90 replies to this topic

[bluecooper95]

What have I started ?!?! :0

I am getting mixed opinions in this topic. Some people love them, purist hate them and some that just speak out of their ****

Both options are similar in price. Both detoriate (over time)

The sole reason I would go for springs, is not to be a sheep and follow the rest of the mini scene. BORING

The whole thing that springs are smother to drive is someone's opinion not fact.

[Tamworthbay]

You are still being a sheep by going for coil springs. If that is your sole reason for not wanting rubber, then I would suggest air suspension or perhaps a magnetic 'spring' system. I am fairly sure that's never been done on a mini but would take a lot of doing.

[HarrysMini]

Air suspension would be cool, then you could have Range Rover style raising and lowering.

[Tamworthbay]

Air suspension would be cool, then you could have Range Rover style raising and lowering.

So would magnetic, simple dial on the dash and you could raise/ lower to your hearts content. If you wanted to get really clever you could install g meters and small accelerometers and build a full active suspension set up. That would be seriously cool (as well as seriously expensive, seriously hard to do and seriously pointless).

[Tamworthbay]

Thinking about it you could do it in a much simpler way. As the permanent magnet mover upwards into the field of the electro magnet then current draw would increase. A fairly simple bit of electronics could be setup to monitor that and reduce the current thereby allowing the wheel to move up, as the wheel begins to lower then the current would begin to drop and it could be increased to push the wheel back down. We have played with magnetic suspension on our electric cars at work but only as a way to remotely alter ride height. In the end we ditched it as it was more hassle than it was worth.

[HarrysMini]

I have no experience or knowledge of magnetic suspension so I didn't know that you could adjust height etc.

If I ever win the lottery, which is highly unlikely seeing as I don't play, I would love to have a go at using G meters and accelerometers with all sorts of clever suspension components... One day maybe.

 

I read or saw somewhere that you can get shock absorbers that are filled with iron filings in the fluid and have magnets, and when you switch the magnets on the filings move about, stiffening the ride. I wonder how practical this would be in a Mini?

[Tamworthbay]

Anything is possible, you just need a combination of skill, time and money. If you have a lot of one you need less of the others.

[welshdan]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the mini donut/ shock setup!

If the suspension is made up of quality parts, and all set correctly you have it all there....handling will be superb, adjustable shocks allow softer/ harsher ride.

Changing these parts really isnt needed. If you want an ultra soft ride buy a modern car. If you want an icon that handles like a go cart buy a mini...

[welshdan]

Just to add buying this off the shelf kit is hardly a going against the grain or giving you a unique setup. Its as i said, an off the shelf kit!

If you really dont want to follow the heard, why not engineer the next big thing...k heads for example revolutionise the ancient 5 port a series, looking at making something like that fit but not a k head would be breaking new ground ;)

[Tamworthbay]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the mini donut/ shock setup!
If the suspension is made up of quality parts, and all set correctly you have it all there....handling will be superb, adjustable shocks allow softer/ harsher ride.
Changing these parts really isnt needed. If you want an ultra soft ride buy a modern car. If you want an icon that handles like a go cart buy a mini...

But the OP wants something different, not necessarily something better. My post on page one said the same as you. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[HarrysMini]

Or if you really don't want to follow the sheep, experiment with what Clive and I were discussing!

[welshdan]

I quite like sheep ;)

[HarrysMini]

I quite like sheep ;)

I'm not surprised, going by your username 

 

No offence meant

[Cooperman]

I quite like sheep ;)

 

Your name is not 'Baaaaaasil', is it  .

[Harrison541]

If you're still using the original cones then there will be a huge difference if you swap to 4 new ones.

30 & 40mph over small bumps is actually quite comfy for me now although speed bumps are still, well, bumpy, due to the short suspension travel.

 

I do love the way it seems to hop along when you get up to 50 though, part of the character of the rubber cones

 

I've never tried springs and to be honest I don't think I want to, the suspension plays a massive part in how a car feels and that's why I bought my Mini in the first place.

Edited by Harrison541, 02 November 2013 - 10:36 PM.