21 replies to this topic

[Madrugada]

Hi all you Mini experts out there, this is my first technical post & I hope that somebody can help.

I recently bought this Mini (in October) & I am sorting out the problems that I am finding slowly but surely, it's great fun & keeps me busy during our 'lockdown'.

Here is the problem; When travelling on bumpy roads (there are many here) there is a rattling sound coming from the suspension, I jacked the car up leaving the wheels free with no weight on them & found that the rear springs were really loose, surely they should not be? I tightened up the high/lows until the springs were tight, measuring the exposed threads on both sides to keep them even, now the car is too high for my liking, there is about 4.5 inches between the wheel & the wheel arch. Am I doing something wrong? Also there are no rebound bump stops on the front suspension, I'm pretty sure that this might contribute to some noise.

I look forward to any help. Best regards, John

 

 

[nicklouse]

So it has had a spring conversion fitted? Or are you calling the rubber spring medium springs?

 

sounds like you have standard length shocks fitted? You need ones that are for cars with lowered suspension. They don’t open as far so keep everything together.

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

Hi

 

Firstly, you don't give the age of your Mini

 

Do you have springs instead of the thick rubber doughnut ?.. If so.- then this could be the issue.. I have heard and seen a few horror stories regarding coiled springs instead of the rubber unit..

 

I will leave it there for now, and wait for a reply regards the spring or rubber answer.  I am sure a few others could also add to this topic

[xrocketengineer]

You might have tightened the high/lows too much. The ratio of adjustment on the high/low is about 1 on the high/low to 13 on the wheel. So a little bit adjustment can make a big difference on the ride height. I have the "so much dreaded coil springs" in the rear with standard trumpets and the car was sitting too low, and the springs were loose during the initial installation. I added two bog standard washers between the trumpet and the knuckle joint (the factory does that on the front for 13 inch wheels) and the rear height came right in to what appeared normal, slightly higher at the back, and the springs were not loose. 

 

Before:

 

 

After:

Edited by xrocketengineer, 17 December 2020 - 07:59 PM.

[Alice Dooper]

The springs have a bad reputation.  BUT it really is down to who made them.  There’s a LOT of bad stories on here about front subframes cracking etc...   So there’s a lot of hate out there for them.  Thing is, there’s a lot of bad cheap rubber donuts too and you need to buy decent ones like the Moulton smooth ride type.

 

I’ve a set of springs that were made by MiniTastic on a pretty heavy S Works MPI that’s not far from being a daily driver and gets a lot of long road trip miles and my wife and I and our spines love them. 
 

The springs do need set up right - have to fit hilo’s and it helps if you add about 1 cm ride height and a set of good dampers.  The rubber donuts have a small dampening effect on their own and the springs don’t.

 

Logic and science says the springs need more travel distance as they will bind up (coils compress to they touch) and they are no longer effective. However, I’ve never had an issue and our MPI gets some very hard driving and the odd navigation job. Minitastic offered them in 3 spring rates - ROAD that I heard could be bouncy, FAST ROAD that I fitted as she is a quite heavy 13” wheel MPI and TRACK that I’d assume would have been way too hard for us.  He recommended GAZ dampers and we’ve had them on for a few years and like well enough except that they look a bit yucky after good use.

 

A lot of the spring come with cups that help them seat and spread the loads properly on the subframe and when the car goes light the springs uncompressed and it’s possible for them to rattle.  I did hear of the odd few that drilled a small hole in the cup and tie wrapped it to the subframe but I couldn’t see that lasting, especially if the tie wrap starts being pinched.   We occasionally have ‘flown’ our MPI, she’s landed decently with the good dampers but have had a few rattles in the rear drivers side that settle quite quickly after.

 

My advice - if they’re cheap springs (if you even manage to identify them), dump them and invest in good rubber.  If they’re good springs, set them up on hilos, check the cups are good and make sure you’ve got decent dampers and play with the settings.

[Maccmike8]

Moulton smootharide make your cars look like off roaders.

[nicklouse]

The springs have a bad reputation.  BUT it really is down to who made them.  There’s a LOT of bad stories on here about front subframes cracking etc...   So there’s a lot of hate out there for them.  Thing is, there’s a lot of bad cheap rubber donuts too and you need to buy decent ones like the Moulton smooth ride type.
 
I’ve a set of springs that were made by MiniTastic on a pretty heavy S Works MPI that’s not far from being a daily driver and gets a lot of long road trip miles and my wife and I and our spines love them. 
 
The springs do need set up right - have to fit hilo’s and it helps if you add about 1 cm ride height and a set of good dampers.  The rubber donuts have a small dampening effect on their own and the springs don’t.
 
