13 replies to this topic

[Harryracinggreen1990]

hi there, me and my grandad have a 1959 austin seven mini, it need both sides raduis arms doing but im real;ly struggling to find some cheaper ones asall i can find are sets for nearly £500!! are there cheaper sets around or can you buy a rebulid kit, i am a apprentice mechanic and would say im confedient in my work, is this somthing i could atttempt to do my self at home, many thanks harry :)

[CLM]

There are ways to hone the bushes with brake hones, but to rebuild them properly you are going to need a very expensive reamer, you may be best off taking them to a machine shop to be rebuilt.

http://www.somerford...roducts_id=7405

If you have the original radius arms for the 1959 mini it is really worth it to have them rebuilt instead of replacing them, modern ones are not exactly the same, they are cast where the early ones are welded together.

Chris

Edited by CLM, 20 September 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[Harryracinggreen1990]

okay thanks chris ile do that then :) thanks for the help

[Big_Adam]

I'd just drag them to a machine shop with a repair kit and ask the guy to do it for me.

£30 later, done. What I did on my 82' arms, not sure the difference between them and 59 arms.

[bmcecosse]

Are the arm bushes badly worn? Very often the wear is mostly in the pin - and a new pin makes them almost good as new. As already suggested - keep the car very very original. It's worth REAL money these days !

[minidaves]

you have goto rebuild them end of story

[abe46]

I might have a refurbed pair in the garage from my last build. PM me ill dig em out!

[bmcecosse]

4 refurbished pairs of 1959 radius arms ! Blimey. DO NOT fit the later arms to a 1959 Mini - keep it ORIGINAL to preserve it's value....

[abe46]

Apologies, I was on the train with rubbish signal so posted 4 times!

I do believe they are the hydrolastic radius arms for Mk1/Mk2, they were stripped, re-furbed & painted in hammerite. I will get some pics this weekend for you!

[ace01]

The radius arms on a 59 mini are fabricated, as said above, and only lasted for a year or so. Later MK1 and MK2 radius arms are different, and hydro radius arms are different again.

[mk3 Cooper S]

Get your referbished, Should cost no more that £30 + parts per side

[abe46]

ah i see! mine are probably the wrong one then! nevermind matey :)

[bmcecosse]

Of course - the 'original' arms may have been changed already..... do they appear to be fabricated - with a weld line visible?

[CLM]

Just as an example, here is an early welded arm next to a late cast arm. The early arm would be late 59-late 60 or early 61 I believe, These ones came off my Jan 60 car. Differences in the earlier 59 arms would primarily be the hand brake cable had a tube instead of the quadrant.

Chris