I have ST X coilovers now but I decided to give Eibach lowering springs with stock dampers a try. Front springs. Left: Stock Right: Eibach Observation: The compression of the Eibach springs are only slightly stiffer and the wire size appears to be the same. Rear springs. Left: Stock Right: Eibach Observation: Eibach rear springs are clearly progressive. It feels softer than the stock springs but notice the middle with the increased number of coils. The Eibach spring is only slightly shorter than the stock uncompressed. Once compressed, I am sure it will be more. I had to order a new spring pad for the fronts because when you install coilovers, I had to cut off the boot portion because the ST damper has its own boot.
I’m really interested in WHY you decided to make this change. I’ve always used springs on previous cars, but admire the adjustability of coilovers. Did you attempt to adjust your coilovers by corner weighing your SE? Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
The ST coilovers are pretty stiff. It is awesome in turns or any spirited driving but rather harsh on roads that aren't great. I just want it a little softer. I also enjoy messing with the car and thought I would give it a try. I didn't corner weigh it but I did spend a lot of time adjusting the ride height and came up with the best ride quality I could.
I'm assuming you were on the coilovers for a while, so you may not remember exactly, but how do the Eibachs compare to stock springs? I read your observations but I'm curious to hear if the ride is noticeably more harsh once you've driven on them a bit. And thanks for posting, I've been thinking about the Eibachs but I don't want a harsh ride.
Maybe. It seems that the springs are what is causing the harsh ride. I've had the coilovers since March of 2021. I haven't installed the Eibach springs yet because I need the front dust boots which I just ordered. I'll update this thread once installed.
I have KW coilovers on my car and the ride is perfectly acceptable to me. I know it is subjective but it rides a lot better than a stock Cooper S (I had a loaner for a few days) and even more than my 2019 Cooper S with NM Engineering lowering springs. I am not convinced the ST coilover is identical to the KW (just not in stainless steel), I know that is what is said across the internet but I went with KWs for the quality and known reputation.
The springs are exactly the same between KW and ST but like you said, the dampers are different. It is supposed to just be the body but who knows. I think the main problem is I'm getting too old for a harsh ride.
Man I really hope this change resolves the issue for you as I know you've been battling the ride quality thing for a while now. I still have my H&R springs in the box waiting to go on. Hoping to get to it in the next few weeks before the holidays. While ride is subjective I'll report back on how the ride and handling are compared to stock.
I wouldn't say the ST coilovers have a bad ride quality. They are absolutely perfect when driving on back roads or any spirited driving. It is just a little too harsh going 30-40 mph on roads that need to be paved which I have a lot of around here. I have runflat tires right now too which probably isn't helping but I will eventually replace.
I would try ditching the run flats before taking out the coilovers. That could be your difference right there.
I installed the Eibach springs this morning but I've only driven it a few miles. So far, the drop is roughly the same as how low I had the ST coilovers. It looks great. First impression is it feels about the same. It is a little smoother over bumps and cracks in the road and over big dips/bumps, it has more travel. I do prefer the coilovers for how it feels over big bumps but I'll have to drive it more to see which setup I like better.
Looks It looks great! I love how it looks. Install The install is pretty straight forward with no surprises. The front is especially easy since you don't need to compress the springs to get the top hat installed. It dropped the car 30mm as expected too. The rear was more challenging. The rear springs are about the same length as the stock ones but compress a lot more when installed. It is difficult to get the spring put in place while making sure the bottom mount is lined up properly. I used a paint pen to mark things to make sure I was aligned. The rear also calls for installing a 5mm thick rubber gasket on top of the rear springs. I couldn't get this installed so my car has a 25mm drop in the rear instead of the designed 20mm drop. The rear springs are from a Mini Clubman F54 and that installation guide doesn't include this gasket. I think it is there because the springs are designed to provide a lot of comfort being progressive and when you put two people in the back seat in the SE, it will probably sag too much. So, they added a 5mm shim. Ride Quality This is why I was trying the Eibach springs. I would like it to be smoother than what I have now. I found out that Eibach front springs are linear and the rear are progressive. This makes the ride a bit rougher than stock but not much. Overall, the Eibach are smoother but have a lot more rebound over bumps. So, I like the Eibach better at some things but worse at others. Here are my thoughts. Interstate driving: Eibach wins. It feels like the stock suspension and handles those breaks between the road and bridges better than the coilovers. It also handles uneven roads caused by semi trucks. I didn't even notice this on one part of the interstate that I feel it with the coilovers. 0-30 mph rough road: Eibach is better at handling bumps like this but not as much as I thought it would. Big dips in the road: ST coilovers are much better at this. The stock dampers with Eibach is probably like how the stock suspension gets unsettled when this happens while the coilovers handle it really well. Back roads: ST coilovers wins. The Eibach springs are really planted in the front and feels really good in a tight turn but there is more body roll and if there is a bump in the turn, there is too much rebound in the suspension. The ST coilovers are really good on back roads. It is a lot of fun to drive. Even when driving normally on back roads, the coilovers are better. I was on a road this morning with a 40 mph speed limit which I was going. The dips and bumps in the road with Eibach springs caused the suspension to rebound too much. Final Thoughts If you want to lower the car to make it look better but don't really car about better handling, I would definitely get the Eibach springs. You'll be very happy. You'll also be happy if this is your daily commute car. It is really nice on the interstate. But if you mostly drive around town and on back roads or want better handling, get ST coilovers. So one weekend in the near future, I'll be putting the ST coilovers back on the car and selling the Eibach springs.
Excellent review. Thanks for all of your work to put this together. I’ve added coilovers to the top of my wish list. All I need to know. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
On my last couple of sportier (or quirkier!) cars, I waited until the warranty was up to do suspension mods, but going coil-overs was definitely a decision which with I was ultimately very pleased on both of them. I’ll definitely be doing it in… 3¾ years!
Why wait until the warranty is up? Modifications to a car doesn't void the warranty unless the modification caused the failure.
Just a choice, no real reason. Oh, and attitude from SWMBO, whom I know would lambaste me for having “bought the wrong car” if I need to make big modifications.
I put my car on jack stands this morning and planned on getting the front struts out. I forgot what a pain it is! The stock front strut is very difficult to get out. It must be a tiny bit longer than the coilovers. You have to push down on the knuckle while pulling up on the shock body. It will probably be sitting there until Wednesday too since I won't have time to work on it until then.
