67 replies to this topic

[adam_93rio]

My mini is lowered and after settling is now pretty much resting on the bump stops. I have looked through posts on here and people have said to cut down the bump stops. I have poly bushes on there and they are bigger than the ones that came off but how much would be a good amount to cut off?
They are about and inch and half tall, was thinking cut them in half and see how it goes as i want to get a better wheel gap than I already have.
Cheers

[Deathrow]

I believe beyond a certain point you start stressing the ball joints so exercise caution.

[adam_93rio]

I am aware of this, thankyou

[mike.]

Poly bushes are shorter than standard rubber ones anyway, they can afford to be because they're harder so don't compress so much. I wouldn't cut them down at all.

I discovered recently my mini had very little bump stop clearance on one side, so I just raised it up a couple of turns on the hilo. It raised it up about 10mm from where it was but the car drives so much better now. No more bangs over bumps and you can chuck it into corners more.

You want to have a minimum of 10mm between the bumpstop and top arm.

Edited by mike., 25 October 2012 - 09:06 AM.

[new_zealand _minis]

front of mine has no bump stops . . never had any on . so did not see a point putting any on . never had any problems

Edited by new_zealand _minis, 25 October 2012 - 09:18 AM.

[mike.]

Until you hit a bad pothole whilst going round a bend and your hub shears off the car. Maybe your roads are smoother than ours

[Wil_h]

You'd be better raising the car so it's 5mm off the bumpstop than cutting the bumpstop. For a number of reasons the car will drive much better being slightly higher.

If you want it to look lower, lower the arches, or buy some that are closer to the wheels relative to the body (if you see what I mean?)

[adam_93rio]

The polybush ones I have now are slightly longer than the standard rubber ones, I've just compared them. On eBay there are slightly shorter ones do I will try them instead.

I don't agree with the idea of making a car 'look low' it's either low or it's not. I wouldn't be caught dead in a car with a chin spoiler and side skirts to make it look lower than it is.

[Alex_B]

But if you end up cutting the bumpstops and finding the knuckle joints shear off you end up in a hedge you wont be caught alive in a car that actually is low?

what about the tricks that Miglias use to get low?

[adam_93rio]

What tricks do they use to get low? I already have a plan for how my car will be lowered further, this is just until I have that in place.
I've just stated above that I'm getting the shorted polybush bump stops.

[adam_93rio]

Maybe she's sitting low for a mini. But not as low as I would like

[Wil_h]

The problem is that as you lower the car, the suspension gets softer (owing to the angle of the top arm). When you get to the point that you need to start modifing the bumpstops the top arm is at a large angle at rest.

Now on my hillclimber I don't run bumpstops and the car is low. But even with yellow dot doughnuts the suspension was not very stiff. I had to add and ARB.

On a road car it makes no sense to go this low, you just end up with a softer front end and terminal oversteer.

As you say, your car is either low or it's not. But if you're not interested in the low look, rather the handling, then it's better to be not so low. If all you want is the look then keep it as it is and fit the smaller bumpstops.

As it happens, I was not suggesting fitting a daft kit. But there are some normal arches out there that by their design fit closer to the wheels, mig arches for example, or group 5s.

[Wil_h]

Maybe she's sitting low for a mini. But not as low as I would like

Tat does look a bit too low for any sensible use. Raising it 10mm will make little differance to the look and work better.

[adam_93rio]

My car has 10x3.5" wheels and 145 tyres. It isn't built for ultimate road speed and handling as British roads aren't even made for that. I understand that my car is too low for speed bumps etc. and that a lot of people wouldn't like a car being this low. But if I was wanting a comfortable, luxury ride I would just buy a Lexus or a Merc.
The wheel arch option is out because of my skinny wheel/ tyres on the front although it may get some standard ones added. I don't want poke like you see on pretty much every other mini on the road.

[1984mini25]

If you want it sitting on the floor, just remove The wheels. At least that way you then can't drive it and you can make as many unsafe modifications to the suspension as you wish.

Edited by 1984mini25, 25 October 2012 - 11:01 AM.