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Smootha Ride kit
https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=41319		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  weevel [ Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Smootha Ride kit
Does anyone have any experience with the Alex Moulton Mini Sport Smootha Ride kit?

I've been thinking of updating my suspension as it's the harshest and bounciest of any of the 3 minis i've owned (All UK ones - 1986 Austin Mayfair, 1992 Rover Mayfair Auto & 1990 Rover Cooper - current).

My wife has always dislike riding in this mini because it's ride was so harsh

I also have a new problem that our new house driveway access/footpath, combined with the crown of the road has an approach angle which needs a 4x4 to negotiate.

My numberplate snapped off it's plastic screws upon entry a few weeks back so i re-attached with staineless steel screws and a back-up cable tie (just to make sure I didn't lose the plate entirely)

I reversed into the drive on Thursday and somehow managed to completely mangle the plate and of course broke the screws again!

So to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, I was thinking about fitting this kit - with the dollar's strength at the moment it only costs about $475 plus P&P, and i can adjust the front to sit a little higher too :)

Any experience, comments, other ideas (i.e just replacing rubber cones and getting hi-los)

Also - is this something that a ham-fisted amateur can do in his own driveway ??
Author:  Kennomini [ Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Would it be worth getting the soft coil springs and some HiLo's and set it up with some good clearance.
With the smotha ride kit I'm not sure how soft the rubber cones are compaired to the coil springs. Also if you look closely at the HiLo's (compared to normal HiLo's) the edges are rounded off, just like standard trumpets.
Image
Bit of a hijack, I haven't seen this type of HiLo before. It has an allen-bolt instead of a nut to lock off the height. Should I steer clear of it?, is it cheap and nasty?
Image
Author:  david rosenthal [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:40 am ]
Post subject: 
If you fit coils make sure that they have locating plate on top of spring that fits the subframe turret. I have seen springs wear the original cone mounting plate and chew into subframe. Make sure that there is spring preload on top arm without the bump stop fitted with adjustment up to minimum.I have seen springs come out because they were loose if rubber block on bump stop came off.
Author:  gafmo [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Kennomini wrote:
Bit of a hijack, I haven't seen this type of HiLo before. It has an allen-bolt instead of a nut to lock off the height. Should I steer clear of it?, is it cheap and nasty?
Image


I havent seen these before and cant see how a Allen key locking onto a Thread to be any good, specaly on Suspention :shock:
Author:  sports850 [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:32 am ]
Post subject: 
Without seeing inside I'd say there's some serious potential for stuffing the thread on the hiLo by cranking the allen key into it , you could be stuck in one positioon only . There is always a chance they have something on the end of the allen key that doesn't harm the thread (big ball of nylon or something) but without pulling it apart I'd say avoid .
Author:  Timbo [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:48 am ]
Post subject: 
I had a smootha-ride kit fitted to my Moke (the sportspack version for 13" wheels). It transformed the ride and handling. But then again the suspension was knackered before hand. I didn't fit it but the mechanics who did said it was easy enough except for the front rubber cones which are much taller than original. They had to use a large persuader to get them into the subframe towers.

I don't know if just replacing the standard suspension with new parts would have fixed the problem anyway, but it really did make a massive improvement. Women wouldn't ride in it before, it made their breasts hurt.

Over time it has lost some of its benefits, it is a bit harsher now than it was 4 years ago, but it hasn't settled much. I reckon it was well worthwhile.

Tim
Author:  peterw [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:57 am ]
Post subject: 
The adjustable cones won't make it ride softer so does the Smootha Ride kit work by having softer cones?

Pete
Author:  Timbo [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
It has different shaped cones. The front ones are longer and pointier. I think the rear ones might be standard. The adjustable bits claim to improve the ride by having a wider face to compress the cone, I don't know if thats a valid claim or not.

Tim
Author:  Harley [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
The basic idea is the cone is taller with a different profile for more progressive suspension travel. It compresses more than a standard one, and since the bump is dealt with over a longer compression distance, the ride feels smoother.
Author:  weevel [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Cool, I'll give it some serious thought and run it past the exchequer.

Like Timbo, my wife pretty much hates riding in my mini - not that she's against minis in general as she used to have one herself, just that mine's got a much harsher ride. (dunno if it's the boobs thing though, she just says it shakes her insides)

Incidentally, Thursday is the day I take the mini to work and I hadn't got around to detaching and re-flattening the mangled number plate since it happened last Thursday.

I had a closer look when i went to drive it this morning and it hadn't sheared the bolt, the bolt-hole in the plate had been forced over the bolt head!

The bolt on the right was still holding strong along with my cable-tie backup, so I cable-tied the left side and left for work.

Then whilst driving in today, I wondered - Is it an offence to drive with a seriously mangled numberplate???
Author:  Harley [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:42 pm ]
Post subject: 
Here's a cheap way for a smooth ride:
Go down to the local tractor dealer and buy one of those springy seats with a shock absorber in it. :D
Author:  weevel [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
Maybe on a Moke, but I think the headroom might be a problem :)
Author:  speedy [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Let 10psi out of your tyres.
Author:  weevel [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:51 pm ]
Post subject: 
speedy wrote:
Let 10psi out of your tyres.


Only gonna solve one of my problems - that's just gonna make my driveway entry even worse than it is now - may as well say sayonara to having a front numberplate if i did that.

Come to think of it - a short term fix for the driveway problem may be to put more air in, thanks :)
Author:  peterw [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Can you attack the driveway at an angle? Mini has such a small overhang that you should be able to keep the number plate away from the ground.

Another way is to bend the plate along it's horizontal axis so the bottom part sits closer to the body.

Pete
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