5 replies to this topic

[CraigRK]

Hi all,

The attached pic is of my car. Now you may be wondering what that's got to do with a mini. Well it runs mini drum brakes on the front. I am going to upgrade the front to 10" wheels from the current 8"and then also do a disc brake conversion.

So far I have sourced the Metro hub carriers (actually complete hubs with calipers etc the unused bits of which I will sell off again).

I have posted an ad in the wanted section for a knackered front sub-frame so I can mock-up a front suspension as this will all have to be rebuilt.

You can see that I don't have much space under those front wings.

If anyone can help with ideas or knackered bits for the mock-up it will be appreciated.

If there are any members who also live in Leatherhead I'd love to talk to you as well.

Thanks,
Craig

Attached Files

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Edited by CraigRK, 19 August 2007 - 03:53 PM.

[miniboo]

can you do some pics of the front end without a wheel on? then we may be able to help you better. nice car by the way

[CraigRK]

can you do some pics of the front end without a wheel on? then we may be able to help you better. nice car by the way

Hiya,

Thanks for your interest.

I've added quite a few pics to my Photobucket album, here are links to the suspension ones. (Click the thumbnails to see full size pics)

Again, as you'll note, there isn't much space. My friend and I aren't scared of fabricating so pretty much what's there is going to come out. Once I have a mini subframe and suspension bits I will mock the whole thing up and see what's what.

So far I'm thinking that I have the following choices:
Totally make up my own control arms as well as a sub-frame.

Use mini upper control arms top and bottom (except that gives we equal length arms so not so great for cornering)

fabricate a single new arm that works like the current one, but instead of the king pin arrangement use the mini hub carrier with ball joints (less grief at MOT time than king pins, but crappy camber issues like now).
Well, pretty much whatever I do it can't be worse that what I have now.

The other thing to remember is that there is very little suspension travel needed due to the light weight of the vehicle. To get the jack under a low spot earlier today to take the pictures I lifted it a fraction with one arm while shoving the jack in with the other (and I'm no Rambo).

Cheers,
Craig

[R1mini]

Looking at the pictures and available space, without doing to many modifications to the subframe/chassis area a small macphearson strut setup based on a mini /metro hub looks as though it may do what you want. I've seen it done before on a mini rally car, the bottom swivel joint fits on to a normal bottom arm/tie rod, in your case I would change it to a bottom wishbone that will fit the space and chassis you have. The topball joint is removed and coilover with a machined adapter screws into the top balljoint location and solidly attaches to the bottom of the coilover, the top of the coilover goes where the original coilover mount is.

Just an idea, bottom arm/ tie rod replaced with something like the ZCars do with there tubular front suspension, see here for my frame
http://www.16vminicl...y...11257&pos=3

Cheers
David

[CraigRK]

David,

Thanks for the input. What you say sounds interesting.

The lower fab'd arm on your z-cars subframe looks good. (As does the rest of your project).

When I have a subframe, etc I'll start working out measurements. It's a bit diffcult with not having all the bits to see what is possible. I'm not sure that I will have the clearance for the 'mini' strut idea. What I was thinking was perhaps two a-arms and run the coil-over to the lower arm to keep vertical height down to a minimum.

Cheerio,
Craig

[CraigRK]

As an aside while await the collection of my subframe and try to track down the other bits I need.

What should I do in terms of the master cylinder. I know nothing about mini master cylinders apaprt from the fact that my car has one. BUT bear this in mind.

Currently the foot brake acts only on the front wheels. i.ee the two drum brakes. When I fit the discs this will still be same.

I have a separate plan for putting a disc brake on the rear but that will likely run off it's own master cylinder as I will be using a motorcycle derived brake there in order to make it fit on the scooter rear wheel.

Thanks for now,
Craig