Damn dude, you went pretty ***** deep there. Were the trailing arm bushings completely shot when you pulled them out?

 

Thanks The trailing arm bushings didn't look horrible. In all honesty they probably would have been just fine. I was on a OCD picnic upgrading everything to polyurethane. Everything had 160k miles on it and I didn't want to have any "Yeah, I wish I had's" when I was done. Well, other than I wish I had more money to do more upgrades...

 

Here's a little update with some final pictures. So far so good. I think the engine mounts are starting to wear in a little bit. The vibrations are not as aggressive anymore. Maybe the insides of my car are just getting better at being rattled I'm not sure...

Alignment Before and After





Here's what the final product looks like. I wish I could lower it some but as it is I have to be careful and pull into my driveway at an angle to not scrape. Kind of sucks but I can deal with it.

I pulled into the parking lot this morning and in my best Russian accent let out a "Comrade!". Not sure who's got the other MINI but I'll be getting to the bottom of that...







So far so good. The traction is amazing and keeps surprising me. Even on wet pavement where before it'd be all over the place "not surprising with my old tires" but now it won't budge. The best I've been able to get so far is the traction control to kick in and shut down my fun.

Speaking of... So why is the traction control SOOOOO aggressive? I swear it detects just a tiny bit of slip and BOOM it shuts the power off for a month. Its one of the most aggressive restrictions in power I've experienced in a car. Most just slip, slow you down a second, then let you keep going. This one shuts play time down completley. I'm getting better at remembering to shut if off before I have some fun but sometimes fun just happens and cant get to the switch right away.

Is the traction control programmable? Never heard of that but wishful thinking...

Cheers!

Eric

 

Much better and now you will not shoot through tires as fast. The TC is a little more aggressive on the newer MINIs. You can turn it off by holding down the button. Learn to drive with it off also and take it easy at first.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-control.html

 

Seriously, the DSC on my 06 is horrible. The power completely cuts, you get slammed against the seat belt, and then it abrubtly returns and you're taking off again. How is this a safety feature? Programming it would be great but I would even like to reverse it so the default setting is off and the light is off.

 

That was a fantastic read, thank you for posting. I'm planning on dropping my subframe and pretty much doing the same refresh you did. So if I understand correctly that bearing adapter kit you bought from amazon will work to press out the front control arm bushings? I've planned everything out but still looking for a solution for this besides the $190 special tool that ill only use once...and I'd rather not cut it out.

 

I cant 100% say that it'll work because I didn't do it myself. But with the right bolts and washers I don't know why it wouldn't. All you need is one of the cups to sit on one side, a bolt (I did grade 8 fine thread) to go through it and a stack of washers or a socket the same size as the bushing and it should work.


Sounds a little clunky but like everyone else I did not want to spend the money on the special tool or chop it out with a sawsall. I pounded mine out with a set of harbor freight punches. If you hate your life I'd recommend that option.

 

Ive found with my previous suspension refreshes that it's usually worth it to buy the bushings pre-pressed. Granted for the mini it seems to draw quite a premium, but takes away a potentially huge headache and can save an entire day, as shown in this thread.

Then you can hold onto the arms and press in new bushings yourself for next time, at your convenience, and have best of both worlds. If I do mine before you do yours I'll send you my old brackets if you want and you can do just that.

 

Yes this is the other option. WMW only charges $20 for the pre-pressed brackets if you send back the old ones but depending on shipping it may be cheaper just to buy them to keep (if he offers that). Still haven't decided on this so ill keep you in mind. Luckily this isn't my daily driver so spending a day on it won't be the end of the world if it comes to that. Thanks for the reply.

Sounds like the kit might be worth a try. We at least know its possible for the trailings arms so why not. I don't hate my life yet, but I'm anticipating that will quickly change once I start this project.

 

Thats the spirit!

 

looks like you are all ready for the Red Door Meet, and some track time!

 

MA$TER_E,

I'm preparing to undertake a similar task with my 200k Mini. Now that your work has been complete for several months, is there anything you would have done differently?

