JCW Pro coilover unboxing

70095 Views 64 Replies 30 Participants Last post by ImaginativeTruth, Jun 27, 2021

Ryephile

Discussion Starter · Aug 11, 2015

8

I decided that for now I'm going to opt for an "OEM+" motif for my JCW. Part of that decision was centered around the fact that the new JCW Pro coilover offering is in fact built by KW, yet still comes with a MINIUSA warranty that spans the new car warranty. Motor City MINI gave me a lovely package price with the coilovers when buying the JCW, so it was an easy decision. Keep in mind the JCW is my daily driver, and I have my turbo Miata built up as the hardcore Hoosier-shod track car, so a dollop of comfort with sporting intentions are the theme here.

The bigger-than normal box fits comfortably in the F56's larger boot. :biggrin5:

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

The part number is 33502341197 for "retrofit kit sports suspension" (for cars without DDC)

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

A very nice microfiber bag holds the spring perch adjuster wrench

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

A little more unpacking shows the foam-wrapped rear springs, thread-locker compound, "Attention: John Cooper Works sport suspension installed" sticker (LOL), and front struts, the expanding foam keeping everything night and snug.

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

Here's an up-close of the stainless steel front strut, the stickers indicate "Left" and "Right" sides, and the "made by KW" clearly marked.

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

Here are the dampers and springs all together on the bench. The rear bumpstops have new dust boots snapped into them. I presume the fronts will re-use the original dust boot bellows

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

The rear springs, rear height adjusters with very nice rubber noise isolators, thread locker, wrench, and sticker. Where should the sticker go? :confused5:

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

Close up of the rear height adjuster. It's nicely anodized aluminum, likely right off the shelf at KW but anodized black instead of purple. The rubber isolator is actually a very OEM looking 2-piece design that plugs into the coil spring end.

JCW Pro coilovers unboxing by Ryephile, on Flickr

In all it's a very nice looking kit. It's clear it's had an OEM touch over the normal KW offerings, which is a big plus. I'll post more information on the stroke and bumpstops when I remove the stock bits to have a solid comparison.

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Ryephile

Discussion Starter · #21 · Sep 4, 2015

The front suspension uses MacPherson struts, so the camber curve is essentially linear. A bit more front negative camber would make the car more neutral in corners, and there is an OEM front knuckle that's cast for -0.5° over original. It's spendy but proper. I might go that route if good quality (& quiet) camber plates aren't made available soon.

I'll say that the factory alignment is very very good for most street applications. MINI did a great job with the kinematics on this new platform.

Reactions: 2

schummi2k

· #22 · Sep 4, 2015

Excellent!!

I totally agree about the offset front control arm bushing. Not a good solution.

Let's hope we have some good and quiet camber plates soon!

Thank you for your experienced comments and sweet ride BTW.

Regards,

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

israel.skosana

· #23 · Sep 13, 2015

Ryephile said:
The front suspension uses MacPherson struts, so the camber curve is essentially linear. A bit more front negative camber would make the car more neutral in corners, and there is an OEM front knuckle that's cast for -0.5° over original. It's spendy but proper. I might go that route if good quality (& quiet) camber plates aren't made available soon.

I'll say that the factory alignment is very very good for most street applications. MINI did a great job with the kinematics on this new platform.

I loved this thread and learnt so much from it.
I am surprised that the jcw does not come with this setup standard!

Burning_rubber

· #24 · Sep 24, 2015

This looks very cool bit unfortunately also very expensive.

You have a nice set of wheels my friend

NellyRod

· #25 · Oct 8, 2015

OEM waranty and made by KW? That's exactly awesome. Definitely a no brainier. Thanks for this thread. Very informative. Now I just have to wait 6 weeks for my JCW to arrive. ?

Reactions: 1

Ryephile

Discussion Starter · #26 · Oct 13, 2015

Burning_rubber said:
This looks very cool bit unfortunately also very expensive.

