7 replies to this topic

[Deathrow]

I'm going to be doing a removable front conversion on my Mini in some months but I'm worried about if my subframe is mounted straight or not. Do Mini's have any adjustment "wiggle" for things like this or is a subframe pretty much stuck in the one spot?

I just don't want to go making holes for brace bars with the subframe in the wrong place.

Thanks,
Adam

[mini-mad-dan]

the best bet is to measure up your subframe to make sure it is true, and then the remaining mounting points on the body, and fit new mounts, this should ensure you have a straight front frame.

[Deathrow]

Sounds good to me.

I think once I've done those, i might bolt the subframe up with solid mounts and then use a piece of strong to go from the frount subframe mount to a point on the body, say the bottom of the a-panel and measure on both sides, in theory it should be equal.

Thanks for your suggestion Mini Mad Dan.

I take it there isn't any said play for afjustment in them then, so pretty hard to get wrong?

Edited by Deathrow, 12 March 2008 - 08:57 PM.

[midridge2]

apex (A PANEL) can be out, they can be bent in/out even back/forward so that will give you a wrong measurment.
measure from the bulkhead cross member down to the top front subframe, this will tell if the frame is up or down on each side.
place a straight edge along the front of the subrame and measure from the centre of the rear wheels to the straight edge, this will tell you if the frame is back on each side.

[Ethel]

Solid mounts are a good idea, especially with a flip front. Your Mini should be fine if there's no obvious damage or botchiness evident on the bodywork and suspension. If you still feel the need to check it: park on a flat, level surface and drop a plumb line from some key suspension points, radius arm and lower balljoint grease nipples would do as a minimum, mark their position on your surface; the diagonals should be the same length as should the two front to rear lengths.

[Deathrow]

Thanks midridge2, I should have thought a little more about that when I was storming the idea hehe. Your way sounds much more accureate anyway. Thanks again.

Solid mounts are a good idea, especially with a flip front. Your Mini should be fine if there's no obvious damage or botchiness evident on the bodywork and suspension. If you still feel the need to check it: park on a flat, level surface and drop a plumb line from some key suspension points, radius arm and lower balljoint grease nipples would do as a minimum, mark their position on your surface; the diagonals should be the same length as should the two front to rear lengths.

Well I'm hoping that by the time I come round to doing this any bad points in the body will have been assessed and sorted by my own hands but as far as i can see, it's all good down there.

My subframe to mounting bolts seem to wiggle around in the subframe bolt holes a little, is this normal or does my car have the wrong size bolts for some reason. Does anyone have any pictures of this area?

[Dan]

No there's nothing wrong with the bolts. There is wiggle room in the front subframe alignment as the mounting bolts for the rear mounts allow some slop between both the mount and the body and between the mount and the frame. The rubber in all the other mountings then allows the frame to twist as you tighten the bolts. We were having a discussion about this a couple of days ago and I completely failed to make my point! Don't measure to any points on the body, Mini bodies are all hand built and rarely square. Measure the way Ethel says, the techique is described in the Haynes manual. All you need is a flat and pretty level floor and to make sure the body is supported level. The floorpan bolts for the front subframe rear mount should consist of a pair of bolts welded onto a flat bar to lock them together, if that's what you are using then it's fine.

[midridge2]

when a mini was built on the factory floor a jig was used to place the main floor pan and bulkhead panels and bootfloor on before welding into place, this ensured that the suspension/subframes would all be in the correct place, the rest of the body shell was then added using some jigs to ensure reasonable fit.
so when a mini has had a accident it is placed on a bodyjig using the same mounting places as the factory jig for the floorpan etc, this ensures that all minis will align up on the jig, any damage will show up as misalignment.
so taking measurments from the same areas that are factory jigged eg, rear subframe mounting points, front subframe mounting point then taking a measurment from the bulkhead crossmember then it will be accurate.
in conclusion, if they are "hand built" then if you place a mini on a body jig then mounting points will not align, but they do because then are hand built but the main parts are jig aligned.



this is my opinion and will differ from others.
plus working in garages for 35+ years jigging hundreds of cars and repairing thousands and working as a coachbuiler building hundreds of bodys and restoring many classic cars from e-type jags, rollers, bentleys, 1920s morris vans and cars etc and repairing hundreds of insurance write off.