Hey Huys,
Ive spent a few days searching all this so dont jump all over me for asking.
My 71 Clubby is in need of a disc conversion which from what i can tell means changing over from my rubber uni's (thank buggery for that).
Ill be taking the engine out over the next few days to paint my engine bay and also engine so I figure I might do the diff change over whilst I am at it.
From what I have read all i need to change is the inner and outer axles?
If this is the case where do I need to/can I buy these from fairly cheaply?
Also what price should I pay for an 8.4 inch conversion kit, im thinking around 700 is fair?
Does any one have any diagrams of a mini diff or even instructions for changing the axles over?
Im located in Sydney if that is of any assistance.

Cheers guys,

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So... I'm Seifer

If you're fitting discs you don't need to change your driveshafts. The new CV's will fit on your existing driveshafts.

Not saying you shouldn't change to pot joints but you don't have to.

To change to pots you more than likely have to remove the engine as you will need to remove the diff which is pretty much impossible in the car. Once you have the diff out you will need to dismantle it and replace the output shafts for the pot joint type. Probably not a bad idea to replace your spider gears and diff pin (with good quality items) at this point too as they will more than likely be worn.
Then you will obviously need a set of pot joints and pot joint type driveshafts...

No, the unis don't necessarily need to be changed out. The shafts are compatible with discs or drums. You only need the disc brakes themselves. The shafts will insert into the disc brake CVs the same as a drum brake CV. This means you can rethink if you want to change the inner unis out for another type, although this is not necessarily a bad idea if you have rubber joints.

Therefore, you just need the disc brake conversion kit. Nothing from the drum brake comes across except the steering arms. You will also need the flexible lines for a disc brake, they're slightly longer than drums.
So there will be the hub, caliper, drive flange, disc, CV, brake line, CV boots and tapered washer for each disc brake side, and you might as well get new ball joints as well.

Second hand disc brake setups might sell around 700, new are found for about the 1000 - 1300 mark.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

There was a thread here a while ago about disc conversions from mini mania in the US for about $900, and I was informed that Josh at miniimports sells them for not much more than this (don't know how much more though!).

Cheers for your help gus, that actually makes a lot of sense.
Might just upgrade to the QL5000s and go from there.
Thanks again.

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So... I'm Seifer

I'll just add a +1 for the QH5000s, I've run rubber unis + 7.5 discs for some years and as I didn't have a 100hp monster (just a 65hp -ish modded 998) the rubber unis lasted pretty well.

The QHs are even less hassle.

cheers

Jacob

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'72 Clubman Van - 1022cc, 295 head, 731 cam - Daily Driver
'69 Morris 1100 S - Dinged by a bus, in shed under repair
'64 Morris 1100 - Early 1100, long term project

Early Ss came from the factory with rubber unis...

Cheers, Ian

They were good enough to win Bathurst in `66.
Just keep oil off `em, they are allergic to it.

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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.

I thought that they had gone to the all steel Hardie Spicer Uni's in about 64 or 65, so when did they change?

Yeah, the rubber joints aren't as bad as they are made out to be, but as the Doc says, keep the oil off them. The diffs always seem to last longer on rubber joints.

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I did the swap from rubber crosses to the nylon/metal ones on my clubby back in the day. It was easy as.
I actually have a funny story about it.
So i changed them over and chucked the wheels back on and took it for a test drive up the road. i get a few hundred meters up the road and it starts making alot of noise like the u bolts are loose. I thought thats wierd, as i thought i tightened them all up. so i slowly limp it home. The noise gets worse and worse, i keep driving but go slower and slower. Then about 50m from my house a wheel falls off.

The moral of the story.....Tighten your wheel nuts

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Tim
Dusk Blue
1964 850

Change was in 68/69, slightly after the change to the 4 synchro box.

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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.

"one" of the biggest problems with rubber unis (apart from oil stuffing them) was the fact that soooo many people would jack the car up,,, change the unis , tighten them up with the wheels hanging down,,, then lower the car back onto the ground

now this makes the unis "Constantly" twisted up, the entire time, from then on

the trick is to have the axles at std ride height (as if the car were on it`s wheels the ground) & tighten them up then

this way the unis are in a relaxed state & can happilly last for as long as they were intended to

so,,, there you go

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

oh & i have always thought that only the first 600 or 700 (ish) Aussie "S"`s came with rubber unis

My dad or John Shmidt will know for sure

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

OK I was probably wrong in post above, as April 66 it happened in UK.
Source: Original Mini Cooper, John Parnell.

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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.

Yeah, I thought it was pretty early on too. I knew they did fit them is the 'S' but soon after introduction went to the steelies. I've not worked on a real lot of early Cooper S, but I've not seen any fitted to them, granted they could well had been changed by owners at some point.

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