My Cooper is nearing 90,000 miles and I've got some pretty severe strut tower mushrooming, along with cracked mounts. I'd like to get this fixed ASAP but with the littlest expense possible.

I'm planning on getting the M7 strut tower brace if I can find one to help with the mushrooming.

My question is this: are my struts probably shot by this time? Should I replace them while I have everything apart as well? And if so, if I bought new struts, do they come with replacement mounts and bearings usually? Would getting some low-miles used ones be smart?

Lastly, is this a task a relative beginner to working on cars can do? If not how much labor can I expect this to cost from a mechanic?

 

If you are replacing the strut tower mounts I would consider the Ireland Fixed Camber plates. They are cheaper than the OEM mounts and are stronger and make a noticeable difference in handling. And once you pound your towers back flat, they will prevent it from happening again.

Your struts are most certainly weak at this point too. I used Koni FSDs and love them with the Ireland plates. Both of these jobs can be done by someone with reasonable tools and high motivation. You'll also need an alignment when you are done.

But you should be aware that your lower control arm bushings are also probably shot too. That is not a job for a beginner. And when you do those you should do your sway bar bushings and ball joints too as long as you are dropping the subframe (if whoever does it does drop the subframe). All those parts are available from Way.

Where are you located. Perhaps there is an independent tech that can do it for much cheaper than the stealer.

Rich

 

I'm a 30 minute drive from Philadelphia...

Wonder how much it would be for all this even at a local place... Still probably a huge amount of money.

All pretty sad when the trade-in value of the car is only $5,800.

I kinda wanna cut my losses and get a new one with a warranty.

 

You should bring it to Helix and see what the charge would be to have it all done. I think that a suspension refresh is a good investment. And I love the R53 over the new ones.

But that is a decision you'll have to mull over.

Rich

 

Time to save up some cash!

 

You can pound the strut tower flat with a 2x4 and hammer.

As others have suggested, you might want to spend a little more and get the IE Fixed Camber Plates. WMW has stock for $174 and IE Fixed for $180. The IE Fixed plates are a little stonger and improve the handling.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/02-06-c.../camber-plates

Replacing the struts takes a coulpe special tools but is not too difficult especially if you can get a little help from someone who has done it before on any car. The top strut nut (at top of shock) can be a pain to get off because when loosening the nut the shock shaft will spin. There is a special tool or you can use a spark plug socket with a allen wrench though the center hole to hold the shock shaft and a wrench on the hex section of the socket to turn the socket. Instead, I use an air impact wrench to loosen the nut. However it is not good to use an air impack to install the nut unless you are very careful not to over torque the nut. You will also need a spring compressor tool (can get for $15 at Harbor Freight Tools) to compress the springs to replace the shock.
http://www.harborfreight.com/macpher...-set-3980.html

I have a spring compressor but last time I had the strut apart I used ratcheting tie-down straps to hold the springs but it was a little sketchy keeping the straps from slipping so I would not suggest that process especially for your first time.

 

+3 on the plates, i plan to take this route myself pretty soon. you should also get the m7 strut plate defenders, as a prevention method, and a good sway bar! also, if you're going to get new struts, consider getting the v-maxx coilovers. stratomosphere is selling them for $599.00, this includes struts, springs, and sway bar endlinks. (http://www.stratmosphere.com/mini_drivetrain.htm) also wile you have it all jacked up and pulled apart, you might want to go for an under-strut brace, or an x brace, to re-gain some of the chasis rigidity that you've lost over the 90k miles!

 

I am about to do the lower control arm bushings myself, there is a youtube video that is step by step and it looks pretty painless you torch your old one on the car and press a new one in w/o removing the bracket... the video is from Rover... and the strut tower should not be that hard, there are plenty of DYI instructions out there, the parts are all reasonable @ partsgeek.com never used them before but its a good starting point.

 

Have a link to the video?

How do the Vmaxx coilovers feel? Stiffer than stock? I have had some aftermarket suspensions on other cars that were unbearably stiff.

 

Do NOT do it like this, you'll end up damaging the inner ball joints when removing the control arms. Let alone the possibility of setting your car on fire. It's easy to drop the rear of the subframe down and pry the bushing and bracket off then press the bushings out, or cut them with a saw.

 

SORRY for the bad advice in my previous post, i saw the video and got excited, waymotorworks has the knowledge and experience. i have decided to go with full powerflex kit the install should be an adventure.