Adjustable Tietrod

[vrooom]

after arsing about on my mini fitting 1.5 negative arm, and adjustable tierod.

How do you go setting them up the adjustablre tierod??

like how far is the correct length of tierod from front subrame 'hole' to lower arm?
same as old standard tierod?

Thanks

Jay

[WildfireS3]

Best bet is to set them both to the same length as a std tie rod then take it to somewhere and get it set up. Can't remember the settings though.

Also be sure to have used Deflex or some other uprated bush, but not solid poly bushes, or the end will shear off.

[Cooperman]

My personal preferences for settings are 2.75 to 3 deg castor and 0 deg toe in/out.
You can't do this yourself, but if you don't set the castor right there is no point in having adjustable tie bars. The nearer the place you go to for setting-up the better and the less chance of scrubbing out your tyres.
Bear in mind that the tolerances on a Mini are a bit vague compared with modern cars, so you will have to accept a bit of tolerance on the actual castor angles. +/- 0.5 degrees is probably OK here.

[sagalout]

Of course one other thing to remember is that raising or lowering the rear of the car in relation to the front also adjusts the castor angle. Don't know if that matters, I'll get me coat.....

[Cooperman1]

sagalout said:

Of course one other thing to remember is that raising or lowering the rear of the car in relation to the front also adjusts the castor angle. Don't know if that matters, I'll get me coat.....

Yes, I'm sure it does matter. Without doing the calculation (sines and co-sines, methinks!) if you raise the back you reduce the castor. Perhaps I'll work it out. I guess +/-0.25" at the back won't make much diference, but a couple of inches might.
If you are setting the car up with adjustable tie bars, make sure the back is also set up properly, or else you won't get the potential benefit from the front. Handling article is on Miniman's web site.
Sorry if this sounds confusing, but I'm posting from home tonight after 3 hours working on the Cooper 'S' and getting it ready for the next rally.
After putting it all back together, engine in, new LCB, etc, I started it easily, but found a huge fuel leak fron the LH H4 SU float chamber union. So, it's carbs off again and new rubber seals. They really are a right pain in the a***, but I need H4's, rather than HS4's to comply with Int. Historic Regulations. The problem is that heavy braking and bumps tend to make the float chambers move which screws up the seals. It's not a problem on fore and aft engines with H4's, like the MGA, but on a transverse it's not good.
After fitting the new big spotlights to replace the big PIAA's I smashed on the last rally and changing all head and spot bulbs to the new Xenon type I also changed all the headlight bowl mounting screws from self-tappers to rivnuts and cap head screws with allen key heads. Now that's a really good mod as the standard spire speed-nuts get rusted up and corrode the wing. They also cut your fingers when you take the lights out. Use 7mm o/dia rivnuts with 5mm dia screws.
Here ends the tip of the day and a very goodnight to all you Mini loonies,

Peter

[Plotloss]

A lot of people seem to suggest putting a standard bush on the outside of the subframe ear and a poly bush on the inside.

Assume this is to have a little give...

[vrooom]

thought its other way around, poly inside, standard outside?

Jay

[Plotloss]

Could well be

[WildfireS3]

Which ever way don't put two hard poly bushes on. Was following a friend when we were younger and came round a corner to see his car with collapsed front on side of the road. Snapped heavyduty tie rod due to poly bushes.

[Cooperman]

I tried the poly bush on the inside and the standard one on the outside (front side), the idea being to stabilist the car under heavy braking, whilst leaving a bit of compliance. I found that the standard bush just got shagged out more quickly. Now I use standard bushes and change them relatively often - it's a very easy job, after all.
I always weld a 1/8th steel triangular support plate to the 'ear' and the subframe cross section to stop the ear from pulling out over any really big bumps. those ears cam distort quite easily in you drive hard on bumpy roads.