Logic and science says the springs need more travel distance as they will bind up (coils compress to they touch) and they are no longer effective. However, I’ve never had an issue and our MPI gets some very hard driving and the odd navigation job. Minitastic offered them in 3 spring rates - ROAD that I heard could be bouncy, FAST ROAD that I fitted as she is a quite heavy 13” wheel MPI and TRACK that I’d assume would have been way too hard for us.  He recommended GAZ dampers and we’ve had them on for a few years and like well enough except that they look a bit yucky after good use.
 
A lot of the spring come with cups that help them seat and spread the loads properly on the subframe and when the car goes light the springs uncompressed and it’s possible for them to rattle.  I did hear of the odd few that drilled a small hole in the cup and tie wrapped it to the subframe but I couldn’t see that lasting, especially if the tie wrap starts being pinched.   We occasionally have ‘flown’ our MPI, she’s landed decently with the good dampers but have had a few rattles in the rear drivers side that settle quite quickly after.
 
My advice - if they’re cheap springs (if you even manage to identify them), dump them and invest in good rubber.  If they’re good springs, set them up on hilos, check the cups are good and make sure you’ve got decent dampers and play with the settings.

Shame that the Minitastic ones are just as bad as the rest.

[cal844]

The springs have a bad reputation. BUT it really is down to who made them. There’s a LOT of bad stories on here about front subframes cracking etc... So there’s a lot of hate out there for them. Thing is, there’s a lot of bad cheap rubber donuts too and you need to buy decent ones like the Moulton smooth ride type.

I’ve a set of springs that were made by MiniTastic on a pretty heavy S Works MPI that’s not far from being a daily driver and gets a lot of long road trip miles and my wife and I and our spines love them.

The springs do need set up right - have to fit hilo’s and it helps if you add about 1 cm ride height and a set of good dampers. The rubber donuts have a small dampening effect on their own and the springs don’t.

Logic and science says the springs need more travel distance as they will bind up (coils compress to they touch) and they are no longer effective. However, I’ve never had an issue and our MPI gets some very hard driving and the odd navigation job. Minitastic offered them in 3 spring rates - ROAD that I heard could be bouncy, FAST ROAD that I fitted as she is a quite heavy 13” wheel MPI and TRACK that I’d assume would have been way too hard for us. He recommended GAZ dampers and we’ve had them on for a few years and like well enough except that they look a bit yucky after good use.

A lot of the spring come with cups that help them seat and spread the loads properly on the subframe and when the car goes light the springs uncompressed and it’s possible for them to rattle. I did hear of the odd few that drilled a small hole in the cup and tie wrapped it to the subframe but I couldn’t see that lasting, especially if the tie wrap starts being pinched. We occasionally have ‘flown’ our MPI, she’s landed decently with the good dampers but have had a few rattles in the rear drivers side that settle quite quickly after.

My advice - if they’re cheap springs (if you even manage to identify them), dump them and invest in good rubber. If they’re good springs, set them up on hilos, check the cups are good and make sure you’ve got decent dampers and play with the settings.

Shame that the Minitastic ones are just as bad as the rest.

I agree

[PaulF]

I ran minitastic springs for years on a daily driven mini and never had one problem. If I was driving my mini daily again I'd fit them again

[Cooperman]

The best thing to do is to fit the original specification rubber cone springs and chuck the coil springs away.

When the Mini was designed, issogonis used rubber cone springs because he decided that steel coil springs were unsuitable - they still are.

[Ethel]

If you have rubber "springs" as original, then it's most likely they're just worn out and need replacing, it would also be worth looking at the knuckle joints, the ball can wear through the nylon cup, but it shouldn't create  that much slack on its own.

 

If you have an aftermarket coil spring conversion, then your only option is to fit different dampers* that limit the droop (but won't bottom out instead) - or put it back on rubber.

 

*It's an old chart, check before you buy.

[Alice Dooper]

 

The springs have a bad reputation.  BUT it really is down to who made them.  There’s a LOT of bad stories on here about front subframes cracking etc...   So there’s a lot of hate out there for them.  Thing is, there’s a lot of bad cheap rubber donuts too and you need to buy decent ones like the Moulton smooth ride type.
 
I’ve a set of springs that were made by MiniTastic on a pretty heavy S Works MPI that’s not far from being a daily driver and gets a lot of long road trip miles and my wife and I and our spines love them. 
 
The springs do need set up right - have to fit hilo’s and it helps if you add about 1 cm ride height and a set of good dampers.  The rubber donuts have a small dampening effect on their own and the springs don’t.
 
