The poll data is interesting. The combination of run flats and 17" rims jumps out as over-represented in the sample, resulting in the most frequent occurrences of both mushrooming and cracking.

I wish I knew the sales history by rim size for the Mini, as without that as a means to normalize the data it's hard to know whether this combination is simply the most popular, or whether it indicates something meaningful.

It's tempting to observe that the 17" rim is usually wearing a short sidewall (like a /45) and that the run-flats are also very stiff by design. If these factors align to produce high forces at the strut mounting point perhaps that's a credible hypothesis for the data.

Hindsight's a b*tch - this is a great poll, and I wish the OP included year (but hell, analysts ALWAYS want more data).

Cheers,

Charlie

 

I have to say this had been upsetting for me too. This winter in MN was really bad. I couldnt avoid the potholes all the time. Especially at night and when they are across the entire lane in one spot. No one can avoid potholes that cover the entire lane, when there a car next to you also. Unless I were to take the ditch to avoid them.

I bent 3 rims this winter. Mushroomed the passenger side tower, and bent/cracked the strut mount or rod, or something. Very upset with MN not fixing roads a little better. They still havent fixed everything, so I pray a lot and driver very attentively. I got some 16" wheels and will get winter tires for next winter. might try nonrunflat, but i think the stiff suspension will still be an issue if i hit a bad pothole. No car can really take these potholes with no damage done, unless its a truck maybe.

Personally I think the tower brackets, and the strut brace should just come stock on these cars. The went all out on so many other areas of the car. WHy not just make these parts standard. Cause we would all like it, and not mind paying a little more up front.

Thank god for Insurance. Only cost me $50 deductible for about $2300 in damage this winter. Wow right!!

Other than the pothole, I could handle the winter better than most trucks on the road. Even though I had the stock 17" all season tires. just a little tough in 1ft of snow, in town.

 

Look for some 15" rims for winter tires. They have more sidewall, so the ride will be a little softer. Also, you can use chains (cables) on them.

 

I wish I could put 15" wheels on my MINI. I have a 2010 Mini clubman S, and 16" is the smallest I can go. Since they made the brakes larger on the second generation MINI's. I will be getting snow tires for next winter to put on my 16" wheels that I got recently.

 

I had a bit of mushrooming on both sides and a cracked passenger side strut mount. When I bought the car it had 64K on it with 17" wheels and runflats. I ditched the runflats immediately after taking it home. Not too long ago I intalled some IE fixed camber plates to cure the strut mount issue, and added some M7 STPs to stop the mushrooming from coming back.

 

Well noticed a pull to the left and started to look for the culprit. The drivers side tower is showing signs of mushrooming. No cracks yet.
50K
205-45/17

 

I've got an 03' JCW MCS, 17" runflats, no mushrooming or cracking...almost 90,000 miles on the car.

 

I don't have metal strut tower mushrooming but I am having trouble with the top bearing rubber bushing radial cracks/tears. Factory bushings cracked.

I am using the Ireland Engineering Fixed Camber Plates. I think they attach a BMW Z4 bearing to their fixed camber plate product.

In my case the IE fixed camber plates bearing-bushing had some cracks at 15 months with only 5366 miles. 68 of those miles were on a paved road course circuit, race track. I'm at 27 months and 9873 miles (total of 90 track miles) and they have severe radial cracks or tears. I'm using DOT tires and not run flats.

Anyone else having this issue with IE product besides 'donjulio'?

I just sent details and photographs to Ireland Engineering to see what they recommend.

The first photograph is of the right front strut top bearing-bushing with radial cracks or tears. Second photograph is the left front.


11 October 2011 Update. Jeff, Ireland Engineering, agreed that the condition of these upper strut bearings is abnormal and he is helping me get this corrected. I bought the product from Dustin at AutoXCooper and he has been very supportive as well. A big thanks to Jeff and Dustin.

 

'02MC with 120k on it, regularly autocrossed with hooiser A6 tires. I'll take the blame



What is the technical term for that part and where can I get them cheap?

 

Strut mounts. Don't cheap out or even go for stock replacements. For a little more you can get Ireland Engineering's fixed camber plates, which are considerably thicker than the stock plates (i.e., won't flex and allow the tower to mushroom), and you get a little extra negative camber to help with the turns in the autocross....

