i'm planning to get powerflex bushings but it seems there A LOT for Minis. which of the bushings are really critical in improving handling performance? i drive aggresively in mountain runs a lot and do trackdays every now and then BUT i don't wanna turn my MCS into a huge vibrator

any inputs will be greatly appreciated

 

I have only done the main front bushings at the moment. I used the ones with the steel inserts. It has made a huge difference, but thats because my OEM ones were totaly gone. I am going to 1320 to get the rear ones done as soon as they have them in stock. These would be the most critical ones to get done for handling.

I was advised against the rollbar bushings and steering column at they tend to be very noisy and the OEM are okay.

I have also replaced my engine and gearbox bushings and mounts. Well worth doing. Made a big difference to the vehicle.

All of them add more NVH to the vehicle.

 

so from moss mini's list...

http://www.mossmini.com/Shop/ViewPro...eIndexID=36703

i should not include the rollbar and steering rack (column?) bushings?

but according to the powerflex website...

http://www.powerflex.co.uk/products....2&submit1.y=14

there's an option to get EIGHT rear control arm bushings (which are not on moss mini's list). does anyone the complete kit in their Mini? or do i only need the ones for the trailing arm (as per moss mini's site)?

 

small and larger/ upper and lower engine and the tranny one. you should be set with those

just my .02

 

^^^ that oughta cure the lunging of the engine when you suddenly lift off the throttle...

but how about for handling?

 

you may want to search for and read some threads from "meb" about bushings. He had a fair amount on his car and made some changes along the way. Good informative posts.

 

poly isn't always a good thing...nor is poly always a bad thing. You have to decide what you want from the car. Compliance is not a bad thing in some instances. The stock front lower control arm bushing is a short lived animal. I used the P-flex bushing here for about 60K miles - tracking and commuting. The ride gets really harsh when the temps get cold...but that is my experience along with heavier than stock springs. Still, the stock dampers have an aggressive damping curve, so the bushings will feel harsh on those cold days. All else is postive regarding these bushings.

Poly engine mounts...any added vibration into the cabin is not welcome in my opinion. Some engine mounts protect electrical components from vibrating into dust, so be very careful here.

I would not use any poly in the rear!!! I cannot elaborate here, but if the mini's back end is in good shape - good dampers, springs and a proper alignment, then it needs to work as designed. In particular I'm focusing on the trailing arm bushing - stock is better for anything but a pure race car. And if you are running a pure race car, you should be looking beyond poly...

Rear control arms; the lower control arms are more stressed than the upper control arms. The uppers basically 'locate' the geometry. I used poly in all four once with a near totalling result - the poly in the lower inner bushings degraded under load and I had a 90mph off at Lime Rock. Use SPC arms if you want camber adjustability. These use the same material as the stock bushings, so you can retain the stock uppers...the bushing material is about the same in size as well. There are others on the market too. If you are tracking/racing, use Aurora rod ends and no other. There are a few control arm suppliers who use Aurora rod ends and the results are nothing less than spectacular!!! But these will not last long on public roads. Aurora rod ends are teflon lined by the way - no noise.

Finaly, if you use adjustable lower control arms, DO NOT ALLOW YOUR ALIGNMENT TECH TO ADJUST TOE WITH THESE ARMS!!! There is only one way to adjust toe properly. The lower control arms adjust camber, that's it.
If your tech uses the lower control arms to expedite a toe adjustment, you will be unhappy with the result when you threshold brake on a track or get deep into a corner. The toe compliance curve will have been changed and not for the better. Remember that all suspension movements run along a curve. Depending upon where the fulcrum is, grip, balance, slip angles, camber and toe will will all be affected...the movement of just the body affects these as well.

 

Do you feel vibration after the engine, gearbox bushings and mounts were installed??

 

there is some additional noise and vibration, but not a huge amount. I wrote a review, but cant find it on NAM, so I may not of posted it here.

You can see it here: http://www.mini2.com/forum/engine-dr...es-mounts.html

 

Thanks for the info! In summary you are saying it is best to keep fresh stock bushings unless it is a true race car, is that correct?

 

" I would not use any poly in the rear!!! I cannot elaborate here, but if the mini's back end is in good shape - good dampers, springs and a proper alignment, then it needs to work as designed. In particular I'm focusing on the trailing arm bushing - stock is better for anything but a pure race car. And if you are running a pure race car, you should be looking beyond poly... "


Meb thanks for all the good input. I was just getting ready to do the mod you recommend not doing here and I was hoping to learn a bit more . I track the car now and then, take it in the hills a lot more and general " normal " driving . You say do not put poly on the rear trailing arms. I have 75k miles on the car and feel the stock must be a bit worked by now. I was going to poly but you have me re thinking. Any thoughts ?

 

This is a timely thread; many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I installed all poly in a car - Energy suspension stuff. I found out very quickly just how horrid these things can be. Well, said car is in my posession again as my son's first car - 99 civic Si. Back then, I removed almost all of the poly and installed Mugen hard rubber bushings - same OEM design and look, just harder. The toe compensation links and the large trailing arm were the two areas where poly remained due to access. Well, last weekend the entire rear suspension was removed. One rear toe link was cracked in half, two flanges that hold the opposite end of the toe links to the trailing arms are cracked completely and part of the subframe flange is torn. And due to these broken parts, the main large poly bushing in each trailing arm have about 1/4" of play since these absorbed much of the free play.

I re-installed the powerflex lower control arm bushing this past weekend. The cold weather this week make the ride a little harsh but not intolerable when mated to the stock suspension. The biggest improvement was in braking stability. Turn-in is still a little too quick, but hopefully the new alignment will fix that. This bushing in particular is as I wrote before, design very well...and still works after all this time.

If you track your car and do not drive a lot of commuting miles, aurora rod ends in all 8 links in the rear is the way to go.