Hey guys, struggling to find a picture of what a genuine lower mount should look like in good health. This looks like a rip/tear to me. I'm getting a faint knocking while driving especially when the car is warmed up and over bumpy surfaces. My guess is that it's failing and the remaining rubber in the bush gets warm and allows it to knock.



So, is this a cleverly engineered gap in the rubber that's supposed to be there? Or is it ripped/failed?

 

Failed. (that's how they fail)

Next time I have mine on the lift I'll grab a picture. R50/R53 mounts are the same way.

The common easy upgrade adds inserts that take up some of that movement (and so reduce the ability for it to rip out..)

 

Thought as much but wanted to check, thank you for confirming!

I found lots of pictures of the mount online, but none of them close enough in high enough res to see whether that was supposed to be a gap (I've seen mounts on other cars with gaps in them as standard).

Plan now is to replace with a genuine Mini part, but to add the yellow power flex inserts at the same time!

Thanks again - super helpful!

 

Looking it again (and after looking at the early mount, which it turns out they changed a good bit..) - I still think it's failed, but perhaps not as drastically.

Note the arrow above - see that crack? grab a pry par or big screwdrive and wiggle the mount - should be able to slip it behind between the housing and the body.

Does that crack open up? It -could- be just the rubber checking, but I suspect that will open up when it gets hot and torqued. Also look at the same area below.

 

Ah, that's not where I was looking - I was looking at the gap highlighted by the three arrows here. That gap runs from 11 o'clock, through 9 o'clock all the way to 7 o'clock. I know it's a gap because I can shine a torch light through it.



So my question is whether that gap is supposed to be there, or whether it's torn itself?

 

It's done Sir, just replace it. Cheap and easy.