16 replies to this topic

[green sprite]

so as per the advisory on last years MOT my mini needs a new rear sub frame. The garage has quoted me £900 including labour.

 

So to pick the brains of the mini techies, I have a few questions....

 

1) is this about right? they said £380 for labour exc VAT

2) I have a 1998 fuel injection model so I can only use original mini parts not non genuine mini sub frame the sale on mini spares as apparently its the hydrolastic model ?

3 finally...as this place did the last MOT and that was the advisory then, could they be mugging me off?

 

Thanks

[lrostoke]

http://www.minispare...s/KHB10024.aspx

 

subframes £380 inc VAT genuine

 

labour probably isn't far out, I would say anything around £40 per hour labour rates.

 

Big problem with subframe changes is you don't now what you'll find when you start

 

bolts can snap, hidden rot in the heel board.

[green sprite]

does it have to be a genuine part?

[miniyellowmini]

does it have to be a genuine part?

Can't see why you couldn't use a pattern subframe if you wanted to. Only issue could be if it fits correctly (there are badly fitting ones) maybe that the garage doesn't want the hassle of trying to align a poorly fitting subframe so are quoting for a genuine one only.

 

As for it being a hydrolastic, they were discontinued in 1971 so they've got that wrong. A 1998 Mini will be a dry subframe like the one in the link above.

[miniyellowmini]

Might be worth getting a second opinion if you have any doubts whether it needs completely changing. How bad was it when it had the advisory and has it really deteriorated that much after a year? What exactly has it failed on, is it the subframe itself (rusty - resembles a Cadburys Flake or got rusty holes in it). Or has it failed on the area it mounts to (heelboard) and they are just quoting full replacement as it's easier to replace with new subframe whilst doing heelboard work, even though technically you could get away with a repair to just the heelboard.

[mrducati]

Looks to me that you have a sports pack with 13" wheels. These had some reinforcements to be able to handle the larger wheels, so you shoud have a subframe with these reinforcements. As far as I know, no non-genuine parts have these reinforcements unforutnately.

[Russw]

If i was you, i'd take it to another mot place and get it tested, atleast you'll know whether the other place was trying it on.

Best to spend £35/£40 first i'm guessing

[Mrpeanut]

Looks to me that you have a sports pack with 13" wheels. These had some reinforcements to be able to handle the larger wheels, so you shoud have a subframe with these reinforcements. As far as I know, no non-genuine parts have these reinforcements unforutnately.

The reinforced subby

http://www.minispare...24.aspx|Back to

I paid about £250 labour to change my rover subby at a specialist mini garage. It had seized on about ever fixing point so took about as long as the job could. To me £380 seems heavy.

[green sprite]

Thanks for your help. taking it to get a second looked at today by another garage. fingers crossed!

[wile e coyote]

Good grief - that cost came as a shock - shows quite how long it was since I last bought a new frame! Once I got over the shock though that seems a bit expensive but not outrageously so,if (and a big IF)  all bolts come out  cleanly and there is no bootfloor / heelboard corrsosion to deal with then changing is a relatively straightforward process requiring no specialist tools...can be done solo too (better to have two pairs of hands really).....

 

Considered trying it yourself? -  try the heelboard bolts - GENTLY - after soaking with plenty of penetrating oil..if there's a shear or worse the sickening crunch (reads - expense) of torn rotten metal ....then you can whistle up the garage.....

[petehuws]

As mentioned above, it's not a job that can be preforeseen and time planned.  I replaced my rear subframe myself over this winter and it wasn't without some mishap.  Fortunately for me my heel board upon subframe removal was fine, these can have horrors lurking on them at every corner.  I subsequently soaked all bolts in plus gas every other day for nearly 2 weeks prior to starting and one still snapped off which had me arc welding a new bolt to the broken stud in order to remove. 

On paper the job is relatively straight forward but fighting things like broken studs can take more time off you than the actual strip down & rebuild, it's not a job I'd like to do again in a hurry; your labour quote isn't too far off I think...

[robminibcy]

does it have to be a genuine part?

No it doesnt, but a genuine part is likley to last longer, be easier and better to fit. Are the garage including treatment of the new subframe such as painting or powder coating? If not they will need to. The best protection is galvanising which can be done here http://www.competiti...om/?page_id=299. This obviously will add considerable expense though!

[tiger99]

In this case it DOES have to be the genuine part, as already stated, as the extra reinforcing is very necessary. A non-genuine part will fail. Rover did the upgrade on the basis of actual tests.

 

In any case most bogus parts are unsafe as the welding has been skimped. If I were to use one I would be sure to spend a couple of minures seam welding the critical joints. Then there are alignment problems, frequently discussed here.....

[green sprite]

so went to kwik fit and she passed with a couple of lights needing to be replaced. The sub frame was an advisory but they said it wasn't seriously weaken so plenty of time to save before the next MOT.

 

No chance ill be doing It myself...as I have very little tools and patience  I'm still struggling to get a bolt off to fit a new bumper that I bought last June!

[Cooperman]

To run a classic car of any type without being able to do virtually all of the work on it yourself means that it will be a very expensive 'toy' to own.