8 replies to this topic

[mini-auto]

I like to run my mini quite low.

When the car is jacked up the rear hilo and trumpet goes slack and loose and can disconnect.

Recently one side managed to disconnected itself while out on the road .

Is there a way I can limit the travel/drop of the rear suspension so that I can run the car low without the hilo and trumpet disconnecting itself.

I always knew the suspension might disconnect but until now its been ok.

Pic below shows it as it was low but Iv'e had to raise the rear to take the slack out of the suspension, its giving no bother now but I think it looks pants.

Can I fit straps to limit suspension drop/travel ??

or something else ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nicklouse]

you need the shorter length shocks rather than the standards.

[nicklouse]

some reading for you

https://www.calverst...damper-lengths/

[Ethel]

...or new rubber cones

[andyapanel]

...or new rubber cones

 

Yes, it sounds like very squished cones to me, too. Inspection should confirm this.

The good news is they should pop out fairly easily if they are too thin.

Good luck.

[CityEPete]

...or new rubber cones

Or both.

[paulrockliffe]

If you put longer cones in it'll raise the suspension.  It fixes the issue, but not if you've set the ride height like that because you'll then shorten the hi-lo to compensate.  Raising the suspension with the Hi-lo will also 'fix' this issue, but not without raising the ride height obviously.

 

I had exactly the same issue, though for slightly different reasons, and looked at the shock lengths, only the very shortest would restrict travel on droop sufficiently to stop this being a problem for me.

 

In the end I made up a pair of straps using nylon coated steel wire, they go from the top shock mount to the radius arm mount and stop the shock fully extending limiting the droop.

[Ethel]

Mini-Auto (surprised that name was still untaken) does say he has Hi-Lo's and it doesn't look to be all that low, which makes me think hard cones. New cones will raise it until they settle, but it doesn't look low enough to me to need shorter dampers - very subjective though, especially going off photos.

 

As Paul alludes to, Minis weren't designed with (external) dampers anyway, but tension springs to keep the rear suspension from falling apart.

[mini-auto]

Its got new red spot rubber cones because it was a bit soft at the back and tended to rub a bit.

 

Think I'll lower it back to my preferred height, measure the length of the shocker, jack it up and let the suspension fully drop, measure again then compare my measurements to the lengths in the Calver damper lengths chart. 

 

Calver damper lengths chart is interesting reading, thanks Nick.