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Mini Spares Rear Beam


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#1 RichieRich

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 12:51 PM

Has anyone got the minispares rear beam fitted? If so what springs are you using on the coil overs? How does it ride? And have you got any pictures?
Cheers, Rich

#2 nicklouse

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 01:33 PM

spring rate will depend on what you plane to use it for.

 

note having rear seat passengers goes out of the window, tyres rubbing on the arches is a problem.  and really wheel house mounts need a bit of reinforcing.  and the mounting pin on the stub axel is not really up to it.

 

now as to what are you hoping to achieve with one?



#3 mini13

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 03:09 PM

also they move the wheel back in the arch about 1/2" so are more prone to rubbing at around 45 degree's ( if that makes sense)



#4 Northernpower

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 03:54 PM

I realise you don't have to justify it, but just out of interest, why are you wanting to fit a rear beam?

 

 

EDIT: Moved from Mini Chat to Problems, Questions and Technical



#5 RichieRich

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 04:50 PM

It’s basically just a weekend fun car which doesn’t have rear seats. I’m just trying to make it light as possible.
I live in Cornwall so track days aren’t really possible As I don’t have the traveling time so it just fun on the roads.
Trying to make it light and noticed a few people doing it

#6 RichieRich

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 04:51 PM

The wheels are 13” so I guess that’s going to make the rubbing worse

#7 Ethel

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 08:18 AM

Your tyres will probably be a smaller diameter than on a typical 12" - all Mini tyres sizes are similar in that respect. There's still the width, but if you need arch extensions already...

 

There have been enough Midas's pootling round the roads on rear coil-overs to say it's doable.



#8 mini13

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 11:53 AM

175/50/13's are vertually the same diameter as 165 10's,  but the width may cause issues.



#9 nicklouse

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 12:05 PM

Your tyres will probably be a smaller diameter than on a typical 12" - all Mini tyres sizes are similar in that respect. There's still the width, but if you need arch extensions already...

 

There have been enough Midas's pootling round the roads on rear coil-overs to say it's doable.

but the body is totally different and designed for bigger wheels so you don't have the contact issues.



#10 Icey

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 12:21 PM

Had a rear beam, it was terrible on the road (when combined with coil-overs) so took it off and went back to a full subframe.

 

In additional, be careful removing to much weight from the rear. You'll need to sort out the brake balance and it'll be very twitchy when driven fast.

 

Personally, if this is only ever used on the road, forget it. Stick with cones and a full subframe. Our roads are in too bad condition for track focused kit to work well.



#11 Ethel

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Posted 17 April 2018 - 11:31 PM

 

Your tyres will probably be a smaller diameter than on a typical 12" - all Mini tyres sizes are similar in that respect. There's still the width, but if you need arch extensions already...

 

There have been enough Midas's pootling round the roads on rear coil-overs to say it's doable.

but the body is totally different and designed for bigger wheels so you don't have the contact issues.

 

145 or 155/70/12's, one of the few things they were pushy about. Still the same radius arms fixing wheel dimension more rigidly than bodywork. 



#12 nicklouse

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Posted 18 April 2018 - 07:32 AM

depends on the year. later Midas came on 13s..... oh and Metro subframes and rear coils.


Edited by nicklouse, 18 April 2018 - 07:32 AM.


#13 RichieRich

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Posted 18 April 2018 - 06:52 PM

My plan was minispares beam, protech coils with a brace from the top of the arch to the other. I currently have 7x13s with yoko a135 tyres close to a miglia arch however I will at some point swap to a 10x7 specialist components split rim.
Or I could keep with a subframe but get some alloy arms, carbon boot floor which is more expensive and wont lose as much weight.
I know that its not crutial to make it light but its something I enjoy and others seem to be doing it with decent effects with the right set up.

Edited by RichieRich, 18 April 2018 - 06:53 PM.


#14 RichieRich

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Posted 18 April 2018 - 07:33 PM

I’ve also thought about the wilwood pedal set which would allow the correct brake set up. I’m not trying to justify a beam, just seeing people’s views and trying to understand how some people seem to be fine but others dead against it.
I don’t want to make the wrong decision but would like to do it if I can get it rite

#15 Cooperman

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Posted 18 April 2018 - 08:26 PM

I think a rear beam is excellent for racing on a totally smooth track (when the rules allow it), but not so good for the roads. 

 

The problems and issues with the rear beam is that it is difficult to get the springing correct for the bumpy roads we have (at least we do in Cambridgeshire!) and making the car too light at the rear can cause very poor performance on a normal country road. The springs need to be very accurate rising rate and have in increase in rate as compression happens. The original rubber cone spring is, in fact, the perfect design.

 

The other issue is that the rear sub-frame is very important in a rear end shunt at it stiffens and strengthens the back of the car considerably.  Without a rear sub-frame there is little resistance to rear end concertina-ing if someone crashes into the back. Remember, the petrol tank is also mounted on the boot floor as is the battery.

 

There are better and safer ways to save weight, such as polycarbonate windows, GRP or CF bootlid & bonnet, removal of sound-deadening floor covering, removal of rear bins, cutting away inner door structure and removal of window winding mechanism(on later cars), aluminium door skins, removing metal from front sub-frame by drilling holes in the side webs, fitting lightweight GRP seats, etc. All this can be done without reducing the road performance due to unsuitable suspension. 






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