If you have the tools (a jack, stands, spring compressors or a reallly big guy to lean on the strut mount while you start the nut, and an impact wrench) you can do these yourself in an hour, easily.

I went this route, and I *love* the way the car handles now. Now I'm waiting on polyurethane control arm bushings to arrive to upgrade those--the originals are toast....

HTH!

C ya,
Dutch

 

Thanks for the advice, Dutch. Money's not the issue, it's the class-bumping that even the fixed camber plates would do. Unfortunately I'm stuck with OEM replacements. I kept seeing $40/side everywhere and was trying to hunt those down. Realoem.com shows $88 "qty 2" for newer models, but I've got a 02/02, so my guess is that's why I'm seeing $120ish there and that's the cheapest I'm going to find.

 

same here. did you change it already? i'm having a slight mushrooming in the driver side. would also like to ask, what parts should i get when doing this stuff? eg. new top plates, m7 strut bar, topbearing? tia

 

Ah, k, hadn't thought about the class-bump phenomenon. They really make the front end grab a lot better in a turn, though. I've seen the stock ones for similar prices to the ones you mentioned. Replacement's about the same as I described above--just a different part....

C ya,
Dutch

 

Yeah I've done enough racing to know how much I miss the lack of camber my car has Hopefully the rear bar I can run this year in HS will help it rotate better and I won't miss the camber as much!

Looks like Realoem is spot on with their pricing, just more expensive because I have one of the earlier cars.

 

One of my strut mounts looked like that at 63K miles but no mushrooming.
I've had the M7 plates on top the last 30K so that might have helped.

16" summer non-run flat, stock SS+ suspension 2003 MC (15" winter non-run flats in winter).

 

This was a great fix for me.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-brace&cat=28

 

'09 MCSa.......is it possible the strut mounts are OK but I still have some mushrooming? If this is the case will the plates such as M7 correct this?

TIA - Todd

 

The plates will not correct the issue but will confirm if you have a problem or not . When you place them in position and they do not sit flat you will know just how much of a problem you may have if they rock and do not sit flat .At this point what the local shop does is take a piece of 2/4 and a hammer and " persuade " the strut tower back into shape. Crude , but it works .

Randy
M7 tuning

 

Thanks Randy.......I'm much better with crude anyway

 

One of the local techs has a special 18' long piece of 2/4 that he uses . As 99% of his tools are Snap On we labeled his " persuader " as such

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

06 MCS, stock suspension with 67,xxx miles and about 40k on 17" wheels/runflats, and 27k on 18" wheels with 225/40/18's and there is significant mushrooming. BFH and a piece of wood fixed it with some craven strut defenders from WMW.

 

Just bought an 02 MCS with 70,000 miles, Coilovers, and 17 inch non runflats. Boths sides are cracked, and looks like a little mushrooming. Whats my best option to fix this, and hopefully prevent it from happening again? The Ireland Engineering plate?

 

Was filling my washer fluid monday and noticed my passenger side mount was cracked all the way around and pushed up about 3/16" of an inch. As I'm looking at that I notice the passenger side upper motor mount is broken too. Then I inspected the drivers side to find that mount 2/3 of the way cracked around and the strut leaking oil.

I had mushroomed towers at 44k when I bought the car that I hammered back and then put on M7 plates. I just turned 60k and found all this wonderfulness..... The car came with the 17" S-Lite wheels. I'm now running 16" Konig Feathers with 215/40/16 tires.

I ordered adjustable camber plates and Koni yellow shocks along with a new motor mount and powerflex inserts. Fun times ahead this weekend.

 

Looks like my turn in the barrel. 2003 S, 156k miles. Passenger side fairly significant mushrooming, but otherwise the metal looks sound, bearing rubber cracked all the way around and sticking up just under 1/2 inch. Driver side slightly mushroomed, bearing rubber cracked halfway around but still level otherwise. Hopefully the hammer/2x4 will fix the mushroom enough to get a new top piece in, then budget for plates as soon as possible.

 

02 MCS w/ 145000 cracked shock mounts and shrooming on the drivers side. This week I'm installing reinforcement plates from MINI Madness and new Sachs OEM grade struts on all four corners. I bought the Boge strut mounts. Then new Sumitomo HTR Zlll tires, my 3rd set. No better tire for the money. After that a trip to an alignment specialist. 3 months ago I replaced the front control arm bushings. Huge improvement.