In need of some new/used strut carriers (spindles) for the front of my 2006 MSC (manual).. Both pinch bolts snapped when I tried to loosen. Vendors sell these for well over $200 each. Looking for something more budget friendly.

Anyone have some lying around?

 

You can get used ones here for ~$120 each
https://www.allmagautoparts.com/coll...r/r53+steering

 

Try facebook marketplace for individuals parting cars in your area. I search "Mini Cooper parts".

Milan Applegate in the Detroit, Michigan has a facebook group "Milan's Workshop". He sells parts with reasonable prices. But shipping knuckles would be expensive.

Then try your local salvage yards. Look them up on car-parts.com. I paid about $50 ea a few years ago.

I've also read here of many people drilling out the snapped bolts. If needed you can drill through and put a nut on the other end rather than trying to keep the threads in the knuckle.

 

This actually sounds like a better idea. R56/5/7 uses a through bolt with a nut. A set of R56 bolts would be much cheaper than a full replacement knuckle.

 

That does sound like a good idea. I need to see if I can find a bit (AND the patience) to try and drill all the way through. It's a long bolt.

I'd go to the local salve yard, but we're in the rust belt so it's likely to be the same story...

I am check car parts and see what they have. Thanks for the tips!!

 

You really only need to drill through the side with the threads. Cut off the portion of the bolt that sticks past the threads, center punch the bolt, use a smaller bit to get the hole started, then switch to a drill big enough to cut through the bolt and threads. Once the threaded part is drill through, the other side should just punch out.

 

Even better, I thought it was threaded all the way through. So now I just need to source the right size carbide or cobalt bits.


Thanks for the info!

 

At the time I was living in the Buffalo, NY area - major rust issues! Somehow the salvage yards were able to get the bolts out without snapping.

 

+1
I drilled out the snapped pinch-bolts when I installed Bilstein B6 struts on my daughter's Mini.

 

You all talked me into it. The bolt is shorter than I imagined so I ordered set of good metal drill bits last night and plan to do battle this weekend!

I'll post my results.
Thanks to all who chimed in.