I'm currenly considering buying a 1970 k1100 with hyro.

I've heard conflicting arguments about this type of syspension.

Is it better or worse than rubber cone???

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Santo

"The Lone Ranger"
HI-HO Silver......AWAAAAAY!

Better!

Hydro rides a lot smoother,

Hydro handles a lot better,

What more could you want?

Of course IF something goes wrong it is more $ to fix, BUT I reckon it is worth it. (Things dont go wrong anywhere near as often as the rubber fetishists would have you believe)!!

I recommend comp bumpstops on the rear, and shocks on the front!

With this type of question it may be wiser to narrow it down a bit. What are you after out of the mini? What will it be used for? Do you want a numb ass?

That kind of thing


Seriously, is it a budget runabout, is it a resto, is it a show car, is it a daily driver for you or your kids?

What money do you want to spend?

Would you retain stock suspension if you had a rubber cone car?

Then after you've asked the questions,

Buy

the

hydro

clubbie

ok...

It won't be a daily driver now, but in the future it may.
The car in question is a 1970 Morris k1100 with a 1310cc in it, 4 wheel disks, twin tanks and hydro.

He describes it as "handles like its on rails"...
I just want a car that goes resonably well and corners extremely well.

If the hydro will cut it in the handling department then i will no doubt try to buy it.
If rubber cone is better i'll go for a clubman.

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Santo

"The Lone Ranger"
HI-HO Silver......AWAAAAAY!

I concur with Matt. Hydrp goes as good as any dry or better!

All Mk2 Cooper S's came with Hydro so what does that say?

All you need is competition bump stops in the back, attach shocks to the front and she will handle like she's on rails After that is set up and the hydro is pumped up correctly, your weakest link will be tyres...

Dry cars tend to be "bouncier", hydro is cheaper to setup as per above. The performance increase (or decrease!!! ) of conversion to dry suspension is no way near worthy of the price involved compared to staying with wet. Just buy more hydro bags as backup

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

My van is on rubber cones and is used daily and no worries for me.
I have also been in a cooper s on hydro and it is much smoother. There is a reason why they advertised it as floats on fluid.
Handling wise there really isn't that much in it in stock form.
My deluxe is hydro and will remain wet due to my liking of hydro and a few tweaks that can be made to make it handle much better

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Mr Brother, this discussion is as divisive (and as old) as the clubman Vs Roundnose preference. My Clubbie was Hydro and in doing the conversion I converted to dry cone out of preference. I didn't buy a mini for a soft ride. But as with anything stated here it is all personal preference.

I have had one hydro car and two conies and I personally think there is nothing really to differentiate once once additional suspension components are added. The hydro is probably a little more comfortable but I find my cone car pretty pliant anyway.

Cheers

Matt

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225hp atw on 14psi. 1/4 Mile no idea. Take one 1971 Mini Clubman, one Starlet GT Halfcut, Simmer over a warm MIG Welder, and Voila Minstar! www.mpdesign.id.au

Sounds like a nice car to me!

To get the best from the hydro you really should spend a little:

$80 or so for rear bump stops, and $200 or so for front shocks (and brackets)

Makes a world of difference. If you want handling, that setup gives it to you, as 68deluxe said, tyres next

Then go for adjustable lower arms and tie rods...

Mmm...

I got hydro and I think its a little worn. Go over a bump and it bounces a few times before setteling.

I'm no race driver but I reckon it corners pretty well

With shocks up the front, do they work with the hydro or replace it? I thought hydro pumped fluid from front to back (and vice versa) to keep the car fairly level.

Also lowering with hydro? how do you do that? different sized bags or fluid level?

And those springs in the rear, are they a joke?

I noticed that doing a CV joint it was quite difficult to get the hubs out of the way of the control arms as the hydro was real hard to push against with just the front in the air. A 3ft pri-bar got it done though.

(maybe I should read a bit on how hydro works huh)

I run my hydro S at the standard ride height, I recently put on longer front arms to counter the stock positive camber, and progressive bump stops at the back, it's great

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

RE: shocks with hydro at the front

Basically the shocks just reduces the lean at the front end when going around corners. Overall effect is to stiffen up and stabilise the front end, the shocks don't do much work when installed on hydro car but make a world of difference to handling. It's less squirmier through the corners.

RE: lowering hydro

IMO it's not needed. The worste way to do it is by reducing fluid in the hydro system. Even any other type of lowering screws up the geometry of the car. All i know is when my car was lower, it handled pretty bad. The hydro should be pumped so that the wheels sit 3 fingers from front guard. IMO lowering hydro makes bugger all difference to handling and in fact makes it alot worste. It just "looks good" but honestly I think a lowered mini looks crap they look way too dumpy lowered if you don't have big 13inch wheels which is another story altogether

Besides, minis are low as it is. Don't follow the ricer crowd

Just set it up like this:

Competition bump stops in the rear, ~$75 from karcraft. Go to pick n payless and get any front clubman shock brackets along with the shocks. Don't need fancy shocks, just standards as they do bugger all work in the front. Once all this is installed, flush the hydro system and pump it up to 3 fingers at the front. Take it for a fang and if your tyres squeel at 80km/h around the corners, time to save for real Yoko rubber

Honestly any faster and you will need racing slicks to keep the car on the road through corners as that will be the weakest link in the suspension. You may also need to think about bucket seats as you will fall off the standard mini seat around corners I've had mine set up this way for 2 years with crappy tyres and still have been very satisfied indeed

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

As above!!

The front shocks help to reduce the pitchiness and bouncing sometimes present. They act as dampers.

The best to get are oil filled, not gas filled. You want them to resist movement both ways (up and down) for the best effect.

Enjoy the hydro


Once youve had hydro.....

Orright,

I own a hydro car and like the way it works, but worry about how much it may cost to repair a burst bag in 10 years time. They're expensive now, what do you reckon they might cost then?

Mick

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

well said i have had both first dry now have a 71 cluby with wet and its great just recently had the stopper replaced and the bags adjusted ride hight is good and smooth

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Good question.

Are they still available in quantity? Do they still make them in the UK?

Or will it be like Mad Max... (Kill people over for them!)

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Santo

"The Lone Ranger"
HI-HO Silver......AWAAAAAY!