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Post by Matt~Attude on Jan 18, 2011 19:58:33 GMT
i'd like to ad to that, i recently put new rubber cones on my mini with the mini spares lower arm bushes and tie bar bushes handles like its on rails but then i got 1.5 neg camber, heavy duty tie bars and solid mounted front subframe all of which are mini spares products best value for money. looking good tho! im also using the gaz shock absorbers.
;Dmatt
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Post by coleman262 on Jan 21, 2011 17:07:32 GMT
indeed its on hi-lo's and gaz lowered shocks, i was looking at adjustable bottom arms but not sure whether its worth it, or just get the fixed 1.5's..
bushes etc are in the pipeline, just waiting to be ordered when i have the money,
i was looking at the mondosport subframe spacers, but not sure on what adjustments have to be made to the other mounts, also saw the balljoint spacers, they looked like a good idea to change the hub geometry as its lowered/going to be heavily lowered
also want alloy 4pot 7.5 brakes but again money is allways the issue...
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Post by coleman262 on Jan 21, 2011 17:19:59 GMT
also, was out taking some pictures last night, and had to have a sneaky 1 or 2...   Its not nearly low enough.... and as of today thats not how she stands, currently running 2 10" steels on the rear, so i could put a better tyre on the front while i order some more, my rack is killing them need to get it in pronto! |
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Post by MiniGT5 on Jan 21, 2011 18:14:35 GMT
For extra low you need to get your arches cut and tubbed!
Looking pretty sweet though.
N.
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Post by Miniböttcher on Jan 21, 2011 18:25:26 GMT
Having it that low you will be hitting the mount in the middle of the radius arms where the copper pipe bolt to and changes to a rubber one, your run the risk of damaging your brake pipes, which is not good
There Is a way round it which I have done. Used 1 price stainless steel hose from subframe to rear brake cylinder then you can zip tie the hose to the side of the radius arm so it does not get cought. And also grind off the tab with the 2 rivets where the hoses used to bolt through.
But you will find your self lifting that up. It will ground out. Your cones will bead in and compress so your car will lower more. Just keep an eye on it.
Have a look back through daves diary on his mk1 and find the photos of his car. It's low and looks good but not too low that the wheels look funny in the arches. It's about right and takes weight and even when it's thrown into a corner it still does not rub.
Those monosport are a nice thing but the price and they only give you 5 mm and the work Stephan had to do to his rear mounts you could spend your money on better things. The balljoint spacer things are more for race really
I have the mini spares kit with. Adjustable tie roads, adjustable lower arms and camber and tracking rear subframe mounts with all the bushes you need, even the off set ones to cope with the camber you set your lower arms to. And all this for £100. Bargain in my eyes to have a complete adjustable suspension.
I have also looked at getting the alloy callipers. Mini sport seem to be the cheapest. But I have just total rebuilt my 7.5 cast callipers so it's an extra cost that I don't need.
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Post by Stephen on Jan 21, 2011 18:36:13 GMT
Looks hard! You'll need to tub the arches on the back, as Neil says, to go any lower. Also consider moving the rear brake pipes to the sides of the radius arms to avoid crushing them (braided hoses are easier but you'll need to bleed the brakes). Don't bother with the adjustable arms, you should get around 1 degree negative camber already if you slam it to as low as is sensibly possible.
Surely that's on the bump stops already at the front? You may need to cut them down.
Check my project page to see what you need to do with the Mondo spacers, you need solid subframe mounts at the back, cut them up and re-weld in the correct position. You'll also need to re-drill the front subframe mount holes. I'm sure Leigh or Gerald would do the job for you.
Also look for Yokohama A048s if you need to change the tyres, they're 55 profile rather than 60!
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Post by coleman262 on Jan 22, 2011 15:50:24 GMT
thanks for the advice! its not on the bumpstops yet! but almost, and will be tubbing the arches when i have the time, or might just pay someone to do it.. i have braided hoses to go on (another thing that i dont have time for at the moment) but i had planned to move the hoses when the arches get tubbed..
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Post by coleman262 on Jan 22, 2011 15:51:43 GMT
oh and stephen with regardes to the 55 profile yoko's they'll be 165's? rather than the 145's i have at the moment, will i have enough clearence or will it erquire a small spacer on the shocks..
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Post by monkeyjim on Jan 22, 2011 22:31:28 GMT
I have done all this on mk1 except the mondo subframe lowering which was not available 6 years ago anyway but i do not want to cut front wings or tub the rear arches anyway as this is unacceptable on a rare 1960 shell .
I have all Minispares front and rear adjustable suspension and uprated bushes with exception of the Minispares fixed 1.5neg lower arms . Lowered spax mini40 shox and lowered front top shock mounting brackets . These brackets are a good idea . If your gaz are not of the lowered type you cannot go to low as the shock will bottom out . You will need shox of the lowered variety to achieve what it sounds like you want .Longer mg midget track rod ends will also be needed for lower cars .
