirror and the other looking out for speed cameras and police cars.

[LordNikon]

I agree whole heartedly with Penguin above ... I am happy with 220bhp, improve the handling and the braking, but I dont want extremes in any area.

I want the car to be useable but still fun

[gr8britwjh]

Any updates on how this suspension performs in the real world ?

It's just about to be released in the US and I'm wondering if it's worth the "investment".

C'mon, there must be a few people in the UK with this option by now

[cooper7]

Hi all,

I'm positive the JCW suspension are the Billstein coilovers i'm guessing they're re-packaged? I've got the spax rsx coilovers on my mini and have 18" wheels. Mine is on the optimum set-up for improvement of handling around bends. Yes it is bumpy and i guess that might not be to everyone's taste but on the other hand it is adjustable so this issue can be partly resolved. However, of all the mods i have put on my car the seven hundred and fifty pounds i forked out on high grade suspension was by a distance the best thing i ever did to the car. I don't have a works S as i'm only 21 (eventually hopefully!!) but to have that increase in power and to not have the set-up to respond seems a shame. I have pushed my mini to 55+ through roundabouts and the back end barely squeals let alone moves! For all the joyous notes of my lovely exhaust nothing can compare to flying my car into and out of bends ........ and knowing it will never let me down. To be fair the mini has always been a good handling car and the sports suspension helped that but the top end suspension takes it to a whole new level. To those that are thinking of stretching the extra pound to get it I can say only this. If you are after a whole lot more fun in your little gem of a car then this mod will provide endless smiles when exiting bends. I am currently a student in leeds and we have the worst roads near and around the city. To say dodgems are less bumpy is an understatement. Yet i am always comforted by the thought of the next roundabout ahead!

Please remember my suspension set-up is on the harshest setting known to man in order to try and get the most out of it!

[Welbo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Penguinracer

Lord Nikon & Fraz,
suspension set-up is as you say a subjective thing. If you want to try a car with a lovely ride/handling compromise try West Tunings demonstrator which is running koni coilovers & Ray West's own specification of spring.
The Mini is a car for the twisties, so what always surprises me is that people who already have 200+ bhp go looking to spend even more money to get 230-240 bhp when the car can't even deploy 200 bhp efficiently out of damp, slimey-leafed corners. I always recommend ditching the last 20 bhp & installing a quaife or at least some form of lsd. A 240 bhp Mini won't be any quicker round the B-roads than one with 200 bhp. Improve the traction, sharpen the handling and upgrade the brakes if you want to make the car significantly quicker. Just piling on the horses won't do it. The motorway is the only place where the big power will confer a significant advantage - but that's hardly exciting is it - just a big number on the dial as you plough down some straight with one eye on the mirror and the other looking out for speed cameras and police cars.

I agreed with you totally. Power is nothing without Control...........
I just installed PSS9 on my 05 MCS and the only regret I have is that I should have done it earlier!!!!!!!!!!! kekeke
Cornering is never the same since I ditch the run flat for Bridgestone RE050A and the PSS9 coilover................yahooooooooooooooo

Cheers!

[m111nme]

well i am off to jcw tomorrow to have the 210 upgrade along with their motorsport manifold...and now have decided to get the suspension pakage too! i'll let you know what i think!

ps... the setup that i have on vx220 is very very harsh! but that is because its lowered and stiffened ( spax rs coilovers on setting 16!)