Rear camber/toe brackets
Discussion
After mullering a rear wheel bearing and having to whip the whole rear arm off last week I thought it would be a bright idea to pt some camber/toe brackets on whilst putting it back together. I bought a set of 'budget' items from Minispeed for about £50.
Last night I tried fitting the nearside one. The bracket itself goes on OK, but when you put the arm on it seems to push the shole thing out by about 4mm, so that the holes no longer line up. Anyone got any experience with these? Do I need to modify the brackets to make them fit? I'm happy to do this but there isn't much metal left on the top hole to elongate it...
Last night I tried fitting the nearside one. The bracket itself goes on OK, but when you put the arm on it seems to push the shole thing out by about 4mm, so that the holes no longer line up. Anyone got any experience with these? Do I need to modify the brackets to make them fit? I'm happy to do this but there isn't much metal left on the top hole to elongate it...
It's easy to set the rear camber and toe-in without going to the expense of buying brackets.
First of all measure the camber. Do this with a square or rectangular piece of plywood. You place it against the tyre with the car standing on a level surface. Take a steel ruler and measure from the edge of the plywood to the lowest point on the wheel rim, then do the same at the top of the rim. The difference in these two measurements is the camber, positive or negative. Then you remove the arm retaining bracket and file the hole into a vertical slot, doing trial fits from time to time,lowering the car onto the ground each time to get the full weight onto the suspension when checking, until the difference in the two dimensions is what you want. I usually work on the difference at the top being between 1 mm and 3 mm greater than the bottom. Bolt it up into position and check the toe-in. Ideally the rears, for a road car, should toe-in about 2 mm to 4 mm. Again file the bracket to give this if necessary - it's not normally necessary and so long as it's not actually toeing out it's normally OK. When you have established the settings, get a large 'penny' washer and MIG weld it to the bracket whilst the car is sitting there at the right settings with the load on the wheels. i.e. not on jacks or stands.
You then have the correct settings and it'll handle fine.
I hope this helps anyone who needs to do this. It's a good thing to do on all Minis.
Sorry I didn't actually answer the question but I have no experience of brackets from the source quoted and won't comment about them on here.
Peter
First of all measure the camber. Do this with a square or rectangular piece of plywood. You place it against the tyre with the car standing on a level surface. Take a steel ruler and measure from the edge of the plywood to the lowest point on the wheel rim, then do the same at the top of the rim. The difference in these two measurements is the camber, positive or negative. Then you remove the arm retaining bracket and file the hole into a vertical slot, doing trial fits from time to time,lowering the car onto the ground each time to get the full weight onto the suspension when checking, until the difference in the two dimensions is what you want. I usually work on the difference at the top being between 1 mm and 3 mm greater than the bottom. Bolt it up into position and check the toe-in. Ideally the rears, for a road car, should toe-in about 2 mm to 4 mm. Again file the bracket to give this if necessary - it's not normally necessary and so long as it's not actually toeing out it's normally OK. When you have established the settings, get a large 'penny' washer and MIG weld it to the bracket whilst the car is sitting there at the right settings with the load on the wheels. i.e. not on jacks or stands.
You then have the correct settings and it'll handle fine.
I hope this helps anyone who needs to do this. It's a good thing to do on all Minis.
Sorry I didn't actually answer the question but I have no experience of brackets from the source quoted and won't comment about them on here.
Peter
Thanks Peter, good advice as ever 
I believe the phrase I'm looking for has something to do with horses and stable doors 
Just what I wanted to hear 
How did you get them on in the end? After speaking to Minispares it sounds like I am going to have to, ahem, fettle them a little
All I wanted to do was fit longer studs and get the bl00dy thing on the road
I believe the phrase I'm looking for has something to do with horses and stable doors love machine said:
Yes 
the cheap ones are among the most stressful items to fit on a mini. I bought Huddersfield spares camber only ones and they nearly caused me to blow a fuse! My heart goes out to you!
the cheap ones are among the most stressful items to fit on a mini. I bought Huddersfield spares camber only ones and they nearly caused me to blow a fuse! My heart goes out to you! Just what I wanted to hear How did you get them on in the end? After speaking to Minispares it sounds like I am going to have to, ahem, fettle them a little
All I wanted to do was fit longer studs and get the bl00dy thing on the road
A set of mole grips are useful, you have to slacken EVERYTHING right off, until you can (???) get the studs in and then away you go. I'd get the ones with tracking as well as the others are seemingly set up for the worst case scenario tow out car and tow in loads. Mine has a couple of 50P coins in one side 
kjw said:
The minispeed and minisport ones do need to be notched to make them fit. I had a set and and was not happy with them. I eventually got a set from KAD and they were excellent. They fitted without any mods.
