Hey everyone! I hope to post a comprehensive of how to replace major components on your gen 1 mini and what pitfalls to avoid and how.

My 04 R50 200k Mini it’s in pieces at home, and I’m needing advice so that I can hopefully take it to work this week and give my wife s break.

we took off the sway bar after releasing the subframe from the car, and we noticed a bulge before the metal lip that stops the bushings from moving inward. I don’t have a picture right now, but let me know if you are aware of this bulge or if it is a weird remnant of the original bushings.



Also we are stuck at the control arm bushing because I erroneously got the OEM style instead of the powerflex. I think we will use a bolt with a nut through the ball joint hole, a ratchet strap and a floor jack to push the bushing into place.

I'm replacing the power steering pump and wish I had bought motor mounts.

Does anyone have advice or foreknowledge of possible issues we may run into from here on out? We are so close to done.

 

I’d but the brakes on an order the powerflex control arm bushings, swaybar bushings, and the steering rack bushing. Can’t commit on the Powerflex engine mount bushings because I used all three Vibra-technics mounts.

 

I have powerflex engine and transmission mount bushings in my mini. You can definitely feel a little added vibration at low rpms and idle...but it's not bad. Once you are out on the road and driving, it feels just like it did with the soft stock bushings.

If you want to keep the car nice and vibration free, go with new stock mounts.

As far as the LCA bushings.......definitely go with the Powerflex bushings. I don't notice any more vibration or noise vs. the stock LCA bushings. Things feel nice and tight, and really seem to improve the overall handling of the car.

 

OEM if you are going to sell it down the road shorty or prefer the soft OEM feel then the stock rubber, if you keep it, daily with some track days do the powerflex performance line and not the race version. Race version is a little too harsh for most people. Once you do the powerfelx ones you will never have to do them again.

 

I’ll never do the track..... At least not until we get a third car for just in case.

I went all OEM because that what I understand is best for just about every car especially since this will be my daily driver for easily two more years.

I wanna show you how we got the bushing on easy peasy!!


Okay the money shot is on my wife’s phone, but you can see the concept here.

loosely replace old ball bearing, and get some $12 smaller (5mm?) hook ratchet straps from Walmart. Place working end of jack over ratchet strap. Use the small hook inside the small hole in the ball joint meant for the bolt, then put other hook onto the bolt coming out of the ball joint inbetween the nut and control arm. Lube the control arm bushing arm and lube the bushing well. I used liquid silicon lube, and it was a night and day difference. Place the arm into the bushing properly and make the bushing square on the jack and as perfectly vertical as you can. THEN JACK IT UP!!

The bushing slipped right up nooooo problem! Make sure if the bushing isn’t slipping on easily to stop, re lube everything, realighn the arm in the bushing knuckle and realighn on the jack. You’ll destroy the bushing if it isn’t square and going on smoothly.

We did the passenger side in one shot and the driverside after learning the importance of proper lubrication and a centered bushing.

 

Nice solution to get the bushings onto control arms. I'm at a similar spot on my '02 and decided to replace the inner ball joints front sway bar bushings. Hope to have it wrapped up this weekend.


Mid-way through the suspension update. Everything was original from 2002.

 

Awww what a beautiful car and setup you have (:

Are the OEM rear control arms upper and lower the same size? I already bought four, but if they aren’t supposed to be the same size I’m sending them back!

 

Rear control arms, whether upper or lower, are all the same with the exception of the one that manages the leveling sensor.

 

Shoot, I didn’t check before ordering if there’s a spot available for the leveling sensor. Any work around to that?

Thank you for the confirmation.

 

what control arms did you order? I have the full set of H sports on mine and they came with a little bracket you zip tie to the upper for the headlight leveling sensor.

 

It seems I’ll have to rig something up my self. I bought some economy version of all four rear struts from Rock auto. I’m not home so I can’t check the recipt.

I need to order motor mounts and Rock auto has every one but the transmission mount :/ I think I’m going eBay with this purchase $75 for the transmission mount 🤮

 

Did you check what we have? Just watch on the aftermarket brands like Moog and everything, we've heard many problems with those off brands sold on ebay and amazon.

 

i checked out your store and found one for $60 (every dollar saved counts). I’d like to go to powerflex for this one bushing if you have a walkthrough on it’s installation or something equivalent. Just looking at the power flex option to this transmission mount looks like pressing them in wouldn’t even be difficult.

 

All the powerflex bushings are easy to install. The only one needing a machine press are the rear trailing arm bracket. I had Way press those in because you need to know what your doing on those or you’ll deform the hanger.

 

thank you!

Ive been considering installing power flex to my rear trailing arm. If there’s videos or pictures to point me in a mindful direction i would appreciate it. Gotta do something before those go out.

200k miles 04 R50

btw do you know if the R50 engine is directly injected? And how to tell if it’s pre or post 07(July)

Thank you for chiming in with your personal experience on the power flex bushings.

 

look at the VIN tag on the door, it will have the manufactured date.

 

Gamgster. Thank you.