24 replies to this topic

[Noah]

They do sound great actually !!
Are they really a worthwile purchase though, as I only drive my mini to work and back, and have the occasional journey to the maccies or kfc drive through

Every now and again, I bet you go for a quick blast down a B-road. For that drive. They're worth it.

[RyanBebo]

Haha I do like to gun it down the Great Crosby dark curling country lanes to be honest!... My budget isn't the best at the minute, as I've just put a whopping deposit on a house :\ Eek!

[Noah]

Cone Compressor and Hi-Lo's is £55 near enough.

Kunckle Cups are like a pound each from Mini spares.

[RyanBebo]

Ahh that's not too bad I suppose, Might have to wait until next payday though ha ha!... Whats the worst damage I'll do to my car if i drive it say 10miles on a daily basis?

[Ethel]

If you can, I'd strip it down before buying the parts. The knuckle joint is most common, but it could be the cone and/or trumpet, or either might not survive stripping down. I'd say it's essential to replace both rubber cones if just one has died, and preferable, but not essential, to replace the solid parts (knuckles & trumpets) in pairs.

It may well go on for months on tired suspension, or it could put you in a ditch, or worse, if something is about to collapse. Jack it up & take a look. If there are any cracks in the aluminium trumpet, or the steel band around the top of the rubber cone has let go, I'd take it off the road. If it is the nylon cup for the knuckle joint it could limp on, but don't chuck it into the corners or leave it so long that it starts to erode the top arm.

[tiger99]

Don't just change the knuckle cup, as the ball will have been damaged, and will rapidly chew up a new cup. The complete knuckle is not all that expensive, and if one side has failed, the other side is not far behind, so you should do them both, regardless of whatever else, such as Hi-Los, that you are fitting.

Check the knuckle seating in the arm carefully, as if the cup has failed and it has been driven much in that state, the ball may have chewed up the arm, preventing the new cup seating properly. Then it gets expensive, so it really is best to change the knuckles every 40k miles or so, before the cups wear through. Once you have the cone compressor it is fairly simple.

There have been cases of very severe neglect in the 1960s and 1970s, where the ball ground its way so far into the arm that it jammed and sheared off, and again where it ground its way right through, sometimes causing accidents, and always costing 10 times as much as maintaining the knuckles properly. I don't think that any Minis are treated that badly nowadays!

[IainNeon91]

I have got 1 hi lo fitted! haha Fitting the other tomorrow

Edited by IainNeon91, 23 January 2013 - 05:21 PM.

[RyanBebo]

Ahh this could get pricey!.. I'm off work Friday so I will have to give it further inspection then!
Would any of you guys on here give me a quote to fix it?

[ANON]

if you can pop over to me i can get it up on the ramp and have a good look over it for you.

Edited by ANON, 23 January 2013 - 10:52 PM.

[RyanBebo]

if you can pop over to me i can get it up on the ramp and have a good look over it for you.

Will Pm you now ;)