What Suspension
Discussion
Hi Guys Me again your expert advice please,
I'm currently rebuilding a 1991 mini, it started life as Mayfair 1000, but will end up as 1380 100+BHP occasional hill climber.
I'm kind of unsure what to do at this stage, should go for hi-lo's if so which ones what kind of shocks are recommended I've seen some GAZ adjustable types with hi-lo's for about £200 all looked like a good deal but I could be wrong, also I’m going to replace the rubber cones, is it worth putting competition one's in or going for a spring conversion or am I best off sticking with a more standard set up, HELP!! there’s to much choice
I'm currently rebuilding a 1991 mini, it started life as Mayfair 1000, but will end up as 1380 100+BHP occasional hill climber.
I'm kind of unsure what to do at this stage, should go for hi-lo's if so which ones what kind of shocks are recommended I've seen some GAZ adjustable types with hi-lo's for about £200 all looked like a good deal but I could be wrong, also I’m going to replace the rubber cones, is it worth putting competition one's in or going for a spring conversion or am I best off sticking with a more standard set up, HELP!! there’s to much choice
if its a road car with occasional track use stick to the rubber cones/hilos route with a set of either spax/gaz or avos. if you can afford to buy the proper red spot cones do so.
id buy a decent set of rear camber/track brackets and a set of the on car adj bottom arms, again if you can afford the on car adj tie bars do so.
id buy a decent set of rear camber/track brackets and a set of the on car adj bottom arms, again if you can afford the on car adj tie bars do so.
Why are you replacing the rubber cones? Some Coil spring set-ups only put the suspension forces back to parts of the body that weren't originally designed for them (rather than the subframes). Never a good idea.
If you are making the car lighter (stripped out interior /lightweight fuel tank etc?), the standard cones will be just fine on the rear of the car (there is a strong argument for de-rating them slightly by turning out some of the rubber from the inside face of the cones). At the front, because of the increase in horsepower competition cones would be a good choice. Traction is a bit of a problem with big torque increases on standard cones. Set of Pucka Hi-Los to get the corner weights equal across the axles and some decent dampers (shorter ones if the car is significantly lowered) with decent soft bump/stiffer rebound set up (Avo's etc) and away you go. Don't make the car too stiff. A Mini's wheel travel is limited and the car will only handle wheel if grip is avialable due to the wheel being on the ground.....
Mini's with those tiny short coils that fit inside the subframe set up have been much maligned on this and other forums.
If you are making the car lighter (stripped out interior /lightweight fuel tank etc?), the standard cones will be just fine on the rear of the car (there is a strong argument for de-rating them slightly by turning out some of the rubber from the inside face of the cones). At the front, because of the increase in horsepower competition cones would be a good choice. Traction is a bit of a problem with big torque increases on standard cones. Set of Pucka Hi-Los to get the corner weights equal across the axles and some decent dampers (shorter ones if the car is significantly lowered) with decent soft bump/stiffer rebound set up (Avo's etc) and away you go. Don't make the car too stiff. A Mini's wheel travel is limited and the car will only handle wheel if grip is avialable due to the wheel being on the ground.....
Mini's with those tiny short coils that fit inside the subframe set up have been much maligned on this and other forums.
fwdracer said:
Mini's with those tiny short coils that fit inside the subframe set up have been much maligned on this and other forums.
with good reason tbh....
the cheap ones have a shocking reputation for failing in use, they seem to get coil bound very easily and break.
ive seen a few examples of this and have sold a good few sets of cones and what not to people who are going back to standard due to the breakages and harsh ride suffered.
i cannot even think of the top of my head of anybody using them succesfully in competition use either - i sold a set of the good expensive american ones made by mini mania to a hill climbing customer - he removed them and went back to red spot cones as he found the car was better - the general consensus is that they are great for super smooth flowing circuits.
love machine said:
guru_1071 said:
why pre '64 cones??
They are made out of a harder rubber. A mate (garage owner) had a few
really, i'd have thought that they would have settled by now?
ive got a set comming off a 1960 (one lady owner, never welded, 20 thou from new) that we are breaking. when they are out i will get them tested and see, ive also got a boxed new 1960's bmc one to test - i recentley had a load of cones tested with different makes of hi-los and what not.
the results where pretty interesting!
cones behave better with the proper hi-los, but only at the high end of compression - with the cheap ones the cone tends to flop over the sides of the trumpet - think fat girl in hipsters!!
however, for a mainly road use car the cheap ones are fine.
the problem with the cheap ones (from a race point of view) is that the threads are a bit loose and the bolt and the alloy quickly go fusty, which makes adjusting them impossible.
the proper ones are cast so the alloy is a better (and stronger) thing, and the thread is a machined part rather than a bolt with a hole dilled in it.
as always, yoose pays your money, yoose makes your choice.
however, for a mainly road use car the cheap ones are fine.
the problem with the cheap ones (from a race point of view) is that the threads are a bit loose and the bolt and the alloy quickly go fusty, which makes adjusting them impossible.
the proper ones are cast so the alloy is a better (and stronger) thing, and the thread is a machined part rather than a bolt with a hole dilled in it.
as always, yoose pays your money, yoose makes your choice.
i see kieth calver has been posting warning on a few mini forums about non genuine cones.
he was given a set to test by mini spares, fitted them to his car, and within a week they'd collaped totally.
here's a link to one of his warnings.....
www.minifinity.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=49617
he was given a set to test by mini spares, fitted them to his car, and within a week they'd collaped totally.
here's a link to one of his warnings.....
www.minifinity.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=49617
eccles said:
i see kieth calver has been posting warning on a few mini forums about non genuine cones.
he was given a set to test by mini spares, fitted them to his car, and within a week they'd collaped totally.
here's a link to one of his warnings.....
www.minifinity.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=49617
he was given a set to test by mini spares, fitted them to his car, and within a week they'd collaped totally.
here's a link to one of his warnings.....
www.minifinity.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=49617
they are really rubbish, but to be fair, its like the 'kad' quickshifts that appear on ebay.
if someone can sell stuff brand new on abay and the like for half or a third of what the proper suppliers can sell it for, then you must ask the question 'why is it so cheap?'
you pay cheap, you pay twice!
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