Hello all, I’ve been a Mini owner since 2013 but never joined any forums. I’ve recently decided to do some routine suspension maintenance that I had put off for far too long (bushings, ball joints, tie rods, etc). I hate to think what all that would cost at a shop, so I plan on using Pelican parts’ how-to articles to help me through the process.

I don’t have a garage, but my dad lives <2 miles from me and has a carport I can use once it warms up a little. I’ll post progress pics and stuff as I go. It will be very slow-going, as I have a 9-month-old and work full time, but I’m open to others’ input, so if you have any tips for me, they would be greatly appreciated.

Being new to the forum, I hope to make some friends.

 

Welcome to NAM, and enjoy your new ride! I don’t have the expertise to help with your suspension questions, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get help here. Be sure to post a picture of your new project!

 

Good to see you are going to do some maint. But make sure you are doing what you actually need. We rarely see tie rods, and ball joints fail on the R56. Tie rods are usually just frozen from rust. So save your money and do what you need which will more than likely be some powerflex control arm bushings, and shocks. Let us know if you need help or suggestions.

 

Heck yeah! That is exactly what I needed to hear. Is there anything I could do to refurbish the ball joints? Any kind of penetrating oil or silicone I could spray in and around them?

I have powerflex rear control arm bushings ready to install whenever I get time, and I’ll order some FCABs too and install them before I get an alignment. I did replace all 4 shocks with OEM replacement Bilsteins a year or two ago, that helped the bounciness, but I’m starting to see slight play in my steering and shudders over bumps in turns. Is that most likely the FCABs? I kicked the tire from the front and got some decent wobble, which I learned is a good indicator of bushing death.

Thank you so much for the info!