You have a nice set of wheels my friend

Thank you

For what it's worth and to put it in perspective, the JCW Pro coilovers are a reasonably priced solution given their quality and performance. The fairly-equivalent KW V1's are slightly more expensive yet don't come with a MINI-backed warranty. You can find cheaper coilovers like BC, but you sacrifice the full suspension stroke, damper quality, and materials longevity to achieve that lower price point. Even cheaper would be simply a lowering spring, however you give up exactly the amount of compression travel to lower the ride height, resulting in much more bumpstop-active system [read: more harsh ride quality], so those with discerning taste likely eschew this option all-together. Full-on racing dampers [like Anze/Penske] can set you back $4k to beyond $10k, and they require extensive engineering design and wisdom to be effective, and also need more care in terms of requiring rebuilds every year or two. That makes their ownership cost hugely expensive and out of the scope of a practical street car.

So, in the end, the JCW Pro coilovers end up being a relatively affordable yet quality option for the sporting street car.

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schummi2k

· #27 · Nov 1, 2015

Hello Ryephile,

how about these?

http://www.waymotorworks.com/powerflex-front-control-arm-camber-adjustment-bushings-f55-f56.html

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Ryephile

Discussion Starter · #28 · Nov 3, 2015

It's a bit off-topic, but I'm not a fan of eccentric bushings in that fashion. There's a strong probability they'll rotate during the course of usage, making a stable alignment difficult. Currently the best option is the OEM knuckles that add -0.5 deg camber. I'll take reliable minor improvement over questionable substantial improvement. Your individual risk/reward equation will vary.

Blue al

· #29 · Nov 3, 2015

Ryephile said:
It's a bit off-topic, but I'm not a fan of eccentric bushings in that fashion. There's a strong probability they'll rotate during the course of usage, making a stable alignment difficult. Currently the best option is the OEM knuckles that add -0.5 deg camber. I'll take reliable minor improvement over questionable substantial improvement. Your individual risk/reward equation will vary.

I'm torn between these 2 options

I think the adjustment is +- .75 so not that much in it, as it may 1st appear

adrianocastro

· #30 · Feb 18, 2016

I apologise for the ignorance, but what exactly is the difference between the Sports Suspension and the JCW Pro Suspension shown here?

[email protected]

· #31 · Feb 23, 2016

hello, I installed the kit and I would like to know if like me you have a little flutter of the rear axle.

Renner

· #32 · Feb 24, 2016

I'm interested in knowing if they have compression adjustment, I'm trying to choose between these or buying a set from KW directly.

Sayo

· #33 · Mar 6, 2016 (Edited)

Question, seems that shaft boost, to protect from dust, is a bit large on the JCW coilover. Do the instructions say to cut these or it remains as is oem.

Another thing, coming from VW cars, they recommend changing some of the hardware, nuts and bolts on the suspension that are being removed. They say they're stretch bolts and its recommend that they be replaced. Anything that really needs refreshing or sticking to originals would be good enough.

Sayo

· #34 · Mar 6, 2016

Renner said:
I'm interested in knowing if they have compression adjustment, I'm trying to choose between these or buying a set from KW directly.

These don't, they're fixed damping.

H-C

· #35 · Mar 7, 2016

stephanm said:
Your posts convinced me to order them w/ my '16 JCW. Worked a deal with the order to include the suspension set up. Also getting the front splitters and rear diffuser. Keep up the posts for me ha ha

Hi Stephan, can you give me the contact info of the person who helped you work a deal with the suspension? I have discussed this with two experienced dealerships in LA without luck. They both say there is no way to ask the factory to build my new '16 S with sport suspension, let alone the JCW PRO coilovers. I'm about to order mine with standard suspensions and buy the $1,500 JCW PRO suspension on the side but that seems like a waste. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Desert Rat

· #36 · Mar 7, 2016

H-C said:
I have discussed this with two experienced dealerships in LA without luck. They both say there is no way to ask the factory to build my new '16 S with sport suspension, let alone the JCW PRO coilovers. I'm about to order mine with standard suspensions and buy the $1,500 JCW PRO suspension on the side but that seems like a waste. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Correct, The factory Sport Suspension is now JCW only.
The JCW Pro suspension isn't installed at the factory. You can purchase the suspension at the time you order your MINI and the dealership will install it when your car arrives. Check with your advisor but I believe you can roll the cost into your financial contract if you're financing.

