Hello,

I believe that my strut towers are beginning to mushroom since I can't fit my new strut tower plates over either side of my R53. By searching, I read that you can pound out the sheet metal but you need to remove the strut tower.
I haven't bought a Bentley Manual yet for step by step instruction on how to remove the strut, so it may be extremely easy... or not. Can anyone shine some light on the quick overview of how this should be done?

Thank you!

 

Yikes... that's some severe mushrooming...

For the strut removal, try this:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=92737

Here's probably a better way to do the repair, than using a hammer... check out the flickr link on the first post...
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co....php?p=2020473

 

Oooh boy, now that you post pictures of someone's towers that are flat, I see just how severe it is. Sheesh, I was afraid of that.
Thanks for the info, Blimey. I like the 'soft bend' method you show in the second link. I may have to make the template from cardboard and have a metal shop fabricate the anvil piece, unless anything happened with the fabrication banter that was made in the original post? Doubt it.
Thanks for the strut removal too. I'm still a bit unsure of the removal, but I think I could figure it out with this thread and actually seeing it all.
You know, come to think of it, I have this slight groaning noise come from the passenger side when turning the wheel while driving really slow. I'm curious if this isn't due to the horrible shape of those towers and possibly bad upper strut mounts? Mine also seem to angle outward. It may not be a bad idea to replace them.
This is becoming a bigger job than expected, but, if it must be done...

 

What strut brace are you using. The OEM JCW brace brackets will actually flatten the mushroom when they are torqued down. (Not perfect, but real close)

 

Ihoboy - Everything on my car is bone stock. I have an '04 MCS.
So, you're saying that there is a possibility to just purchase the OEM JCW brace and not have to fabricate the anvil/clamp tool?

 

Both Mini Mania and Craven (I think) now make plates that go under the strut tower... that MIGHT work as the anvil (especially if you use both on one side at a time).

You WILL have to buy new upper strut mounts if you have that much mushrooming...

I have a very hard time believing the strut brace alone will remedy what you have... for mild cases, maybe... I don't think it will solve your problem...

 

Possibly, but before attempting this, or the old school method of pounding it down with a piece of 2x4 and mallet, I would first jack the front wheels up off the ground ....

 

I wouldn't try that. The studs will break off before the sheet metal is flatter.

Get a block of 4X4 Wood and a dead blow hammer to beat them flatter. Also note the "top Hat" on the coilover is also bent, so fixing the sheet metal is not going to fix the address all of the issues.

If it were me, I'd take the front struts out of the MINI, get the top hats flat, then work on the sheet metal. Or you could get a set of camber plates to replace the bent top hats and fix the sheet metal, the camber plates would help insure against them mushrooming again. The flat plates would also help, but you have to get the top hat flat.

 

I actually had a JCW strut brace on my Mini for around 10k miles, and I still developed some very slight mushrooming. When I took off the strut brace , the mounting plates of the strut brace sprung back to flat, and I was unable to get it back on again over the bolts until I took a few wacks at the towers with a rubber mallet and a 2x4. I now have an M7 strut tower brace, and I plan on getting Ireland Engineering fixed camber plates sometime in the future for added durability as well as better handling.

 

the spring could be rubbing the inside of the tower when turning. the mushroomed tower could allow this to happen.

 

Thanks everyone for the comments. After reading up, it sounds like the best method is going to be for me to get new upper mounts, fabricate a piece of metal for the 'soft bend' (I'm not so sure I trust the pound-it-using-a-2x4 method, although it is quicker and easier). Hopefully, the soft bend will be enough to pull those top hats straight. Assuming all goes well, I'll install my M7 plates. I'm not going to invest in camber plates, although, I see why some would want them.
Also, heyduard, good comment on the turning groan I have. I'll have to take a close look when I remove those struts. That groan worries me.
Any chance I'll feel an improvement in turning/handling when the sheet metal is bent back and the plates are installed?

 

I cant really do the search right now as my computer is being funny. but khuevo wrote a dyi on this procedure. you may search for him or perhaps send him a pm on the issue. :tu:

 

After repairing the sheet metal on the strut towers, replacing the upper strut mounts and of course, installing the new M7 strut plates, is there anything else that I should look for when it comes to replacement? I'd like to have this all nailed down and purchased before I start tearing things apart (IE: removing the struts and leaving the vehicle inoperable).

And another thing, I'm concerned about the height of the vehicle after the M7's are installed. Can anyone confirm/deny that adding the plates is changing the height of the vehicle a significant amount or if this is a null point?

Thank you, everyone!

 

You'll change the height of the vehicle once you pound those mushroomed towers flat - the strut has "risen" into the tower by deforming the metal, and lowering the top of the tower (by flattening it) will effectively lower the wheel in relation to the car - raising the suspension some. So... it's not the My7 plates that'll do it, it's the un-mushrooming of the tower.

Metallurgically, the wood-and-pounding method ay work a bit better, as it'll somewhat work-harden the steel, BUT you will need something to prevent recurrance. The top-mount M7 strut plates (or M7 strut bar) will help some, but if you can reinforce below that'll help even more.

Agreed, however, that there's likely some damage to the spring hat or strut bearings. You'll need an alignment once you're through. The car WILL handle better.

There may be a few "while you've got it apart" things to take care of as long as you're putting the car up and getting an alignment anyway: How old are your struts - do they need replacement? Are you considering coilovers or lowering springs? And if'n you're looking at struts, you've already got the car up and the wheels off, how are your brakes?

The list goes on and on, if you expand it enough! Best of luck to you!

 

Hi Dixon.

Thanks for the post. You certainly touched on some good points (reinforced plates, etc.) and made mention to issues like strut replacement. At this point, the car is an '04 with exactly 50K miles on it. I hadn't considered new struts, but, I suppose it is a possibility if the old ones were damaged or on their way out. As for coilovers or springs, at this point, I'm planning on leaving her stock. Lastly, brakes are another one I wanted to tackle soon so, I suppose this is a good time to address that.
Great comments. If anyone else has anything to add, please do so!

 

Forgot to mention: Keep your eye on the Marketplace, lightly used struts/springs come up fairly often for economical prices as folks upgrade or change their suspensions. You can even post a WTB in the WTB Marketplace forums.

 

Great suggestion! Thanks!

 

There's a dedicated how-to in the works from a recent fix; we'll see if this will encourage the vehicle owner to post it.

More info with a few photos can be seen here; I use a smaller section of wood now for better shaping control and a soft head dead blow hammer is safer. Be sure to clean the strike area first to limit surface scratches. It doesn't take hard pounding to get the tower metal to comply.

The OP has severe deformation; I think attempting a "like new" fix would be a little much.

 

+1

He used the wood and hammer method on my mushroomed towers and it worked great BUT mine were not nearly as mushroomed as these. I need to post the pics to my gallery.