The only rattling I hear is from the stroller in the boot, nothing from the car itself.

 

I think it's hilarious that people worry about what autocrossing will do to their car, yet are willing to go full speed over rail road tracks / speed bumps / etc

I slow down.

 

Depends on the bump... I don't slow down for those rolling, wide bumps that you find on some residential streets. I roll over those at or above the residential speed limit with no problem. However some parking lots have narrow, sharp bumps that I'll take as slowly as possible to avoid banging my teeth together.

 

Regarding scrapping your bottom, I notice that there are sort of plastic "tabs" sticking down underneath the front of MINI which are the first to scrape the bottom. They make an awful sound, but it looks like they are just cosmetic. Are they put there to make that scrapping sound as a warning that you are going over too large a bump?

 

I always thought they had something to do with air flow; keeping air out from under the car, to keep it planted on the road at higher speeds, but that's purely a guess.

 

Good stuff Cooperbeagle! Seriously though, I have to slow down at certain speedbumps or it hurts my bum.

 

Originally Posted by ofioliti
Regarding scrapping your bottom, I notice that there are sort of plastic "tabs" sticking down underneath the front of MINI which are the first to scrape the bottom. They make an awful sound, but it looks like they are just cosmetic. Are they put there to make that scrapping sound as a warning that you are going over too large a bump?

Oh wow, yes; that makes sense! Does anyone know for sure? (What those plastic tabs are for?)

 

I always slow down as it's not worth wrecking your car...I have had my brother and other friends of mine bend and crack wheels cause of improperly kept roads....even when my mini wasn't lowered I still drove her like she was...one of my fellow motorers once made fun of me saying "you mini isn't low why do you drive like it is" I said, "simple...she will be lowered eventually and by then it will be habit..." sure enough...I have only had the very lower lip scrap three times...and I was going slow so no biggieit's all about getting the right angle and I am never in a rush in my Mini...not to be mistaken with sprited driving...

 

If you have ever driven a classic mini with rubber do-nut suspension,you lose sight of the horizon when approching speed bumps. Pot holes are craters. Hit speed bumps at a sharp angle,they dissapear. Craters swallow 10" wheels (approx.19" w/tire) Most single RR tracks, just catch air. About all you can do for craters, is know your route and don't hit the brakes going through one,and check your rearview mirror for errant parts. Oops, New Mini > speed bumps. hit em at an angle. Don't auto-x, parking lots have speed bumps too Streets that don't have speed bumps don't have kids? Seriously always assume there are kids nearby. Ever hit a squirrel, dog, cat.....well it could have been a kid !

 

**rant approaching**

Regarding speed bumps- if they truly are "traffic calming devices," why am I not calm after driving over them?

In the DC metro area, speed bumps are frequently used not to limit speed to legal levels, but for "traffic calming." This translates to NIMBY- if my street is irritating to drive on, maybe the car will go somewhere else.

I'm OK with speed humps that can be driven at or near the speed limit (usually 25 or 30MPH on the streets on which they are installed); I have a problem with the old fashioned bumps that rip the suspension from under the car if you traverse them at anything faster than a walking pace.

When I was growing up, the local government didn't waste taxpayer money installing road hazards that slow the response of emergency vehicles.

Instead, our parents were expected to properly supervise their children, and teach them to not play in the street.

**rant off**

Boy, am I in a mood tonight!

 

We have no "speed bumps" on roads here,just at big parking lots at shoping malls.I don't baby my MINI,but I watch out for bumps,heaves,and pot holes.
I drive on some very bad roads,do lots of back road gravel,and I have yet to bottom out.Well except for the 6-8 inches of snow I love to plow through

 

I slow down for speed bumps in parking lots because they are extreme quick vertical but never on the road. We have speed hump in our town and they add to driving enjoyment.

 

The heaves that are growing on the highway,first sign of spring, on my commute,are getting to be great fun,and watching the big sedans bounce and sway around is even more fun

 

I am pretty sure they are the jacking points for the MINI. That is what I have always used them for so they better be. :D

I have to go over railroad tracks twice a day to get to work. Depending on which way I go I either get a smooth RR crossing or a very rough one. They recently fixed one of the crossings so that it is smooth now cause they used to both be rough.

The UPS big rigs just tear those RR crossings up.

 

The worst RR crossing I have to go over has a STOP sign at it,good thing,cause it would rip the bottom out of most SUVs

 

Yup 95% of the time I slow down enough to not kill the suspension and car when going over bumps rough road and RR crossings... Not just suspensions but my interior... things will be more loose and rattle more if I dont try my hardest to keep it in one piece.

As for people getting pissed off at me. Too freaken bad! They probably **** me off on the road too so whatevers. Ok ok all honestly... I try to disturb other traffic as little as possible... Slow down enough to go over at a reasonable speed but not cause a traffic stand still...

 

I got lucky last summer. The only RR crossing I regularly drive over got redone in concrete, and its *very* smooth now! to Frederick County, MD Highway dept. for that fix! (MD 85, about 1-2 miles south of I-270)

 

funny thing about railroad tracks- they don't feel near so lumpy when you're on the train!

 

When NIMBY bumps first appeared "in my back yard"
it would set off my unpredictable Lucas made horn till the asphalt that should have been spent filling craters stopped. That worked quite well for keeping the unsupervised children out of the street. are rants contagious?& I lothe these:smile: &^%@ #@ things!

 

Found this old thread. Funny that we had this discussion then soon afterward the problem with mushrooming mushroomed. (Sorry.)

 

I remember Click and Clack from NPR audibly cringing when a caller said they didn't slow down for speed bumps. Evidently, it can shake all sorts of things loose and cause hard-to-find issues in any car.

Second thing I think about is from this site--it's called 'mushrooming'.

 

I always slow down! ;]

 

Yeah! So, fortunately, no mushrooming.

 

i ALWAYS slow down in bumps

 

I slow for rail road tracks, speed bumps, and entering steep or bumpy drives. I steer around potholes.