14 replies to this topic

[evad1980]

Hey, 

Anyone converted their suspension using these kits? 
 

https://www.minispar...s-classic-mini/

I’m looking to replace my cones as they’re a bit knackered and came across these.. I wanted to lower it anyway and they come with hilo’s.

 

I notice minispares do only the springs at a much heftier price….

 

http://www.minispare...px|Back to shop

Are these worth it or should I stick to the rubber cones?

Edited by evad1980, 26 April 2022 - 03:00 PM.

[Gilles1000]

There are some posts on here with every possible brake from the coil itself to subframe failure.

 

If you want to come into trouble you can buy and install them. Cheap or more expensive, the result may be the same.

 

I will stick with rubber cones and HiLos.

[nicklouse]

Not fit for purpose.

 

new rubbers will give a superior result.

the rubber spring is a service part.

[KTS]

the biggest issue with replacing rubber cones with coil springs is that if/when coil bind occurs it will most likely result in catastrophic failure of one of more parts of the suspension assembly (the spring, trumpet, subframe tower etc)

 

the harder you drive the car, and/or the worse the road conditions the more likely it is to happen.  i think there are plenty of people who have switched to springs and haven't had any issues, but there is also some very clear evidence showing what can happen if/when it does go wrong

[mab01uk]

I'm surprised Minispares still sell them.....

but note the Minispares ad says:- "We do not recommended these for road use as the spring can dislodge when hitting holes in bad roads especially lowered cars."

 

[MrE812]

I've got a set of springs from PLminis fitted a few years back.

The car is lowered (minispares hi-lo kit) with the appropriate Koni dampers.

No issues yet but I appreciate I'm taking a risk.

[whistler]

Recently drove a friend's mini that had these fitted. A horrible hard and bumpy ride.

[Cooperman]

The Mini has a very short available suspension travel - obvious really.

That is why rubber cone springs were chosen as the spring medium originally. The rubber cone springs give the correct deflection as load is applied and are true rising rate springs.

Coil springs are totally unsuited to a road-Mini due to the impossibility of replicating the accurate rising rate and load-to-deflection figures of the rubber springs.

It is a different matter on a race car where the track is totally smooth and a much higher initial spring rate can be used to reduce body-roll on turn-in, but here we are not discussing racing Minis.

On the road, once a coil spring 'binds', the results can be very serious. The sub-frame can fracture or the suspension ball joint(s) can fail. Photos of this have been posted by Nick, Spider and others - it ain't pretty! This is a constant risk as no-one can predict if or when a bump will be encountered which deflects the suspension until the spring 'binds' (that is, it bottoms out and goes 'solid').

[panky]

I've got this vague (probably false) memory of a double cone shaped spring, sort of diamond shaped, being developed where the coils fit inside each other when compresses to extremes so avoiding the springs binding. Anyone remember them? - or maybe it was just a brilliant idea I had.

[coopertaz]

easier to just lower with hi-lo or adjustaride kits and can get hard or soft rubber springs. beware cheap hi-lo kits with small sring base as this gives low spring rate and mine had a habit of bottoming out if driven hard. not had problem with other car on adjustaride kit at same ride height

[nicklouse]

I've got this vague (probably false) memory of a double cone shaped spring, sort of diamond shaped, being developed where the coils fit inside each other when compresses to extremes so avoiding the springs binding. Anyone remember them? - or maybe it was just a brilliant idea I had.

Can only stop the binding by reducing the travel. Pointless.

[evad1980]

Ok thanks chaps… I think I’ll swerve them then and stick to the cones.

Glad I asked as I was about to press the button on buying them, was sure they’d be a great upgrade!

[nicklouse]

Ok thanks chaps… I think I’ll swerve them then and stick to the cones.

Glad I asked as I was about to press the button on buying them, was sure they’d be a great upgrade!

Some pictures to confirm your decision 

Edited by nicklouse, 27 April 2022 - 06:21 PM.

[evad1980]

Bloody hell… that’s catastrophic failure…

Yeah, I’ll deffo give them a miss!

Thanks for sharing…

[Aria Aradhea]

Installed them once, not going to again. The springs will only works in a very ideal condtion; smooth, flat roaf surfaces without potholes or bumps. In those kind of roads they give a very nice, supple float-y feel.

But roads are not ideal. Once you encounter bumps and holes, they could and will bind and compress resulting in some, if not all, damages as in the pictures above. My hi-lo tower got bent just a few months after installing then, hence why I returned to cones.