Have sent you a PM
Cheers.

An update on options for bushes from what I've found so far. Plenty of time to investigate things while car is still at paint shop and travel restricted.

Based on decent rubber ones not being available, I explored the urethane offerings (made in Australia ones).
For the straight bush arms, Nolathane list part number 47091 and while not listed it for a Mini, Superpro have one nearly identical - part SPF0258K.

For the tapered arms, Nolathane part is 45055 while Superpro 2 piece option is part SPF0098K. Superpro also have a 1 piece option SPF1290K

I contacted both Nolathane and Superpro to check "hardness" of their bushes. Measure is on the duro scale with the lower the number, the softer the bush. Nolathane are 85A while Superpro is 90 - meaning the Nolathane ones are 'softer' than the Superpro. According the bloke at Nolathane, 85 vs 90 equates to approx 15-20% difference.

So, If going with urethane, Nolathane would possibly offer a softer option, although Superpro have excellent reviews for performance.

However, during my research on these, I found that Nolathane listed their part number 47091 for the straight bush as suitable for a number of other vehicles, including the original Holden 48/215. So I contacted Mackay rubber in Melb to see if they had bushes for the mini's even though they don't list them. Answer was - no we don't. Pity as I'd prefer rubber - if I could get decent ones.

So I thought I'd attack it from a different angle and suss out the specs on the Mackay bush range and downloaded their info. Turns out that their part number S112 which is listed as being for lower control arms and rear spring hangers on the Holden is just about identical measurements to the bushes in got from the uk suppliers. Outside diameter may be a tad bigger at 22.50mm but hard to tell as uk ones have already been in the arms. Part number S109 has an OD of 22mm but the length is a bit long and would need shortening. Mackay make all of their bushes in Melbourne and they have a 2 year warranty.

So, I've ordered a set of Mackay S112 and will see how they go. Not sure of the price as a mate owns an Autopro store and I just ordered them as I want them. I see them advertised for around $7 a bush elsewhere.

Will post update here once I get them and put them in. If they work out ok, I reckon a good Australian made rubber one will be the go.

Rocky

Nice piece of research Rocky......thanks

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"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity!"
1972 Mini Clubman 1098
1978 Leyland Mini 998 - she’s gone to a good home

Great research Rocky, and thanks for posting the details here. If you get a good outcome I'm sure it will be of interest to other Mini enthusiasts.

_________________
ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

My experience is the same as Richard's ^

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

IF the Mackay bushes turn out to be good, write to Mackay and ask them to add a Mini set of bushes to their product range with the correct dimensions...

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"Show me the Mini!"

An update on how I went with the Mackay bushes. Been busy painting the lounge in an attempt to get brownie points back in credit. Hasn't worked yet.

I got the set of S112 and they were about $8 each. First thing I noticed was the difference in feel - noticeably firmer rubber than the uk ones.

The specs on the S112 are inside diameter (ID) of 12.70mm. outside diameter (OD) of 22.50mm, length 20.00mm, collar thickness 4mm so overall length = 24.00mm and the collar diameter is 25mm. My measurements of the bush varied a bit from the Mackay specs with ID 12.49mm, OD 22.5, overall length 24.32mm (it's a bit hard to measure exactly where the collar starts so that would explain the slight difference in overall length perhaps).

I compared these to the uk ones, bearing in mind they had been installed in the subframe but the subframe is not yet in the car so no load on them at all. ID is 12.83mm, OD 21.6mm, length 18.2mm, collar 5mm. Overall length varied a bit and ranged from 22.58mm to 24.33mm. Variance I guess is from having being installed and squashed up.

From these measurements, the main difference fitting wise is the ID and OD and when I first got the uk ones, I noticed that they were a loose fit inside the control arm and also slipped onto the pin easily. In contrast, the Mackay ones are a firm fit in the arm and a firm fit on the pin.

Pin measurements are a diameter of 12.72mm and the length of the pin where the bushes sit is 39.3mm.

