8 replies to this topic

[THedooBZ]

hi all
im thinking of getting a coilover setup for my mini, basically what parts do i need? im guessing the shocks themselves for the rear and the shocks and mounting bracket for the front, is there anything i have missed??

also i know this makes the rear cones and trumpets obselete, but what about the front cones are these unused aswell????
im guessing the top arm is modified/changed or not?
also i have heard about 'corner weighting' what is this? why is it done? can you do it yourself? and how much does it cost?

hopefully all can be answered rather than starting something like 5 different posts.
cheers in advance guys.

[pikey7]

that's pretty much it. Have a look at the contents of a kit on somewhere like minispares site to be sure.

Yes, you dump the front donuts/cones too. AFAIK, the top arm is unmodified (although it's probably worth using an uprated pin in the arm)

Corner weighting is just that. Measuring the weight of each corner. Equalling them out gives more even handling properties. No idea on cost (but I'll have to find out eventually!). They basically slightly change the rideheight on each corner to balance it.

[THedooBZ]

just found this kit on minispares

http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=34279

looks like the full works, is corner weighting essential then? any adverse effects of not doing it???

[TrialsLife]

The corner weighting would be worth it. If your going to invest in coil overs and you want good handeling why not. Only money can hold you back.

Up too you mind.

[[email protected]]

Getting a kit like that set up properly is what makes kits like that good. Paying a few extra pounds after buying that kit is definately worth doing to get the most out of it

[Dan]

Exactly, buy a kit. You'll only end up having to fabricate all the parts if you try to do it yourself as they don't come individually. These things only really work as a whole setup so they are sold as a full kit.

Oh, but if you were doing this : -

im thinking of getting a coilover setup for my mini, basically what parts do i need? im guessing the shocks themselves for the rear and the shocks and mounting bracket for the front, is there anything i have missed??

then some springs would probably be a good idea!

Your shell needs to be really, really solid. The coil over setup puts the whole suspension load through points only designed originally to take damper loads. Any rust around the front or rear damper mounts will result in the suspension tearing through the shell at some point, so get it checked out first. Some have found that these setups can tear the mounts even if they are in good condition.

For a road car a setup with offset pin rear shocks is acceptable, if you want to do anything harsher than normal driving then it's a better idea to get a straight pin set as they are stronger but you will need to replace the damper mountings and parts of the wheel arches at the rear (meaning welding in new bodywork). Strengthening the forward mountings is always a good idea with coilovers.

[Jammy]

A few people I know have upgraded the bolts you get in the kits for hi-tensile bolts. Another good idea is to weld plates onto the inner wing where the brackets go, just to increase the strength in case of any cracks.

Any yes, its pretty much essential to get the corner weights done. Most of the times I've heard people say, 'I fitted coil overs and they were rubbish, hard ride and didn't really improve the handling'. I've asked them whether they had them set up properly and they say no! Hvaing corner weights set is as important as getting your car rolling roaded after a tuning an engine!

[Steve@RetroDash]

http://www.ime.org.u...nerweights.html
little linky to help explain cornerweights if anyone is unsure what they are

[Brawlyrox]

VERY GOOD LINK!