17 replies to this topic

[andybr183]

Has anyone fitted air ride, or do you know where I can get it fitted.

[nicklouse]

Only one place I know thst dies a kit for the Mini

http://www.airride.c...r/classic-mini/

[megamini_jb]

There is a chap on here currently fitting Airride to this mini. Can't remember his username now

[Rocket.]

Doormatt just done it

 

http://www.theminifo...pefully/page-11

[timmy850]

I noticed minivation are working on a kit too

 

http://www.minivatio...ory/suspension/

Edited by timmy850, 25 January 2017 - 06:57 AM.

[Spider]

I've got my own version on the back of the Moke.

[tiger99]

I pointed out previously why the Airride kit is an utter abomination. The Minivation one looks interesting, but I wonder how the weight of their rear subframe compares to the standard one, which is actually not overweight. I have not seen how they are proposing to do the front end yet. I hope they get it right.

[cian]

I applaud anyone who wants to either spend the rediculous amounts of money these kits cost or make their own but it really isn't my thing, I was in a BMW 5 series with a 3k kit in it and as soon as he started it you heard the booming of the compressor in the boot and the ride was worse than a mini!

[Cooperman]

How can one improve on the original brilliant Alex Moulton-designed rubber cone suspension, which is what gives the classic Mini a lot of its charm, character, road-holding and handling?

[tiger99]

Why am I not surprised? Maybe because Alec correctly matched the springing medium to the rest of the car?

 

But I do believe that air "should" be workable if done correctly. So could Citroen hydropneumatics. But would they be done correctly?

 

Edit: Cooperman just beat me to it!

[Cooperman]

I was an engineering student when the Mini was launched and as we were all car enthusiasts we were agreed that the rubber springs were simply brilliant. True rising-rate springs working on small wheels with matched tyres and telescopic dampers. A wheel on each corner and direct R & P steering weighted just right.

It was so much better than the Ford 'cart-springs', the VW & Morris Minor torsion bars, etc.

 

I'm sure air-ride would make the car feel different, but is that why one buys a classic car? Personally, and I do appreciate that it is a personal view, the reason I like classic cars is because they give a true 'retro' drive and the drive in a Mini really is the epitome of classic car driving.

 

In fact, the Mini ushered in a new demand from car buyers for more responsive, better handling and comfortable cars and this is what drove the manufacturers to improve their own products. Some took longer than others to latch on, but eventually we got cars with all-independent suspension, excellent steering and super road-holding and handling. The classic Mini is where it all started and when we drive one it shows where modern motoring began. That's why it's fantastic   .

[Carlos W]

I noticed minivation are working on a kit too

 

http://www.minivatio...ory/suspension/

 

It was at Bingley 12 months ago

[Ricewind]

An adjustable height suspension that can be altered remotely sounds a good idea but ideally you would want a lower spring rate when the suspension is high for rough roads/terrain and a higher spring rate when suspension is lowered for track day like action. I would think that raising the suspension by increasing the pressure would also increase the spring rate but these things can be deceptive. It may just raise the suspension without altering the spring rate if it is just the volume of air in the spring that increases and not the pressure, It depends on the role that the rubber "air sack" plays in the spring.

 

Air springs have a natural rising rate, this is linear unlike the rubber springs in our Minis that are shaped to give the best rising rate for the car and can compensate for any falling rate inherent in the suspension geometry of an unequal length "wishbone" design.

 

Sprig rates can be deceptive for instance; looking at the coil over spring on the back of a motorcycle I noticed that there was a cam device that you could turn to shorten the spring. At first I thought this would increase the spring rate but it does not, it only raises the effective loaded ride height. When un-laden the ride height is limited by the shock absorber length, and so turning the cam only shortens the spring. Until enough weight is put on the bike to make the suspension move a little you have no suspension. The idea of the cam is to increase the ride height when you have two people on the bike to stop the tyre hitting the mudguard with the extra weight. Load the bike with two people and then turn the cam the height rises but the spring stays the same length and rate. So a light person turning the cam thinking he is getting a harder suspension and spring rate is deluded for he is just creating a hard tail that does nothing to help keep the tyre in contact with the road or his fillings in contact with his teeth.

[tiger99]

That is interesting. Ordinarily the rate rises when you shorten a spring, but from what you say the bike suspension is preloaded. I must have a closer look at some bikes, out of curiosity.

 

We have a book on truck design at work. I will look up what it has to say about air springs on monday.

[Ricewind]

That is interesting. Ordinarily the rate rises when you shorten a spring,

When I said shortens the spring I meant squashes it shorter, on most springs the rate does not rise, for instance if you had a spring and you put a weight of 10 kg on it and it shortened by 10mm, another 10kg (20kg total) would squash it 20mm the spring rate is constant 1mm per kg. A rising rate spring would squash less for the second 10kg than it did for the first. A rising rate coil spring is made from a tapered bar.