Logic and science says the springs need more travel distance as they will bind up (coils compress to they touch) and they are no longer effective. However, I’ve never had an issue and our MPI gets some very hard driving and the odd navigation job. Minitastic offered them in 3 spring rates - ROAD that I heard could be bouncy, FAST ROAD that I fitted as she is a quite heavy 13” wheel MPI and TRACK that I’d assume would have been way too hard for us.  He recommended GAZ dampers and we’ve had them on for a few years and like well enough except that they look a bit yucky after good use.
 
A lot of the spring come with cups that help them seat and spread the loads properly on the subframe and when the car goes light the springs uncompressed and it’s possible for them to rattle.  I did hear of the odd few that drilled a small hole in the cup and tie wrapped it to the subframe but I couldn’t see that lasting, especially if the tie wrap starts being pinched.   We occasionally have ‘flown’ our MPI, she’s landed decently with the good dampers but have had a few rattles in the rear drivers side that settle quite quickly after.
 
My advice - if they’re cheap springs (if you even manage to identify them), dump them and invest in good rubber.  If they’re good springs, set them up on hilos, check the cups are good and make sure you’ve got decent dampers and play with the settings.

Shame that the Minitastic ones are just as bad as the rest.

 

Have you had a bad personal experience??  What happened??

[Spider]

 

 

The springs have a bad reputation.  BUT it really is down to who made them.  There’s a LOT of bad stories on here about front subframes cracking etc...   So there’s a lot of hate out there for them.  Thing is, there’s a lot of bad cheap rubber donuts too and you need to buy decent ones like the Moulton smooth ride type.
 
I’ve a set of springs that were made by MiniTastic on a pretty heavy S Works MPI that’s not far from being a daily driver and gets a lot of long road trip miles and my wife and I and our spines love them. 
 
The springs do need set up right - have to fit hilo’s and it helps if you add about 1 cm ride height and a set of good dampers.  The rubber donuts have a small dampening effect on their own and the springs don’t.
 
Logic and science says the springs need more travel distance as they will bind up (coils compress to they touch) and they are no longer effective. However, I’ve never had an issue and our MPI gets some very hard driving and the odd navigation job. Minitastic offered them in 3 spring rates - ROAD that I heard could be bouncy, FAST ROAD that I fitted as she is a quite heavy 13” wheel MPI and TRACK that I’d assume would have been way too hard for us.  He recommended GAZ dampers and we’ve had them on for a few years and like well enough except that they look a bit yucky after good use.
 
A lot of the spring come with cups that help them seat and spread the loads properly on the subframe and when the car goes light the springs uncompressed and it’s possible for them to rattle.  I did hear of the odd few that drilled a small hole in the cup and tie wrapped it to the subframe but I couldn’t see that lasting, especially if the tie wrap starts being pinched.   We occasionally have ‘flown’ our MPI, she’s landed decently with the good dampers but have had a few rattles in the rear drivers side that settle quite quickly after.
 
My advice - if they’re cheap springs (if you even manage to identify them), dump them and invest in good rubber.  If they’re good springs, set them up on hilos, check the cups are good and make sure you’ve got decent dampers and play with the settings.

Shame that the Minitastic ones are just as bad as the rest.

 

Have you had a bad personal experience??  What happened??

 

 

 

I have 'bench' tested Mini-tasic Black Springs. I had some new ones sent to me and I also had a used one. I found on the first compression Cycle the new Spring 'settled' right away, loosing (from memory) around 6 mm off the static height. Right away that shows me it's an over stressed design, trying to make them stand 'taller' than they technically can. The rate was quite linear and it was a much harder rate than the Rubber Cones (I think even harder than Red Spot). Why many say the coils are so 'compliant' is that they are not 'complaint' but way under damped. The Rubber Cone has a considerable damping quality of it's own, so to get a proper 'apples for apples' ride comparison, mush stiffer dampers are needed on the coils, or another approach would be to remove the dampers from a Rubber Cone Set up.

That aside, it's a small issue. The main problem with Coils is that none (not even the Mini-tastic) have enough travel in them and you are in fact seeing this already, in that when you jack the car up, the Coils rattle around loose. If you raise it to a normal ride height, then the issue is the Coil Spring will coil bind before the suspension arm hits the bump stop. As the Coils are steel, one they reach bind, there's no give in them, before long, you'll have some serious issues with things breaking.

 

 

 

 

Just to show a few.

For the record, I am not a 'hater' of springs. The bottom line is they cannot be retro fitted in to a Mini.

[gazza82]

Doesn't look like the OP has been back since the question was posted ..

[Cooperman]

Maybe he is too busy fitting 'proper' rubber cone springs 😁