I have upper strut assembly cracks, pretty big on the passenger side only, however no mushrooming, so... my options, is this a part i can buy and replace my self or do i need to have it done by someone else? Im getting M7's strut tower brace to keep any mushrooms from happening, but the crack looks pretty bad, .. its the rubber part correct.

can anyone help me with options?

 

anyone know how hard this is to order the part and replace a cracked mount. is it a large job?

 

Ordering the part is simple enough. You can just call up your local parts department or classic MINI (mention NAM and you get a discount) to order the top strut mount.



As for installation if you have air tools it's fairly straight forward, if not, then I'd probably just take it to a local independent and have them do it.

 

would it be smarter to just get camber plates, and then i can use the M7 strut brack to keep the mushrooming from happening? and what exactly would the part number be for what im looking to replace? or if i get camber plates, is that just better?

 

I have the Ireland Engineering fixed camber plates, which use a rubber bushing similar to stock. Will this be any improvement over stock, as it relates to durability? I am afraid to add the M7 SRP/STB if it's only going to transfer all the loads to the strut mount.

Matt

 

Dear Matt.....

If you look back to the testing (computational and mechanical ) you would find that your
fears are just that. We have sold close to 350 STB's and almost as many
pairs of SRP's..........Zero broken parts......Zero Mushrooming so this
worry that the stress is breaking other parts are un-founded period.

peter
Team M7

 

Only time and miles will tell.

 

Peter: The tech paper (nicely done btw) focuses on the mushrooming, not the cracking of the upper strut mounts.

• Are you saying the SRP's also helps prevent the cracking of the upper strut mounts?
• Or are you just saying the SRP's are no worse than stock (no reinforcement) in terms of the effects on the upper strut tower mount cracking?

Just to be 100% clear: The SRP's and STB both seem like very good ways to me to address the mushrooming.

 

If one is thinking about camber plates, the new H-Sport plates should be out very soon. The design is very nice and substantially better than the original H-Sport plates. I was told that the price point would be very attractive . I know these new camber plates have been used with PSS9's, with very favorable results . You might check with H-Sport for the exact release date...

 

WOW! Stock with mushrooming? U must be 4 wheeling or on some bad roads. I track....run roads hard...with my PSS9s and have no problems.....but am getting M7 STB just for insurance.

 

In Louisiana we can't afford to fix the potholes after this whole Katrina mess. Thank ya'll for all of the input. I will be bringing the car to the dealership to see their what their attitude will be. They are short handed these days since they are now the only dealer in Louisiana these days.

My only other concern is the repair method the dealer would use, Since the shock tower is part of the frame. Will they use the 2X4 method also or is there another way to replace the tower?

Forest

 

BTW - as of this morning, M7 is currently out of stock on the SRPs, but said they should have more in this week.

 

Can someone post more pics or tell me what to look for when checking on the mushroom effect? I just took a look at my towers and I couldn't tell whether there is distortion or not. I know that Dave posted a pic, but is that the extreme? Should the "flat" part of the tower be literally flat to a straight edge? When I first got my 04 MCS, I ran over a piece of pothole iron that bent two rims, and reading this thread has gotten me paranoid. I'd been looking at the M7 SRP, but if my towers are already mushroomed, it seems like it is too late for preventative measures...

 

Here are more pictures doing a comparision of the mushroomed and normal shock towers.

 

bending back the deformed towers will mean that it will take a little higher force to start the next deformation, but once you start the next deformation, it will be worse / closer to failure.

if you are planning to reinforce it (from underneath is much, much better than from on top) after you bend it back , then this isn't as much of a concern.

if you aren't going to reinforce via something commercially available, you could just leave the deformed shape and bond in or weld in a plate or large washer underneath the deformation.

if it's a stock car, i can see whining to mini to fix it, but if you've got custom springs or shocks, i can see them refusing to fix it.

 

Thanks for the additional pics. Just looked at the M7 tech paper as well. The bulge really is apparent in the comparison photos now that I'm looking at them.

 

but aren't people having trouble with MINI in regards to getting the problem rectified?

 

Policy seems to vary by Dealer. I'd say the odds work in your favor IF the suspension system failure occured even though there is NO tire or wheel damage. Tire and/or wheel damage is a great excuse for the dealer to put the liability back on you - i.e. "negligent driving", "careless use", "incidental damage", etc.

Went through this recently myself. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=73526

 

After concidering all the factors (including the transmission of increased forces to other areas I'd personally rather get the M7 Bar (which I can remove before going to a dealership) and risk cracking a replaceable part than try and beat a part of the cars structure back into shape.

Question: I though camber plates mounted on top of the strut towers. How would they reinforce the towers from underneath? Or is the Mini a unique design that has them on the underside?

 

after reading this thread, I checked my struts. No mushrooming, but 1 strut mount obviously cracked. (40,000 miles ) Stopped by dealer--MA said he hadn't heard of a problem. He checked w/mechanic who knew all about it. Made an appt and took car in. Both mounts replaced under warranty-no questions asked .
I got my MINI as a lease "take-over". This was my 2nd "no questions asked" warranty service. A pat on the back for New Country Mini in Hartford, CT!

 

It is a bit curious how the SA was not aware of the issue.

 

[quote=caminifan]It is a bit curious how the SA was not aware of the issue.[/Yes, I thought so, too.]

 

[QUOTE=ekibobrut1]He said MA.....not SA......or did he edit........Les

 

You guys, I just bought my 2005 Cooper S used yesterday, and the right side is mushroomed. I called Brian Harris today, and they said they will not fix it under warranty because it's quote "not a factory defect" and "it's not common". Any suggestions. I don't want to pound this out. Should I try another dealer? I already wrote BMW on this because it's ridiculous for a car that costs this much to have this happen. The car only has 17,587 miles on it.

 

See this thread for non-violent mushroom repair. My experience can be found here.