When you say notched do you mean for clearance on the subframe mount, or lengthening the bolt holes?
there are many problems with the brackets for sale and some of the fitment problems can be linked to the frame (is it pattern or genuine) and the arms, as the recon ones are often longer than the orginals (due to the ends been remade with steel top hat bushes) - the kad alloy arms have this problem as well - i had to make a tool to shorten them!
i think that unless you have a new genuine frame and a pair of new arms you will have some problems.
these are the problems ive had in the past.
minispares brackets - ok for road use but will not stand up to race use. the teeth on the gripper part is too fine and the small bolt for the camber adjustment will bend. they are very cheap and work fine on a road car. they also rust for england!
minisport - fairly dear and decent, though, like the minispares ones will need the holes filing to get them to fit. the teeth on the gripper part are good and chunky, but the hole where the pin goes through will often need filing out bigger, they often dont clear the rubber bush (or worse if poly) that holds the frame in. the worse failing is that they crack (in race use) where the bracket is folded. we got into the habit of having a couple of pairs and welding the folds up time and time again. about twice the price of the minispares ones though
kad - the ultimate. fit really well, machined from a 'chunk' rather than folded and are probably unbrakable - i know a guy who uses them on a 180 bhp kad engined forest rally car - they havent boken with this ultimate mini. the holes may need a tickle to get them to clear, but careful tightening of the bolts in order usually sorts this. the main problem is that due to the thickness of the bracket, you will need to use a dome head allen bolt - or grind a normal bolt thinner on the top most bolt. otherwise the radius arm pushes against the bolt head (which sits about 3mm futher out and slowley increases toe out!. they are about a 100 quid, but are a fit and forget item, particually if you are racing.
huddersfield - no comment.
i think that unless you have a new genuine frame and a pair of new arms you will have some problems.
these are the problems ive had in the past.
minispares brackets - ok for road use but will not stand up to race use. the teeth on the gripper part is too fine and the small bolt for the camber adjustment will bend. they are very cheap and work fine on a road car. they also rust for england!
minisport - fairly dear and decent, though, like the minispares ones will need the holes filing to get them to fit. the teeth on the gripper part are good and chunky, but the hole where the pin goes through will often need filing out bigger, they often dont clear the rubber bush (or worse if poly) that holds the frame in. the worse failing is that they crack (in race use) where the bracket is folded. we got into the habit of having a couple of pairs and welding the folds up time and time again. about twice the price of the minispares ones though
kad - the ultimate. fit really well, machined from a 'chunk' rather than folded and are probably unbrakable - i know a guy who uses them on a 180 bhp kad engined forest rally car - they havent boken with this ultimate mini. the holes may need a tickle to get them to clear, but careful tightening of the bolts in order usually sorts this. the main problem is that due to the thickness of the bracket, you will need to use a dome head allen bolt - or grind a normal bolt thinner on the top most bolt. otherwise the radius arm pushes against the bolt head (which sits about 3mm futher out and slowley increases toe out!. they are about a 100 quid, but are a fit and forget item, particually if you are racing.
huddersfield - no comment.
winston_no1 said:
there are many problems with the brackets for sale and some of the fitment problems can be linked to the frame (is it pattern or genuine) and the arms, as the recon ones are often longer than the orginals (due to the ends been remade with steel top hat bushes) - the kad alloy arms have this problem as well - i had to make a tool to shorten them!
i think that unless you have a new genuine frame and a pair of new arms you will have some problems.
these are the problems ive had in the past.
minispares brackets - ok for road use but will not stand up to race use. the teeth on the gripper part is too fine and the small bolt for the camber adjustment will bend. they are very cheap and work fine on a road car. they also rust for england!
minisport - fairly dear and decent, though, like the minispares ones will need the holes filing to get them to fit. the teeth on the gripper part are good and chunky, but the hole where the pin goes through will often need filing out bigger, they often dont clear the rubber bush (or worse if poly) that holds the frame in. the worse failing is that they crack (in race use) where the bracket is folded. we got into the habit of having a couple of pairs and welding the folds up time and time again. about twice the price of the minispares ones though
kad - the ultimate. fit really well, machined from a 'chunk' rather than folded and are probably unbrakable - i know a guy who uses them on a 180 bhp kad engined forest rally car - they havent boken with this ultimate mini. the holes may need a tickle to get them to clear, but careful tightening of the bolts in order usually sorts this. the main problem is that due to the thickness of the bracket, you will need to use a dome head allen bolt - or grind a normal bolt thinner on the top most bolt. otherwise the radius arm pushes against the bolt head (which sits about 3mm futher out and slowley increases toe out!. they are about a 100 quid, but are a fit and forget item, particually if you are racing.
huddersfield - no comment.
i think that unless you have a new genuine frame and a pair of new arms you will have some problems.
these are the problems ive had in the past.
minispares brackets - ok for road use but will not stand up to race use. the teeth on the gripper part is too fine and the small bolt for the camber adjustment will bend. they are very cheap and work fine on a road car. they also rust for england!
minisport - fairly dear and decent, though, like the minispares ones will need the holes filing to get them to fit. the teeth on the gripper part are good and chunky, but the hole where the pin goes through will often need filing out bigger, they often dont clear the rubber bush (or worse if poly) that holds the frame in. the worse failing is that they crack (in race use) where the bracket is folded. we got into the habit of having a couple of pairs and welding the folds up time and time again. about twice the price of the minispares ones though
kad - the ultimate. fit really well, machined from a 'chunk' rather than folded and are probably unbrakable - i know a guy who uses them on a 180 bhp kad engined forest rally car - they havent boken with this ultimate mini. the holes may need a tickle to get them to clear, but careful tightening of the bolts in order usually sorts this. the main problem is that due to the thickness of the bracket, you will need to use a dome head allen bolt - or grind a normal bolt thinner on the top most bolt. otherwise the radius arm pushes against the bolt head (which sits about 3mm futher out and slowley increases toe out!. they are about a 100 quid, but are a fit and forget item, particually if you are racing.
huddersfield - no comment.
curses! used my brother computer and forgot to logon! above rambling twas me!
sorry
Gassing Station | Classic Minis | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff