Good morning Mini owners.

I've got an issue with my r53..
I've replaced the ball joints on the LCAs as well as the control arm bushings. All of them were bad. However, this does not seem to have any effect on the very sloppy, waterbed feeling in the front end. There is a lot of roll, even on slow turns, the traction control light flickers and I'm forced to slow it down. I'm not sure how else to describe how wet and sloppy it feels to drive this. Definitely not the mini handling we all know and love. Maybe a giant Cadillac from the early 80s? The shocks seem fine when I press down on them as well.

I do know the strut mounts need to be replaced regardless of if they are the culprit. I'd like to narrow this issue down and make the appropriate fix.. Really miss driving the mini the way it loves to be driven.

Please help.. The other mini forum yeilded not a single reply.

 

Struts, mounts might be toast. A good reason for coilovers & camber plates.

 

I can take pictures of the mounts when I get home. I know for a fact they are toast but would that cause such a sloppy feeling?

 

I've had bad cracked mounts before. They didn't ride like what you're saying. Have you put in Powerflex LCA & sway bar bushes, new ball joints? I'm betting on bad struts.

 

With new bushes on good struts, the car will be tight! Waterbed feel would mean your springs are bouncing on bad dampers.

 

I've not checked the sway bar bushings.. And the struts don't bounce like bad ones do..

 

How did you test the struts? Is your suspension set up stock? Bad Sway bar bushes would just cause sway bar to move & clunk, waterbed bounce, unlikely.

 

By pushing down on the front end of the car. It's not bouncing.

Newb question, would replacing the struts all together fix the damper issue if that's what's bad?. Will also replace the strut mounts as well.

 

W hen on the freeway.. You can feel the roll if you move the wheel back and forth slightly

 

Had to get new tires. After the left front was mounted back on, there was a little wiggle in the tire, you could do this with your hand.

I've replaced the control arm bushings, lower ball joints. The struts are stiff, sway bar and end links are fine. I'm out of ideas as to what's causing such a waterbed caddy ride. 30 mph long turns without the traction light kicking, forget about it.

 

What kind of tires? Size, and brand?

 

I just had an alignment done yesterday that eliminated all kinds of wandering and tramlining.

Perhaps it is your issue too.

 

Pushing down on the car won't necessarily tell you the struts are bad. My first 1986 Porsche 951 had totally blown factory Konis, so bad that you couldn't even drive the car over cracks in the pavement at freeway speeds without skating everywhere, but you'd never know it by pushing down. The problem was at high frequencies, not slow compression. My R50 also passed the push-down bounce-back test, but when removed one of the front struts and one of the rear dampers didn't even return to position after being compressed. Another went down super easy.

If you replace the dampers it will fix the issue as long as other parts aren't bad as well. When I rebuilt my front suspension it was hilarious how many parts were bad, and mine wasn't even driving like an El Dorado yet.

Check your tie rods too. I had an E36 that drove like a total hooptie until I installed new ones.

 

I just had that issue on my 06 (JCW), both of my front struts AND mounts were toast. If I hit a bump or dip on the highway (especially), I had flashbacks from my lowered truck days. Replaced them, everything's great now.

 

I just did the mounts and Koni FSD and had great improvement from a very harsh ride. I still have some play in the steering so next up with be the LCA bushings and ball joints.
Your issue could be tie rods and maybe wheel bearings because you still have some slop in your wheel. Do you have any noise when turning? Do you have an alignment yet? You should and have the tech check the tie rods while it's there.
If your car is harsh over cracks and small pot holes then I would be looking at the struts. Do the mounts at the same time.