The control arm (after cleaning up inside the arm where the old bush was) has an ID of 22.22mm and a width of 31.92mm where the bush goes.

So you can see that the uk ones at 21.6mm OD would be a loose fit inside the arm with an ID of 22.22 whereas the Mackay ones at 22.5 are a firm fit.

When it came to fitting the new bushes, I put the bushes inside the arm and I had a hard time getting the pin to go through the bushes. Wound it on by holding the pin with vice grips. As I was tightening them up, I noticed that the new bushes didn't compress nicely up to the collars and it seemed as though the bushes were too long. I pulled them out again and I thought I'd experiment on the bench as I was easier. To help with seeing the compression, I lubed up the bushes with some liquid soap. End result was that to get them to compress up to the point where the collars sat right, I needed to trim about 2mm off the length of each bush. Easy to do with a bit of electrical tape around the bush as guide, slip the bush onto the pin to hold it and then slice off with a sharp knife. I experimented a bit with taking off a thinner slice and found 2mm about right.

Interestingly, the uk bushes are roughly the same overall length as the Mackay and compressed up ok - no doubt as a consequence of being softer rubber, a smaller OD and larger ID.

Fitted the new trimmed bushes up, using liquid soap again to make the job a bit easier, and they fit well. The arm is quite stiff to move up and down as well as firm side to side. To me, the difference between the old uk ones and the new Mackay ones is chalk and cheese.

As an alternative to the Mackay S112, they have the S109 which has an OD of 22mm (0.5 smaller than the S112) and a collar width of 5mm vs 4mm with the S112. I'd reckon these would also work ok and maybe the extra 1mm collar width would be handy. They would also need shortening a bit and as they are slightly smaller OD than the S112, would need to be a bit longer. I'd think they'd compress up ok though.

Sorry for the long winded reply but hopefully I've explained things well enough so others can go down this path if they want to.

As for having Mackay list these part numbers, I did speak to their tech bloke and he was keen to but I think only if they were a direct fit and not needed to the shortened. In any case, there is at least an Australian made option and that's got to be a good thing.

Cheers, Rocky

Great work with the Mackay bushes, I will keep them in mind.

Just playing with part numbers and it appears that Kelpro also make/sell these bushes. Their part number is 25059.

Good detective work Morris 1100. I hadn't heard of Kelpro. See they actually list that part for the Mini. They also have a 2 year warranty like Mackay.

Another option.

Rocky

Just an update on my experience. I found that I had one control arm with tapered bushes (correct type) and the opposite side had parallel bushes. With trying to get the correct LC arm, first received the wrong side then the correct side sent but was parallel bush type. After a phone tutorial with Matty Reed (gee that bloke is cluey). I decided to go down the way if adjustable control arms and caster bars.
With ride height reset (hydrolastic) -0.5 deg camber and 3 deg pos caster with 1/16" toe out, the thing handles like a dream. Took it for test up a local mountain road today (nine kms of winding road) felt like it was on rails. The lower control arm bushes I used were the one piece tapered from Fulcrum. Have a set of tapered bushes from Matt on standby.

After reading about Mackay rubber I went to their web page and was amazed at all the things they are into. Then my mind started to think they look like they may be capable of remanufacturing, guess what, HYDROLASTIC BAGS.

I have been working with Mackay on a project and they are very capable in rubber products of almost any description.
Depending on how many thousand you want to order, I’m sure they would be interested.
I would estimate that the tooling alone for the injection moulding of the rubber will be in the vicinity of ~$30,000.

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Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

Stibbsy. I have sent you a PM re the bushes. I have had experience with the Fulcrum ones. Stay away from the kit with part number SPF0098K. The good ones they had they do not make anymore.

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1965 MK1 English Morris Cooper S (Downton)
1967 MK1 Morris Cooper S
1972 Clubman GT (6/72 Cadiz)
1968 MG Midget