4 replies to this topic

[busa1999]

hi guys
doing up 1990 mayfair fitting new subframe and purchased radius arm repair kit, but it seems you need to have them machined to accept the new bronze bush, should i cut my loses and just get exchange arms with all the work done (£30-£40) depending on supplier.
any feedback would be appreciated
cheers mark

[minipip]

du know a mechanic? if so give him the arm and the kit and a pint and say please very nicley and all should be sweet.....

ivgotta do one of mine soon good job i know a mechanic!

[cowboy]

you will need the bush reemed out and replaced, apart from that its easy to change the rest of it.

[Dan]

Any old mechanic won't be able to do it unless he has the correct reamer. The arm doesn't need machining, the new bush needs reaming to finished size after fitting is all. You can do all the rebuilding yourself, clean up and paint the arms as needed and then take it to an engineer or Mini specialist for the reaming which is a simple while-you-wait type job (if they have time when you get there). It MUST be done or the bush will be undersize and the arm will never move properly and will destroy itself quickly in use. It isn't really a good idea at the moment to buy re-con arms because the only type that seems to be available currently are the dodgy type with a roller bearing fitted to both sides instead of a bearing and a bush. This is no good, it is simply done to avoid the reaming process as cost cutting. The arm performs much better with a bush and the bush is a better part for the job than a bearing. The arm doesn't move far enough for a bearing to get fully excercised so it wears out quickly. If the arm had bushes at both sides it would last a lot longer than the standard arm does with just one bush! Rebuild them yourself to standard spec, then get them reamed. Simple.

[AndyR]

i had my radius arms shot blasted and then repainted, i bought the rebuild kit ready for them to be reamed. When i popped round to Bill Richards Racing to have them done, but the reamer was broken and they hadnt done them for a while. So i had to search around, but nobody in my area new who did reaming. I knew a place in Ashford that did some engineering so took them round there and they charged 56 quid for the two just for the reaming, and didnt do it right the first time!! After adding up the cost of the shot blasting, the rebuild kits and then the reaming i would have said it was better to get some recon arms! I think minisport are doing them really cheap at the moment, and they have the bush/bearing set up!

Only problem is i need the front arms done now!!!