MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring

HotRodPilot · #1 01-01-2009, 08:20 PM

Hello,

I did a search, but couldn't find any mushroom related R56 threads in this forum. Does the R56 have any known mushrooming issues? Has anyone experienced any?

Thank you

OXYBLUECOOP · #2 01-01-2009, 08:31 PM

I have hit SEVERAL large pits in the road over the last year(60k+miles) where the CD would skip and the glove box would drop open even cracking a rim on my passenger side and my towers haven't moved a bit from their original form.

rrcaniglia · #3 01-01-2009, 08:56 PM

I know there are threads on mushrooming on NAM. Several. In fact, there are some vigorous debates out there on what kind of plates are best, whether plates do any good at all, and as to whether one should install camber plates instead of top-mounted anti-mushrooming plates. Look again. They are there.

rrcaniglia · #4 01-01-2009, 09:01 PM

In fact, I just searched on 'shock strut mushrooming' and came up with all the posts you could want. The threads are in the R53 section, but they contain R56 discussions internally.
R

HotRodPilot · #5 01-02-2009, 03:42 AM

Because I'd go looking for R56 mushroom problems in the R53 forum. I didn't search the R53 forum because I knew I'd come up on a bunch of issues for the R53 there, that I'd have to sort through to have any chance of finding any R56 problems.

Thank you for your time though, it looks like mushrooming on the R56 is not an issue

scottab36 · #6 01-02-2009, 04:20 AM

I have not seen any posts for mushrooming on the R56. If anyone has, please provide the link(s).

I have 29,000 miles on Louise and I just added the JCW strut tower brace. I did not see any mushrooming while installing the STB.

I did notice that my 05/2007 build had the slotted strut mounting holes for alignment adjustments.

Blainestang · #7 01-12-2009, 10:36 AM

I searched for the same thing because mushrooming is one of the things that kept me from buying an R53 in the first place... and I haven't seen anything concrete about mushrooming on the R56.

**Fatherdeth** · #8 01-12-2009, 11:10 AM

No, I think BMW got a clue and finally designed a shock tower with thicker metal.

bbm · #9 03-11-2009, 03:11 PM

I can not confirm it but I think the mushrooming problem is not a problem for 2nd gen (R56). I did my best to search NAM, PSMINI, and various other web sites and found no complaints about R56 getting a shock tower mushrooming problems. With the entire mushrooming problem I have been hearing with 1st Gen Mini's I have debated if I should get strut tower plate support for my R56. They could be good preventive measures, but is it truly necessary for the R56?

Noegel · #10 03-11-2009, 05:55 PM

I asked my dealer and they have not heard of ANY R56s with the mushrooming defect. I guess the warranty work on the R53s just got too expensive!

jrcsh6 · #11 08-19-2009, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noegel

I asked my dealer and they have not heard of ANY R56s with the mushrooming defect. I guess the warranty work on the R53s just got too expensive!

i'd guess they haven't had any problems at all?! everything i've ever gone to the dealer for has been a "unique problem" oddly enough. i think the members here are much more reliable when it comes to the truth and reality of problems we have with our MINI's!

it doesn't look like, from people here on NAM, that the r56 has much of an issue with it.

Ken G. · #12 08-20-2009, 12:04 AM

As far as I can tell from a year and a half of reading through posts, MINI solved the shock tower mushrooming problem with the R56. It's only a problem for the Gen1 cars.

unclemeat · #13 08-20-2009, 07:03 AM

'08 R56: I slightly mushroomed my driver side strut tower. I was lowered on H&R spring and bottomed out on the hugest pothole known to man. It was quite riveting actually.

For what its worth the strut tower only deformed like 1 milimeter. You couldnt tell by eye but with a straight edge the problem was evident. I went ahead and bought M7 strut tower plates after which bent the strut tower back to where it was supposed to be.

sequence · #14 08-20-2009, 08:33 AM

there were many issues with R53 that were corrected with R56, mushrooming strut towers was one of them. no worries.

slinger688 · #15 08-20-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclemeat

'08 R56: I slightly mushroomed my driver side strut tower. I was lowered on H&R spring and bottomed out on the hugest pothole known to man. It was quite riveting actually.

For what its worth the strut tower only deformed like 1 milimeter. You couldnt tell by eye but with a straight edge the problem was evident. I went ahead and bought M7 strut tower plates after which bent the strut tower back to where it was supposed to be.

This is the first case of mushrooming for a R56 that I have seen, but it seems like it is quite a minor one. I was going to get rid of my My SRPs but I guess I will keep them on for now.

How big was that pothole??? Did you bend the rims?

Frontdrivebimmer · #16 10-21-2009, 02:54 PM

I purchased a 2009 mcs with 6000 miles. It came with 17 inch crown spokes. The driver side wheel had to be replaced before i took delivery, (they did a safety check after the test drive because of a little shake and discovered the wheel was bent and tire damaged). A week later I noticed that the strut tower was mushroomed. I asked the dealer about it and a tech looked at it and said it wasn't very bad. I decided to buy 16 inch wheels and potenza grid 019 which makes driving around New Jersey a little less risky and more comfortable.

**Tron Chief** · #17 11-07-2009, 07:44 AM

I went with the M7 strut tower brace for the look and maybe a little in the handling department. The peace of mind offered by the plates is nice when driving on rough roads.. It also makes sure that the Super AGS does not go anywhere