It is quite hard to see if the car is sitting on the bump stops (a mot failure) just laying under the car, its bad enough having a look at mine if I am down the inspection pit at work . Remember during driving the suspension goes up and down . I am quite sure yours will be touching the bump stops at some point . This gives a undesirable effect on steering brakes and suspension . I have encountered it and subsequently delt with the bump stops . If they are missing it is only a mot advisory item . That is why I have asked Stephen what Gerald Dale uses for bump stops . Really there should be something there and is just cutting down the only option ?
Mine is low and looks just right , although these days its higher than I used to have the suspension . Remember if you keep playing with front ride height it will alter front suspension and steering geometry . Wheel alignment/tracking is a victim of front height changes and will require adjusting to avoid tyre wear .
You mention the rack killing the tyres ? Not sure what you mean . Is there play in the rack , track rod ends or does the wheel alignment require adjusting . Tyres wearing on the insides indicates the tracking is toing out and wearing on the outsides of the tyre indicates the tracking is toing in .
Sure this is how you will do it but I would get all your subframe mountings and bushes are sorted out, ensure all suspension bush, suspension mods and steering mods are complete , make sure there is no play in any steering suspension componant, set your ride height to a final setting your happy with and then get Gerald Dale to set up the suspension geometry .
The rear arches are not tubbed on mk1 but they are on my Micramini project as I want it low . It is something to think about if you want to get it very low as is modifying the front wings . I reckon I only have a couple of inches from the bottom of my front indicator on the wing to the top of the wheel arch .
Be careful here though because wheel arches vary in height and you will need to make sure your chosen wheel arch is still going to be looking and fitting how you want it after the wing is cut .
Take heed of what the 4 peeps on here that are carrying out this work or have already actually done it have to say and recommend ............
Your comment about shock absorber spacers what ever they are ?? suggests you still need advice , please dont take that as a a critisism , you are on the right track already .
Mine has been on road since 2004 , Matt has done his with virtually the same componats as me (minispars and spax) and is also happy , Dean is building his with the same parts plus the addition of rear roll bar ( my next mod) and Stephen is also using the tried and tested Minispares gear plus a mixture of other tried and tested but more expensive kad and mondo parts ( he can afford it living at home ;D, )
If you intend to stay with 12 inch wheels there are indeed 165/55/12 tyres available as Stephen suggets. they are not as tall as the 165's .
In simple terms a 165/55/12 tyre sizing explained .
Firstly we all know what the 12 indicates .
The 165 is the width of the tyre in mm , the 55 is the aspect ratio........basically the figure of 55 in this case is a percentage of the tyre width , meaning the tyre sidewall height of a 165/55/12 is 55% of the width ......... 55% of 165.
So a 165/60/12 is a taller tyre than a 165/55/12 because the sidewall height is greater at 60% of the width .
It is interesting to put a 13inch wheel with a 175/50/13 tyre next to a 165/70/10 . Due to there almost identical widths but varying sidewall heights the 13 inch is only fractionally taller than the 10 ........true . The 10 inch sidewall is 70% of its width , where as the 13inch sidewall is only 50% of its width .
It is late , so I hope all this makes sense .
Keep up the good work.
Dave
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Post by MiniGT5 on Jan 23, 2011 15:08:01 GMT
Dave
I think the spacers are wheel spacers to stop the tyre scrubbing on the rear damper. I had to do this once on a drum brake car running wide wheels but in reality it was no different than firring spacered drums
N.
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Post by Miniböttcher on Jan 23, 2011 17:31:45 GMT
Just looked into tubing, as I am doing the rear quarter on the mk1 but I won't be doing it on that as I am running no arches.
But It does not look too hard. Good welding skills and metal work and your be fine i can see how you could make it smooth and loose the lip.
I have a rear end of a mini in the garden which I will at some point be making into a trailer, going to play with it a bit. already started to deseam it so I have a go at tubing it as well I get photos as I go and post them up. But it will not be soon. Mk1 first.
Looks like your gain an good 1" of height in the arch.
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Post by MiniGT5 on Jan 23, 2011 18:48:32 GMT
Dean
It is possible to tub the rear and reform the arch lip to look standard. then you could go extra low with no arches.
N.
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Post by Miniböttcher on Jan 23, 2011 21:33:05 GMT
Yes I know you can. But I trying to keep the look of the car as standard as possible.
But it will be something I would do on the next project which will be an elf or hornet racer
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Post by coleman262 on Jan 24, 2011 22:50:34 GMT
indeed it was a typo I meant wheel spacers not shock absorber spacers.. and yes I have play in the rack need to get my new one put on but just finding time,
my next list of things to buy has come to about £250, £300 so just saving up now!
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Post by Stephen on Jan 24, 2011 23:34:33 GMT
It depends on the offset of your wheels, but if the tyres don't rub on the rear shocks are the moment (bare in mind the extra diameter of the Gaz over standard) I would guess that they will be ok. Lower profile means lower movement of the sidewalls in theory, so the added 10mm width each side of the rim (20mm overall) shouldn't bring them too much closer to the shock on cornering, which is when they would normally rub.
Ps A048s are medium compound so if you drive like an ASBO they won't last you as long as others. Mine have taken serious abuse and still have legal tread left. Best tyre I've ever driven, even on a 270bhp Exige I borrowed once (didn't last long so long on that!). Plus they look the nuts which is great if you're a ponce like me.
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