5 replies to this topic

[Harrison541]

My Mini is a H reg and so is 22 years old and it has never had the cones changed so I was planning on changing them soon. Minispares charge £40 for cones so it would cost £160 for a complete cone change. They sell these springs: http://www.minispare...px|Back to shop for £273.

Has anyone used them and are they worth the extra £110??
Thanks

[03jkirk]

these are not designed for road use and there have been some storys of them becoming dislodged, however i ve heard nuthing but good storys about minitastics coil replacements, http://www.minitastic.co.uk/home1.htm

[tiger99]

None of the coil spring conversions are in any way suitable for normal road use. The short suspension travel of the Mini requires suspension with a rapidly rising rate, which the rubber cones achieve. You may get away with springs if you never carry passengers, or anything else, but it is impossible to get a steel spring which is correct with only driver and with a full load. It will either be too stiff, which is very bad for handling, with teh driver only, or too soft and running on the bump stops, with a full load. And don't imagine that you can adjust it with something like HiLos. Even if you can fir them with coils, they only adjust the ride height, which has nothing to do with what is needed, which is adjusting the spring rate.

You may be better with certain coil springs for track use only, but even that is questionable.

[Angusdog]

Not sure what sort of ride you want (stiff or comfortable), but a Smootharide kit transformed the ride in our 40 year old Estate.

[rodandtom]

None of the coil spring conversions are in any way suitable for normal road use. The short suspension travel of the Mini requires suspension with a rapidly rising rate, which the rubber cones achieve. You may get away with springs if you never carry passengers, or anything else, but it is impossible to get a steel spring which is correct with only driver and with a full load. It will either be too stiff, which is very bad for handling, with teh driver only, or too soft and running on the bump stops, with a full load. And don't imagine that you can adjust it with something like HiLos. Even if you can fir them with coils, they only adjust the ride height, which has nothing to do with what is needed, which is adjusting the spring rate.

You may be better with certain coil springs for track use only, but even that is questionable.

Hi,

You are very adamant that none of the coil over springs are any good for road use. Are you talking only about coils? Are kits like this RSX519 quoted on minspares ok? I want a more comfortable ride so are you saying there really is nothing better than the standard cones? The set ups quoted on mini tastic clearly say they are for road use.

RodAndTom

[03jkirk]

i spoke to people who have got the minitastic spring replacement and have had them on their car for upto a year or more and drive them everyday and say they are a vast improvement on the standard rubber cones, i understand they will most likely be comparing to old cones (hence replaceing them) but these have all been good recomendation to me