15 replies to this topic

[minibuck]

I'm looking to lower the mini as I want to have it archless, also want it to handle better on the road (performance) what's the best suspension to use? I have standard wheel size.

Edited by minibuck, 16 February 2014 - 06:26 PM.

[jt19]

You will need a set of hi-lo's mate and possibly lowered type dampers, depending how low your going to go.

[minibuck]

Minispares have these on offer atm. Are spax the best to have? Anyone use these?

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[kezzkitkat]

Depends on how much you want to spend you can go with coilovers or shocks with a decent set of cones eg redspot or springs again mixed reviews on Everything but you will need some hi and lo's in any direction you want to go

[kezzkitkat]

Spax are not the best but are in the top list but ive herd good things about gmax which are cheap and even herd people say there good as spax

[Almond-1]

Spax are good & used by many. Not a bad package & fully adjustable.  Beware of going too low! if using on the road.

[Cooperman]

If you lower a Mini it will not handle or have road-holding as good as it would if at standard height.

This has been explained on here many times, but to explain again:

The Mini has very short suspension travel and even at standard ride height it is a bit short for normal bumpy roads. Lowering further reduces available suspension travel and in corners the suspension arms will tend to hit the bump stops. When the suspension is on the bump-stops it won't hold the road, steer or handle well. In fact it will be slower.

For best road-holding, and best handling, the best settings for the road are:

Standard ride height

Front settings:  3 degrees caster, 1 to 1.5 degrees negative camber, 1 mm toe out

Rear Settings:  Zero to 0.5 degrees negative camber, 1 mm toe-in.

 

With good compliant damping and top quality tyres it will be about the best a Mini can be.

 

Lowering is for race tracks which are totally smooth and a lower centre of gravity will help lap times. The public roads are not smooth - far from it, so the suspension needs to work at its best capability.

[minimender]

If you lower a Mini it will not handle or have road-holding as good as it would if at standard height.

This has been explained on here many times, but to explain again:

The Mini has very short suspension travel and even at standard ride height it is a bit short for normal bumpy roads. Lowering further reduces available suspension travel and in corners the suspension arms will tend to hit the bump stops. When the suspension is on the bump-stops it won't hold the road, steer or handle well. In fact it will be slower.

For best road-holding, and best handling, the best settings for the road are:

Standard ride height

Front settings:  3 degrees caster, 1 to 1.5 degrees negative camber, 1 mm toe out

Rear Settings:  Zero to 0.5 degrees negative camber, 1 mm toe-in.

 

With good compliant damping and top quality tyres it will be about the best a Mini can be.

 

Lowering is for race tracks which are totally smooth and a lower centre of gravity will help lap times. The public roads are not smooth - far from it, so the suspension needs to work at its best capability.

 

At last, somebody talking sense regarding road holding / suspension etc

 

In my experience though, the best single thing you can do to improve cornering is to remove the toe in from the rear axle, can be done by simply adding washers behind subframe brackets so costs pence.  The difference over standard is amazing but the back end can come out in the wet (added bonus maybe   )

[Cooperman]

You really do need a very slight toe-in on the rear or the car will become unstable. Even on rally cars we always run about 1 mm toe-in and the turn-in is still good so long as the camber is 0 - 0.5 degrees negative.

What one doesn't want is the 1/4" (6 mm) rear toe-in which is not abnormal on replacement sub-frames, especially after-market ones.

I have had to 'correct' some stupidly low Minis to get them to have good road-holding and acceptable handling and it is always necessary to correct the rear settings  after setting the ride height to standard. Often rally cars are set higher than standard, especially for very bumpy tarmac or for gravel/forest roads.

Lowered cars are really only for racing, unless perceived style is more important than road-performance and if you want people to think you might be a racing driver (boy-racer  ).

[minimender]

You really do need a very slight toe-in on the rear or the car will become unstable. Even on rally cars we always run about 1 mm toe-in and the turn-in is still good so long as the camber is 0 - 0.5 degrees negative.

What one doesn't want is the 1/4" (6 mm) rear toe-in which is not abnormal on replacement sub-frames, especially after-market ones.

I have had to 'correct' some stupidly low Minis to get them to have good road-holding and acceptable handling and it is always necessary to correct the rear settings  after setting the ride height to standard. Often rally cars are set higher than standard, especially for very bumpy tarmac or for gravel/forest roads.

Lowered cars are really only for racing, unless perceived style is more important than road-performance and if you want people to think you might be a racing driver (boy-racer  ).

 

And different camber on each side

I once bought end plates from BMC as it was then, thinking that they would be a straight fit.  They didn't have the hole drilled for the swinging arm spindle so I had to drill my own, man at BMC said that's how they come new.

[Cooperman]

Yes, it's the rear suspension settings which define the ultimate road-holding & handling on a Mini, whilst having the front right is a bonus.

 

I once had to correct an after-market rear sub-frame which had 1/4" toe-in, zero camber on one side and 2 degrees positive on the other side. After correction it  was fine. 

[3ltrmini]

Just a thought ????? but does nobody make an  air ride suspension kit for minis ???? then you could have standard height for normal driving and slam it to the floor for poseing and smooth roads,im going to Google it to find out..

[3ltrmini]

Just looked and air ride kits are plentiful to buy BUT at a price......... how cool to see a mini sitting on the floor whilst parked up WOW and they recon the handling will be improved with a smoother ride.

[Cooperman]

You could buy a modern car for what an air-ride system would cost, then keep the classic car for what it is, a true classic, and go fast/pose in a more modern car. You can even get a Porsche Boxster for under £5000 in good condition and that is very quick, has lots of road-holding and handles well too.

I don't see why an air-ride Mini would handle better. It might have better road holding, but the best handling Mini has 4.5" wheels, 145 tyres and standard ride height. Even racing Minis don't often handle as well as standard road Minis, although with sticky wide racing slicks the road-holding is awesome in the dry.

There is a world of difference between handling & road-holding and they are completely different things.

Edited by Cooperman, 16 February 2014 - 10:54 PM.

[3ltrmini]

Hey fella dont shoot the messenger !!! you can buy a full kit for £850 which is quite a good price considering what you get for the money.and the ref handling it is their comments not mine...1 advantage would be improved suspension travel over standard and no bumps would be so harsh..