Rear subframes made after 1992 have a different shape spring mounting than earlier ones. This is not normally a problem. If However you start putting heavier wheels and tyres than standard on your car or change the type of springs to something which can travel further or faster then you get the possibility of the inside of the spring hitting the spring mounting platform when you hit a speedbump or pothole as there are no bumpstops at the rear as standard.
When ERA invented their little beast, they found that their massive wheels and tyres were causing the springs to bottom out even with the earlier subframe. So they invented little rear bumpstops which fit inside the springs to catch the rear suspension.
I've got slightly wider than standard wheels and heavy rubber fitted and I'm going to fit some different springs so I thought I'd track down some of these bumpstops just in case. I found that Mini Spares are still stocking them and ordered a couple. Twenty something quid each but I figured that it's a rare part and fairly old now so I could understand the price. They arrived a few days ago and I started looking them over.
It struck me today that if you leave the two facing each other they resemble something. They resemble something very closely indeed. They look a lot like an exhaust cotton reel mount. So I start to examine them and they have all these little scratches on the face which look like saw cuts. In fact it seems they may have actually been attached to each other at one point as the scratches line up quite well.
Errrm,
I'VE JUST PAID FORTY TWO QUID FOR A BLOODY EXHAUST BOBBIN THAT'S WORTH TWO POUNDS AT THE MOST.
Now that's really annoying.
If any of you want a rear bumpstop I can cut in half, errr sorry I mean I can provide bespoke bumpstops for the rear of the Mini for only fifteen of your English pounds each!
Mini Spares
Oh, and the special looking nut that holds it on is just a rocker box nut!
I'll try to get up some pictures of mine soon!