Cheers,
Duane

 

Awesome thread! It's an inspiration to see someone willing to take on all those tasks with an honest account of how things *really* tend to go in the garage

^^ Same boat, I'm about to pick up a 185k Cooper S in need of all the same things Ma$ster has done, plus a cylinder head (and supercharger rebuild most likely).

 

Hey guys!

I have been loving it so far. I'm 50/50 on the more rigid engine mounts. It really put a lot of vibration inside the cab. I like the difference but EVERYTHING rattles like crazy now.

I'm actually researching and soul searching performance upgrades now that the handling is fantastic.

Actually one thing I really want is a limited slip differential. I think that would complete my handling upgrades nicely.

Good luck on your upgrades and don't hesitate to contact me. I've been on vacation, that's why I took so long to reply.

Eric

 

I've got a wavetrac diff and I love it.

Try a front x brace, many people say that this helps with front end stiffness and body vibration, especially when going over bumps. It might help a bit with interior and dash rattles.

https://www.waymotorworks.com/tsw-xbrace.html

Also try out the Cabrio braces if you haven't done them yet. I don't remember if you got them or not.

https://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-ca...oss-brace.html

 

Hey everyone,

first off I have a problem that has started recently. Once in a while (seems more frequently now) when I start my mini in the morning it starts, idles for a few seconds then stumbles, sputters, nearly dies, then recovers and runs fine. Any thoughts?



Next I'm trying to make up my mind on how to build up some power. I'm being tempted to go with a bolt on Sprintex supercharger for now then build up from there later. Having an extra 40hp and more torque with a bolt on with no mapping or injectors is very appealing. Just thinking and curious what the consensus would be. I'm finding that a Sprintex is horrible and a waste of money AND that it is the best thing that ever happened and worth every penny. Internet data.... <Rolling Eyes>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sprintex-Min...ZZOY8v&vxp=mtr

Also, where can I find a freaking tutorial to get the imbedded YouTube to work correctly? SUPER annoying...

Cheers!

Eric

 

Can't say much about the stumble on morning start, but my Sprintex hasn't given me any problems at all. It's a gen 1 that was rebuilt about 4 years ago. Had plenty of oil in it when I did the oil service a few months ago. Granted I've only had my car about 6 months, but it's been entirely problem free.

 

I think your morning stumble is the age old mini software bug. which of course didn't show up til the dealerships started updating software... Mine does it too, it seems worst in the fall, when the weather starts changing, and I think gas formulation starts changing too.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think mine is a little better if I give it a second to prime the fuel pump, but that could be all in my head.

I think if you're looking to make more power and money is no object, go with a TVS/Harrop super charger, and a big valve head but I'm of the opinion that these cars are more fun with the regular bolt ons and suspension upgrades, keeps them interesting without hurting reliability or making them scary (if that's possible with a mini)

 

Thanks for the info. Since my big service the car has been handling fantastic. I love it but find myself wanting more power now. I don't want to push it to a point where there is reliability and maintenance issues for sure. The back story is that I can sell a dirt bike I didn't ride once this year and buy a Sprintex for another big winter project.

If I did the Sprintex I'd probably go for a limited slip differential, single mass clutch kit, and a bunch of chassis bracing knowing full well I'd find more to do while I was in there.

I won't worry about the stumbles in the morning and will try to keep this thread on the rails. I've been happy with all the work done at 160k so far and am doing research on the next big project. Car is at 165k now.

Cheers!

Eric

 

On my Mini, I encountered an odd idling in the morning when I started him up for the first time. Usually, it happened in the garage waiting to get going. Once moving, all was well. This happened for a few weeks before I encountered the first CEL on the way home from shopping.

I ended up having to replace the Camshaft Position Sensor (Code P0340) as part of the ignition. I replaced the sensor and the CEL is gone and I no longer experience the odd idling in the morning. I wonder if that might be affecting you.

With these Minis, a lot of people think of plugs, wires and coil packs as part of the ignition system. Often, they forget there are two other components within the ignition system, those being: crankshaft position sensor and camshaft position sensor.

Since I replaced both of those guys, my Mini has been running like a champ. Something to consider… Great work on everything else. Eager to see what you conquer next.