6 replies to this topic

[Timcg]

F-reg Mini, pretty standard set-up.

 

Ok, so my knuckle joints are knackered so I read all the forums, bought myself some new ones, bought the suspension compression tool...

 

The cone compressor simply won't screw down into the cone. The thread on the tool is too big.

 

So, the cones went to metric in the mid 1970s. My car was made a good 14 years after the change over. Cones need replacing every five years or so.

 

Is there really a chance that my car has got imperial cones?? Would appreciate thoughts before I buy another tool.

[The Matt]

If it's had replacements, there's a chance it's had imperial ones fitted.

[dklawson]

In another recent thread (sorry... cannot remember if it was here or another board) a poster had a similar problem and found that the previous owner had botched the previous cone installation.  The trumpet did not fully enter the cone so it was cocked somehow.  That prevented the threaded rod of the puller from going into the cone's tapped hole.  I'm not suggesting that is the case with your car but I find it more likely than someone finding new-old-stock inch-size cones and installing them 20+ years after they stopped being common.
 
As best you can, take a look down the hole in the bulkhead to see what you can of the cone threads.  I have in the past had to resort to welding a tap to a piece of thin wall pipe (as an extension) so I could chase the threads in the cone to get the puller rod to fit.  Mind you I was not cutting new threads... just cleaning out the rust and debris that was preventing the puller from threading in.

[Timcg]

Knowing some of the things I've found on the car the previous owner may well have botched it. I think I'll buy the imperial tool and see what happens

[Albertini]

I had this problem at the weekend. My mini being the same year as yours. It turned out for me that it was the hilo not fitting in the cone correctly and it was all on the piss. The only way i could sort it was to take the top arm out. Not saying yours is the same issue but could be.

I only needed to change one knuckle joint rubber to start with and now I'm having to put new cones in each side.

[Timcg]

Ah well, this has all gone a bit wrong.

 

I bought the imperial tool... and it screwed down into the cone! Then as I started compressing the cone it all sort of slipped and completely threaded the tool.

 

So I've now got a £30 destroyed imperial compression tool and a metric one that won't screw in at all.

 

I'm guessing they are metric cones and it all a bit botched. The ride height on the front has been wrong since I bought the car (about 2cm too high) so I've always assumed there's some dodgy packing somewhere in the suspension area. I was going to use the "replace the knuckle joint job" to investigate what had been done.

 

As it's all a bit of a lost cause is my only option to smash the trumpet?

 

I don't see how I can remove the top arm with the cone/trumpet/knuckle all in place pressing down on it

[dklawson]

Read the second part of my last post about chasing the threads in the old cone.  You may still be able to get the metric puller rod to thread in and work.

 

However, your complaint about the car being too high will not be helped with new cones.  If anything (assuming the last cones and trumpets were seated properly) the ride height will be "higher" until the cones settle with age.