Can anyone tell me how they work and if it'll fit my mini? I have a 1966 MK1 and wanted to see if it will fit my mini b/c I am thinking of running 13" wheels and the rear will rub b/c it's currently sitting on the rims pretty much. I am hoping to raise the back a little so it won't rub. Will the hi-lo kit solve this for me?




Edwin

 

The Hi-Lo kit should help that since it is adjustable.

 

As soon as you said '66 Mk1 and 13's the collective voice of the Mini purists yelled no!

That said, I think even with the Hi-Lo's you may have some clearance issues in front without trimming the arches. Now if you really want to get the purists fired up.. suggest that.

 

For real.. I posted this up on some other sites and people are not pleased with me

Edwin

 

Screw 'em. Unless they're willing to pay for your car for you.

NOTE: besides giving you a bit more lift, Hi-Los are also good for levelling out the car when the rubbber cones invariably settle more on one side than the other - you can easily lift/lower just one cornerof the car for perfect right height with them.

 

good point. I would just like the ability to adjust the height on it. We'll see what I can figure out. I'd really like to get rid of those 10" wheels

Edwin

 

Being a '66 your mini should have come with the hydrolastic suspension. Check first as hi-lo's won't work with that. It looks pretty low and could be pumped-up if it is in fact the hydrolastic suspension. If it's been changed to the rubber donuts sometime during it's life, the hi-los will help but I'd check the rubber donuts first. With stock trumpets the car should be sitting higher and your donuts could be worn-out or rock hard from age. The hi-los will get you a little more height but won't help the ride quality of the old donuts.

 

Examine your donuts if you have them. Replace them first, as suggested.

I've had 13's on new suspension cones & bushes. Yes they look pretty. But, your ride will get harsher with 13" tires. You may not like it afterwards....I wouldn't have them on again unless the car came equipped with them.

Cheap way to raise the rear suspension, add a washer between the knuckle joint and the aluminum strut. The rear has a 5:1 ratio, so a 1/8" thick washer will raise it 5/8"... Of course, removing the rubber donut off the strut is the biggest task of all in this project.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. You had them on a MK1? Any pics by chance?

Edwin

 

I'd trade you my 12" ones, like, IMMEDIATELY, but I'd need to also swap out my brakes (my discs are too large for 10's). Sigh...

 

Here is how they work, A friend in North Florida sent me this it wasfound at the Mini Spares web site.

ADJUSTMENT
The threaded bolt (B) in the Hilo unit has a total travel of 33.5mm. This theoretically allows 100mm of adjustment on the front suspension and 167mm on the rear although this will be limited by other suspension and bodywork considerations. This permits the car to be raised or lowered as required.
Before carring out any adjustment the lock nuts (C) must first be released. Adjustment of the front units is then acheived by use of a spanner on Bolt Head (D) or passing a shorter hexgonal rod through the existing hole in the bulkhead crossmember (it may prove easier to first remove the bonnet) and rotating the rod with a suitable ring spanner. Great care should be taken to ensure the car is supported on the front subframe before removing the locating bolts and cover plate or single central locating bolt. Failure to do this could result in the subframe location being disturbed. The rear units arer simply adjusted by the same method or passing a longer hexagonal rod through the hole already drilled in the rear apron. Both front and rear units are easily adjusted however by turning the bolt heads (D) with a spanner. If the cones start to rotate when being adjusted this may be preveneted by inserting a rod or screwdriver in the drain hole (A).

VERY IMPORTANT
The Hilo unit should only be adjusted once the car has been jacked up. Do not try to force the bolt round once it has reached the end of its travel in eather direction. If the Hilos have been fitted for some time or used in very dirty conditions it is a good idea to clean and lubricate the exposed thread before adjusting .
If using very low ride heights the rubber cone may become displaced when the vehicle is jacked up. In addition, shorter shock absorbers should be fitted to prevent any possibility of them "bottoming out".
When ride heights are adjusted to extremes it is advisable to reset the steering geometry and wheel alignment.



if you gonna use 13" you will need to cut the front fenders out to fit....there is a templet out there in internetland somewhere

 

There is another style that adjusts by turning the nuts:
(shown with coil spring kit)

 

Wow...jsut out of curiosity...why do you prefer the 10" wheels?

Thanks Is there no way at all to fit the 13" without hacking up the fenders? I know that if anyone would know, it'd be you

Thanks!

 

People here prefer the 10s because of there better ride quality and handling, but the 13s just look soooo PIMP!

 

10's give faster, more responsive steering and my car's so slow in the straights as it is that I like to play up my only advantage and have fun in the curves. Plus, the car just LOOKS better with 10's in my opinion. UNLESS you have the full Sport Pack kit with the painted, ultra-wide arches of course - in that case, you can't beat 13"X7" "deep dish" wheels. As I only have standard "metro" arches on Fiona, I'd really love to put 10's on her. I've heard that in addition to the very expensive Cooper S rotors (which will set you back about $800 for the full kit), you can also use inexpensive Ford rotors from... some 70's era car. Can't remember which ones off the top of my head.

Some day... (sigh).

 

m32, before spending tons o'dosh drive a few classics on 10's both 145's & 165/70-10. see what it's like first. Then drive one with 13's. It's personal preference really. Acceleration & handling I'd give to the 10's though.

 

Good points here. I think I personally like wider wheels... I like that go kart look


Thanks for the tip. Fortunately I have a mk4 and a mk1 in my garage so I can compare (at least compare with 10" vs. 13") and I do notice that the 13" is much bouncier. I remember one stretch of road where my head was bobbing non-stop for a good 5 seconds. I laughed it off but I'm sure that would get annoying after a while.

I'll stick with the 10" for now. Do they make wider 10" wheels though? something with more of a lip?

Edwin

 

The 13's have such short sidewalls. They function as part of the shock absorbing system anf short, stiff sidewalls can get tiresome. 10' rims come in many widths and offsets. 4.5, 5, 5.5 6, 7, ++ (racing) I run some classic Revolutions 10x6 with 165/70-10 Yokohama A008s


this is 5.5"W Minilights (same tire)

 

Thanks for the pics. Do you know what's the largest/widest combination I can run without messing with the fender? 12x6?

Edwin

 

http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums...howtopic=89009

http://www.minispares-online.co.uk/?cat_id=1

 

in my opinion 10's are the way to go......i've driving mini's with all different size.....there is a huge differance from 10's to 13's......even a big differance from 12's to 13's.....also tyres play a huge roll in this who game of sizes too

 

12X5's can be run stock. Anything else (12X6, 12X7, 13Xany) will require you to remove the arches and cut a small bit of the arch off - the wheels rub against the body when turned hard-over. There are templates out there, but honestly you don't need them - the cut you'll make will be concealed beneath the arch after you replace it. Just Google "modifying Mini Cooper wheel arch" and you should find some How-tos, usually on sites like TheMiniForums.co.uk.

I have 12X5 wheels on my car and they don't rub on un-modded wheel arches.