I'm sure somebody has done it, but the rubber hose and hard pipe on the back has worked on minis for 50 years - why change it?
The reason it may not be done is that hoses can't bend as tight as hard brake lines so would stick out a bit more.

Lastly - installing it would be possible but tricky unless you have a banjo fitting at the cylinder end.

This is exactly the feedback I was looking for. I am always keen to remove points of failure (ie, hydraulic connections), and was just curious if this was a common thing to do (I couldn't be the first person to think it's a decent idea...)

But your answer is what I expected. It isn't "common", so I think I'll just leave it alone. Plus the brake lines I get made will be cheaper and shorter this way. Thanks Harley.

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

OK, so I've run into my first real problem. I view it as a good and bad thing. Good because it'll be fixed, and Mini will be happy. Bad because I don't know how to fix it, and I've got to wait for parts (Hurry up and wait!)

So the passenger side bearing is stuffed. The spindle was impossible to get out of the arm, and the grease had solidified and wasn't doing much in the way of lubrication. So how on Earth do I remove the bearing?? What's the technique or tool? This thigk appears to be welded in there - if I take it to a brake / suspension shop will they be able to yank it out easy? Furthermore, where does the bearing stop and the arm start? IS that inner ring only (missing the top half), or is the entire unpainted bit that sticks up for the arm?




Also, this is the spindle from the other side (the good side). It's not too oblonged, but its got some pitting. Would you replace it?

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

I can't quite tell what I'm seeing there, but it's just a needle roller bearing pressed into the arm. Easy to remove when its knackered.
(not the proper way, but I just do it with small flat blade screwdriver - the bearing is destroyed in doing so......but then the reason you change it is cause it already is).

The other end is the difficult bit cause the bush needs to be pressed in then reamed to size inline with the needle bearing.

Yeah, sorry about the crappy pictures.

What's the process if the bearing weren't that busted? Looking at the rebuild kits, it seems that in between the bearing and bush is a plastic sleeve, so there may not even be an inside edge to push from. There's got to be a tool or trick, right? I've got a brake shop right outside my house - would they be able to push it out with a hydraulic press maybe?

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

Yep, I never doubted you for a moment.


It popped right out with a bit of love from the hammer. So now back to the above question - how do I remove the bush? And if I want someone else to do the reaming of the new one, do most auto shops do this? Brake shops?

Reading this now....
viewtopic.php?t=45978&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

I myself like to use a burr grinder to crind a thin channel through the bush at one point. This reduces the pressure on the journal, and it will nearly fall out. I seem to think (maybe?) it is also narrow enough to thread a hacksaw through to do the same work. Cut a notch and then the bush will come out.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

I ended up drifting it all out (BFH + 17mm socket + extension bar). They came out with a fair amount of anger.

What's the reasoning behind having a needle bearing on one side and the bush on the other? I mean, from an engineering standpoint, why not have bearings on both ends?

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

Needle rollers aren't actually the best answer for this role believe it or not. The rollers only move through a few degrees of movement, and in a challenging position with water ingress, and apply a point load onto only a few millimeters of steel. So the journals rust (as you have found) , seize up, grind steel on steel as the shaft moves and fail pretty easily.

The other end is brass, so doesn't rust, has a 100% contact around the journal, and self lubricates. The bush is a better outcome than the needle roller in this role. I'm unsure even why they used a needle roller in the first place.

Mokes however, DID have needle rollers on both ends and the arms are machined differently to allow it because the journals are different in size, so there's merit in BMCs eyes somewhere. Maybe the removal of the need to ream the arms was enough perhaps. It might have been to allow the grease somewhere to push through instead of into the inside of the arm.

Take a close look at the arms, it looks like the holes may have become ovalised by the destruction of the bearing. It might be the light too. If it has, then you will have no choice but to replace them unfortunately. Pretty common however, you were going out to Minisplus right? Lindsay's an excellent bloke, and I reckon he will have them rebuilt, or un-rebuilt.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

I think Moke arms did have a needle roller at each end. The longer swing arm need it. The bush would have been cheaper so I'm guessing thats why they used that.

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1963 Morris 850 Smoke Grey
1963 Morris 850 Shadow Blue
1965 Morris Mini Smooth Van
1966 Morris Mini Van
1969 Morris Mini Deluxe Resto
5/72 Clubman Gt

Or what Mick said!!!

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1963 Morris 850 Smoke Grey
1963 Morris 850 Shadow Blue
1965 Morris Mini Smooth Van
1966 Morris Mini Van
1969 Morris Mini Deluxe Resto
5/72 Clubman Gt

Excellent info Mick!

I kinda hope they are oval. Gives me the excuse I needed to buy these.
The Missus will be thrilled.
http://www.kentautodevelopments.com/sho ... damper-pin

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)

Holy crap they're expensive!

One for the racers I think

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

The very first Minis 1959-60 had a brass bush at both ends.
But the inner one used to seize due to the suspension loads (and maybe lack of grease). That's why it was replaced with a needle bearing.
Whatever arm it is, it needs grease regularly. I've seen the shaft seize in the arm then wear a slot in the inner web of the subframe as it turns in there.

Needle bearings both ends would work fine as they do on Mokes. The shaft needs to be HARD.
However the aftermarket shafts they sell now have poor hardening, so the surface fails faster where the needles run. Originals had a lot harder and deeper case.

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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 plot thickens...

First of all thank you guys for all of the help. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be attempting a job like this without the knowledge in this group. I soldiered on with the rear arms and finally was able to press out all of the bushes, bearings and grease tubes. The second one was not pretty - the tube came out in pieces and the bush got lost inside the arm for about 30 minutes.

So, onto the front. Ball joints. They're no fun.
I've been trying every trick in the book. BFH, BFHx2 (hitting on the sides), and I broke the breaker. Yep. And the ball joint too.


The thread on top of this balljoint is mushroomed out too, so it'll need replacing.



So, outside of getting a new balljoint splitter, what do I try next? Since I'm no longer worried about harming the boot, is a pickle fork a better tool for the job? Should I buy a 4ft pry bar and lean on it? Should I get bigger muscles and go back to the hammers?

Next I've clearly got to remove the whole joint, so I've folded back to lock tab, but the only wrench I have that size is a big adjustable fella. I simply can't get it to loosen. I'm starting to get worried that in order to get it out I'll need the hub in a vice, which means I have to learn about removing the half-shaft, to remove the assembly. I dd manage to get the upper arm pin out, and the donut finally dropped out. The pin and inside of the upper arm looks to be in good shape, so I'll leave it alone.

This doesn't look so easy on the passenger side. The radiator and cooling setup hides the bracket and pin area, so I think I'm going to start removing the whole cooling system first thing in the am. This at least gives me an opportunity to install the silicone hoses that have been sitting on the bench for 3 months.

I'm having a lot of fun with this project. It quickly snowballed into what seems like a full restoration job, but once it's done I know I'll be very satisfied. Well, I hope you guys have some more words of wisdom to keep me going. Either way, more beers and fun tomorrow!

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1998 Rover Mk VII
2001 Honda CBR 929RR (street)
2014 BMW S1000RR (track)