21 replies to this topic

[tomlee86]

A stupid question but ill chip in anyway.... are the wheels actually the same diameter?

[Msmith93]

Just took the hi los out of the old bent subframe to fit to this one and the knuckle joints look fine, don't look like they have gone through the cup and yea the wheels are all 13".

I'm running out of ideas on what it could be now so i am considering buying brand new cones and then if that doesn't solve it i might sell it.

[jaydee]

It does mean nothing how they are today, maybe the damage occurred in the past wearing out the seat in the top arm. Its a remote possibility, but its just to rule out any possible suspention component. Also check that the knuckles are EXATCLY the same because there are two types (those fitted to later cars to raise the ride height for 12" wheels)
New cones wont solve the problem, as you've already replaced them, swap them around instead. But I'd expect after a few days the issue will be back again..

Edited by jaydee, 22 May 2012 - 02:08 PM.

[Msmith93]

Still haven't solved this problem and i need to get it fixed in the next 2 weeks :/

Fitted new knuckle joints & cones and put the 'hi-los' back in and its still high at one side and really low at the other.



This side is the highest, the 'hi-lo' is on its lowest setting, i know it should be high because of new cones but it did the same on the old knackered cones. Just cant figure out what it is, i'm now thinking it could be a bent shell.

[tiger99]

No, that is not necessarily logical, although the shell could also be bent. Your earlier pictures show both sides of the suspension low (look at the angle of the top arm), but the passenger side must be very near the danger point for breaking balljoints as the arm is at a ridiculous angle. That says cones, knuckles, and Hi-Los. Nothing else is involved except maybe the subframe, and the brace bars. I can't see in the pictures if the subframe is solid mounted, if not, fit solid mounts, as otherwise with the brace bar arrangement it is a catastrophic fatigue faulure just waiting to happen.

You need to get it om a truly level surface and use a spirit level (the longer carpenters types are ok for this, preferably not a short little one) to see if it is sitting level or not. Try across between the tops of the rear shockers, or maybe the rear parcel shelf, and across the tops of the front subframe tower bolts. I know you will not get the level directly on to these, you will need two spacers (wood is ok) of equal length.

If it is sloping one way at the front and the other way at the rear, the shell may be scrap. It will certainly need jigging. But I think the problem is not as bad as that, and is confined largely to suspension parts. Possibly at some stage the knuckle joints have worn through, and the arms have worn as a result, so the new knuckles do not sit properly. That means that the top arms are scrap, which is not so much of a disaster. Measure the bump stop clearance at each side with it on level ground.

You do need to find out what is wrong, and fix it, before driving it again, as uneven weight on the front wheels is downright dangerous, due to its effect on handling and braking.

[Msmith93]

I will try all the things you have said tomorrow and the same has happened on 2 sets of top arms so cant be that, they all looked good condition too. The subframe is already solid mounted so that's ok.

I have been able to lower the rear with the hi los and got the rear so it is level but the front is all over the place.

The front hi-los are both different, that is just what came with the car and this could be to do with it but it did the same on standard trumpets, really starting to confuse me now haha.

[Back2mini]

I am having a similar problem with an '89 mini.  Have changed all 4 knuckles, both front cones, checked front and back trumpets and cones for matching length and replaced all four dampers.  Still sits at least an inch higher on the passenger side.

Inside the front subframe turrets was perfect both sides, no cracked subframe tower as I have seen in the past.

 

The only differences I can see are that the rubber subframe top mount keeps moving on the high passenger side, and the top arms have different part numbers and are clearly different age castings.

At first I thought one was a hydrolastic arm but the distance from the pin centre to the knuckle centre and to the ball joint centre are identical.

The numbers are difficult to make out but the older looking (passenger side) one is JSSA HVL 

The driver side one is 21A 8698 

 

Beginning to think one might be bent and I should get a good pair.  Wish I had checked more carefully for straightness before re-fitting the whole lot, but I thought the flattened cones were the culprit.