....and I mean both front and rear subframes....


Is it possible?

Does it require some major mods?

What dry parts do I need to convert them?

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

Rear is possible without mods... front needs the dry top arms (I think)...

Someone will correct me if I am wrong

No you are not wrong this time young Will I am - not entirely anyway.

I gues the best answer to your question is why bother converting hydro sub-frames to dry sub-frames. Just go and get a set of Dry subframes from either someone on here or from a wrecker and do the change over. You might be lucky and get the sub-frame complete with upper and lower arms etc.

The change over is not hard - just follow the instruction in the manual (or ask on here) - with the dry sub-frames on the ground you even have the chance to fit hilo's with ease.

Then at some stage one will want a set of hydro sub-frames and you should come out equal.

You will need dry trailing arms on rear or change the stub axle or you will not have the shaft for the rear shocks.
On the front you will need the upper shock mount (the one that bolts the inner gaurd) and will need the mounting bolt out of the top arm. You will also need to drill out the holl in the top arm on wet setup to take this bolt.
The subframes will also need the locking tangs for the hydro bags to be bent out of the way so the dry cones can go in.
Cheers Pete

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A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
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Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

1. Yes it's possible to use wet rear arms, so said `justminis'. Tap a 3/8" hole in the stub axle for a bolt, then the shocks will mount OK.
2. You don't HAVE to drill the top front arm out, I used an 8mm x100 hi-tensile allen head bolt instead, and bushed the lower shock bush to 8mm..
Have had Pedders shocks on it for over 10 years now, had them off today, all still good.
There's a sticky in how-to forum I think.

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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.

The reason I am asking is because dry subframes are getting hard to find cheaply (around here).....

The shell is meant to have a dry seutp....... but I can get hydro subframes very cheaply and am wondering if it is worth the efoort to convert them.

Sounds like it will be easy enough.

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

I have done this, it is easy, just bend the hydro bag tags back out of the way so the cones can seat properly as Pete says above. Wet arms can be used front and rear, need the mods outlined above for front shocks and for the rear, I swapped the stub axles for dry ones, again for shocks. The rear sub not having that dome where the cone sits makes disassembly etc so much easier.

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Steve

One other thing to watch with hydro rears- there is no shaped `bump' on the subby, inside the rubber donuts- so the suspension may bottom out easier.
If so, bung a hydro rear bumpstop kit on.

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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.

As of today there is a dry subframe out of a mini (on the ground) at the U tug it elizabuff (front only).

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I can only please one person per day,
Today is not your day,
Tomorrow is not looking good either.

That's one of the benefits of using the rear wet arms.

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Steve

Hmmm........ drive there...... and leave my BMW in the carpark........ aah no.

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

It is pretty secure out there. They have cameras in the car park and you can still see ur car from just about anywhere in the yard.

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