10 replies to this topic

[Minime998]

Hi,

 

I have a 1968 Mk2 Cooper (998cc) that I'm building.

 

I bought the 10" wheels 21A2744 (other markings - dunlop 1161, 3.58 x 10 x 24, H3D) which are original to the 998 cooper (and non S mk2 minis).

 

The car came with hubs and brand new rear brake drums, but the studs on the hub were too short. After investigating it looked like the drum was a Cooper S drum with the built in 1" spacer.

 

I cannot get a MK2 drum (21A1457) anywhere, this being a brake drum with 1/4" built in spacer. I bought 21A1457 from a Moke specialist as these are meant to be the same parts, however they sent the 1" spacer drum.

 

So I bought a standard pre 84 drum (GBD105) and a 6mm spacer thinking this would fit. However the drum is fouling the wheel, even with 2 spacers (12mm) on, although I can nip the nuts up tight with 2 spacers, but its a tough job to remove the wheel from the drum.

 

Has anyone got a clue what I'm missing. I don't really want to go with the Cooper S wheels and drums if I can help it. The cooper S drum doesn't foul but looks to stick too far out in the arches.

 

Any help appreciated as I'm pulling my hair out (and emptying my wallet).

 

Thanks

 

Michael

[nicklouse]

Sounds like the wheels are not suitable for use without the use of the S/later drums.

Do you have a link to the wheels you bought. Which retailer?

Any images of the inside of the rim showing witness marks where they catch?

[Miki Leyland]

All Coopers had front disc brakes, consequently all of them have rear drums of the built in spacer type. Normal Minis standard wheels won't fit correctly. They need the ones with a different offset/ET.

Edited by Miki Leyland, 19 February 2022 - 02:07 PM.

[nicklouse]

All Coopers had front disc brakes, consequently all of them have rear drums of the built in spacer type. Normal Minis standard wheels won't fit correctly. They need the ones with a different offset/ET.

Are you sure on that?

I am not. The Cooper rear drum was not the same as the S/GT later cars rear drum brake.

[Miki Leyland]

 

All Coopers had front disc brakes, consequently all of them have rear drums of the built in spacer type. Normal Minis standard wheels won't fit correctly. They need the ones with a different offset/ET.

Are you sure on that?

I am not. The Cooper rear drum was not the same as the S/GT later cars rear drum brake.

 

I can be wrong of course.  You mean non-S Coopers had diferent track front and rear?

[Tupers]

All Coopers had front disc brakes, consequently all of them have rear drums of the built in spacer type. Normal Minis standard wheels won't fit correctly. They need the ones with a different offset/ET.

Yes the 997/998 Cooper did have front discs but they were smaller 7” discs that ran with drum brake CV joints not the larger and are quite different to the Cooper S 7.5” disc and larger CV joint. The 997/998 Cooper was also slightly narrower in track width than the Cooper S.


As the OP has discovered unfortunately no one reproduces the narrower spacered 997/998 drums as I imagine there’s not much demand for them.
I would recommend heading over to http://mk1-forum.net/ there’s a lot of very knowledgeable people over there when it comes to the Cooper and S variants and probably even a few people with 1/4” spacered drums hiding in their garages.

[Minime998]

Thanks for your comments. I took Tupers advice and asked around in Mk1/Mk2 forums and FB groups. Thankfully I was able to find some genuine Mk2 Cooper 998 brake drums, for a reasonable price. They went straight on the car and the wheels look much better. The cooper 998 drums do appear to have a different profile and dont foul the standard wheels at all

 

Here are the pics of the Cooper S (1" spacer), Cooper 998 (1/4" spacer) and the Pre 84 (no spacer) for anyone interested/looks at this in the future.

 

 

Cooper S

 

 

 

 

Cooper 998

 

 

 

 

 

Std pre 84

 

 

[nicklouse]

As you now have the correct ones see if you can get a standard Metro one to compare as they were also 1/4” spacer but I don’t know about the profile. It would be good to check for future info.

[Minime998]

As you now have the correct ones see if you can get a standard Metro one to compare as they were also 1/4” spacer but I don’t know about the profile. It would be good to check for future info.

Yep, good idea. Will get one and compare and will report back

[Homersimpson]

Why won't the standard drum fit into the wheel?  If its the same on the MK2 Cooper and ordinary minis then the ordinary minis would have had these standard drums rather than the ones with spacers?

 

Do you have any pictures of the wheels from the back and also any pictures with the drum sat in them to see when it touches?

[Spider]

For what ever it's worth, the Australian made Mokes from 1968 to 1976 - 1977-ish used the Cooper Drums, they had them fitted all round.