Reactions: 2

H-C

· #37 · Mar 7, 2016

Hi Ryephile,

First of all, thank you very much for a fantastic thread.

I was wondering if you replaced your rear anti-sway bar in the end or if you determined that the stock SS bar is a good fit with the JCW PRO coil-overs?

I'm ordering a MCS, manual, 17" wheels, and I'm so bummed they removed the SS option. I test drove an S with sport suspension a year ago and liked it a lot more than the standard suspension. So now I'm looking into retrofitting. I decided to get the JCW PRO coil-overs after reading your review (apparently I'm not the only one - you should ask BMW for a commission

) As far as the rear bar I'm wondering whether to order the stock SS rear bar (part number 33506853919), or order the NM 22 mm. According to realoem.com the standard S rear bar weighs 3.46 lbs whereas the SS rear bar weighs 3.86 lbs. According to outmotoring.com the solid NM rear bar weighs 31 lbs!! I love a firm ride and I'm looking for what you described as "OEM+", something that gives you a big smile on winding roads and 90 degree street corners, but I would never take it to the track. I'm wondering if the SS rear bar is my best choice based on weight and OEM (and it's $160 cheaper, but that's not my main concern). Out of curiosity, if you had to replace your rear bar, would you get another SS or would you get the NM?

The final difference between S and SS seems to be the front anti-roll bars. According to oem.com the S gets part number 31306859880 weighing 2.5 kg whereas the SS gets part number 31306859881 weighing 2.51 kg. I haven't found any forums/reviews regarding front bars so I'm thinking about skipping this part of the retrofit. On the other hand the front bar is just $130 and since I'm looking at spending $1,600 for the other parts anyway... Do you know anything about the difference in front bars?

Thanks and regards,
H-C

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edivita

· #38 · Jul 25, 2016

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on upgrading my 2015 S with the JCW Pro Coilover. A couple quick questions for those who have installed It themselves: are there step-by-step instructions (like what they would give to the dealer service guys to follow)?; are all the parts needed for the install included in the box? Getting psyched!

Morpheus

· #39 · Oct 14, 2016

Ryephile,

Quick question for you. Did you install the setup by yourself or take the setup to a company and have them install it. Either way, do you by chance have instructions on how to remove and install the suspension? I have the JCW factory suspension components sitting in my garage and am looking to install it myself along with the NM 22MM rear sway bar and upgraded rear end links. Was just looking for some insight as to the torque values and procedure surrounding this endeavor. I've done suspension work on my vehicles before however, with the F5x cars being so new, I'm trying to ensure I have proper instructions. Also, the suspension is going on a '15 F55S

Thank you,

Mopheus

Bster13

· #40 · Oct 21, 2016

I own Ryephile's F56. I'm not aware of any step by step instructions, but he did put a good amount of details in the beginning of this thread. FWIW, it's absolutely wonderful.

Morpheus said:
Ryephile,

Quick question for you. Did you install the setup by yourself or take the setup to a company and have them install it. Either way, do you by chance have instructions on how to remove and install the suspension? I have the JCW factory suspension components sitting in my garage and am looking to install it myself along with the NM 22MM rear sway bar and upgraded rear end links. Was just looking for some insight as to the torque values and procedure surrounding this endeavor. I've done suspension work on my vehicles before however, with the F5x cars being so new, I'm trying to ensure I have proper instructions. Also, the suspension is going on a '15 F55S

Thank you,

Mopheus

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