23 replies to this topic

[minitiae]

Hi, as I said above, I saw SOLID front subframe rear mountings on ebay yesterday, which I never knew were available. Has anybody out there ever fitted these? I'd be very interested to hear the results. The obvious question is: does it cause more engine & road noise to be transmitted to the interior? You would certainly think so, but maybe there is little difference? Although I didn't see them, I presume you'd have to fit solid 'teardrop' front mountings at the same time thereby having a totally solid subframe as all Mk 1,2 & 3 Minis were originally.
Looking forward to hearing a report from anybody who has tried them !

[mars red mike]

I went from a fully rubber mounted subframe to a fully solid mounted frame and the difference was like night and day. The car feels soooo much better on the road. Would never go back to rubber mounts now and as for increased noise it actually made mine quieter. I cant recommended it enough.

[Bungle]

most people say replace the tower and front tear drop mounts for solid but keep the back mounts rubber as they bolt onto the floor

[enigma]

yep i totally agree i have solid acetyl nylon bushes on the tower bolts,hard poly on the teardrops,normal rubber at the floor mount as this i believe is were the increased noise comes from did on my car when i had metal floor mounts anyhow.they are such a difference its unreal cant comment on how harsh this mod on its own makes the ride as i have group a fully adjustable suspension and only just enough ground clearance to avoid leaving the maniflow on the deck every pothole!!! also massive difference if you put hard nylon outer bush on the tie rod and poly on the inside.stoppped mine squirming around under late breaking.hope this helps enigma

[cooperdan]

wow...intresting.

May have to consider doing this myself..

For some reason im getting a knocking sound when going over bumpy ground..and its definatly nothing to do with suspension components

[GraemeC]

Personally I would go for solid (or hard) mounts on the towers and floor and normal at the front.

The front teardrop mounts do not hold the subframe up, they support the wings. I little flex here lessens the effects of cracking paint around the scuttle to wing joint.

Obviously with solid rear mounts you need to check the floor is in good condition and keep an eye out for cracks. Ideally strengthen the area on the inside of the car.

[Teapot]

Huey has just had Minispares' solid front subframe mounting kit installed and it's no noisier and there is no vibration. I haven't tested it properly yet and there is more work to be done anyway. I did read somewhere that front solids will highlight any shortcomings in the rear subframe rubbers if they're a bit knacked. I'm going the whole hog because I've become obsessed with the whole suspension geometry thing

[R1minimagic]

I agree with Graeme, the teardrop mounts wont do anything to improve handling so best to keep them rubber so the body can flex a little vs subframe.

I put solid floor mounts and tower mounts on my 2000 Cooper Sport when it was brand new and it didn't make any difference to the NVH levels whatsoever.

by the way - I have a pair of new nylon top mounts left over if anyone wants them, just PM me.

[Sherlock]

I fitted a full solid mount kit about 10 years ago, the difference was unbelievable, smoother, quieter & much nicer handling, no cracks have appeared anywhere. At the time they were new to me but I was advised to fit the full set or none at all. All that does is revert to the kind of construction used by the earlier Minis & that was trouble-free.

[R1minimagic]

Even just fitting the top half of the tower bolt mountings makes a big difference. (i.e. leaving the rubber one in between body and subframe). I did this on my RSP Cooper as i couldn't be bothered at the time changing the part between the bulkhead. Maybe that's why i have a pair left over lol!!

[Guess-Works.com]

Looks like everyone has there personal opinion...

Mine is, Solid tower, and solid bottom rear, keep the rubber teardrops on the front, reason for this as it reduces the stresses placed through the wings and front valance, as solid all round tends to crack the joints ( obviously if you have a flip front this does not matter so much )

also forget poly, absolute waste of money...

[secondopsman]

Sorry to hijack but what mounts do people use when doing flip/removable front ends as i have brace bars fitted so no front tear drop mounts and have just renewed tower and front lower to floor with poly .Should they be solid?
Pete

[minitiae]

Thanks everyone for opinions & comments - way more than I expected!
From what I have read of your many and varied opinions on this subject, at the moment I'm going to go for: Hard top, hard rear and rubber front. The point made by GraemeC about making sure the floor is strong is very valid as even with the rubber ones my floor had cracked a bit on the driver's side, (exacerbated by rust between the floor skin and the reinforcing plate on the inside) I have since rectified all this so my floor should be strong enough to accept the solid mounts O.K. It's not a performance mini and it will have an easy life so no problems anticipated. Im opting for rubber teardrops because I think the point made by GuessWorks.co.uk re the fact that these might give the front panel & wing joints an easier time of it is valid. They are only holding the front panel in place after all and take no real load.

R1minimagic & GuessWorks.co.uk agree with GraemeC so that makes 4 in favour (that's including me!) of the above combination, although mars red mike, Teapot & Sherlock going for 'all hard' cannot really be questioned as the original Minis were done that way and gave no trouble. Just wonder, though, if they might not have had a bit more NVH - don't know, and no way of knowing!

If there is anybody else willing to chip in to this thread with their opinions and experiences it would be interesting to hear from them. Although it seems unlikely at the moment, my opinion could yet change!

[Sherlock]

Now I'm going to be controversial, (as usual) if the front teardrop mounts only hold the wings on, why do you have to fit triangulating brace bars with a flip front? Why from an MOT point of view, is the front panel & inner wing area is regarded as a suspension mounting area? I think those mounts do a lot more than just support the wings & I'm very happy that the whole lot is now a solid structure, like the original Minis.

[GraemeC]

Simply because the MOT is a generic test carried out to all cars and the testers, or even VOSA specialists, cannot be expected to know the structural details of each and every car that exists.
Therefore in their eyes if you remove the front mounts they must be replaced somehow - they do not know the details of what the mounts do.
Likewise with the inner wings, if there is corrosion within the prescribed area of a suspension mount then it is a fail - irrespective of whether that panel is structural or not.

If you remove a subframe from a Mini you can relatively easily bend and twist the wings and front panel around - are they really strong enough to be used as a suspension pick up point if they move? The front mounts merely locate them.