What are the best ways to improve the hydo suspension?

Fitting Shocks?

Fitting front shocks and rear competition bump stops seems to be the way to go.

Anto.

Anto got it in one, Rear competition pump stops, the round cylinder type, and regular (not adjustable or sports) shocks for the front.

The hydros can be made to go pretty hard with that setup.

Also I'd check your ride height and lower it alittle if it's sitting too high. I have mine pumped quite high and she still turns like a cat on carpet

WET GIRLS GO HARDER!!!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I think iv'e seen a thread about shocks, but whats genreally accepted as the best ones?

Would any suspension place be able to fit them and would they have the bump stops or is it a MiniSpares Part?

What price should I expect to pay?

That's a tough one... it's not that simple...

There are 4 ways to obtain the shocks. From easiest and cheapest to hardest and most expensive:

1st way) Go find a bombed clubman at your local Pick n Pull junkyard and grab the front mounting brackets, bolts, shocks and all as one unit. You will need a Smaller bolt and nuts for the toparm and need to fabricate spacer bush to go inside the bottom mounting hole of the shocks. All up probably $50-$80

2nd way) Jump on ebay, someone is trying to sell a hydro front shocker kit for $80 or so. Ask him if it it's straight bolt onto hydro top arm or requires custom bolt work... if not sweet - $80

3rd way) Buy the shocks from pedders or similar, steal or buy new mounting brackets from UK or your local junk yard, get the right bolts and fiddle... All up probably around $200

4th way) take it to your local mini specialist and pay them $300 and get it done

Apprently you're not supposed to overdampen the fron suspension so don't buy the sports shocks or the adjustables. Just regular shocks are best as your hydro bags do the rest of the dampenning. Just get any second hand clubman shocks that don't have any flat spots etc. It really is only to stop leading around corners and to stop the front from lifting when accelerating off the line. The handling improvement is worth the effort IMO...

Good luck!

EDIT: get the competition bump stops first, $70 from www.karcraft.com.au and you will immediately notice the difference. The handling difference it greater with the bump stop upgrade

I feel that with my suspension setup, the problem that I have know is the grippiness of the tyres... I am reaching the limit of grip for the crappy bridgstones when going around corners at 60-70km/h. Need those Yoko's

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I've got a good set of tyres, and it actully handles pretty well at the moment it's just I'll be putting my 1310 in soon and I'm not sure how it will do with th stock setup .

Did Coopers have hydro?

I also want it to stop it's hard to find decent discs brakes, It's getting to the stage where I might have to get the reco ones from "Northern RIPOFF Parts"

1310 without brakes... some would call that suicide

For sure the performance will be top notch with that hydro setup. The coopers all came in dry suspension (I think... cept maybe the really early models?). But anyway Hydro is better for road, ask Dr Mini he has a 1310 with hydro. It's best of both worlds, smooth over bumps and fast around corners. The tuning book says that hydros handle just as good as dry if setup properly and that early racing cars actually ran successfully on Hydro.

Hydro and bad handling is a myth I tell ya! my wet girl is pretty wild, and I can tell ya that Dr Mini's wet girl is even wilder!!! Don't convert to dry, you'll be going backwards in my opinion... (I'll probably get alot of hate male for that statement )

EDIT: the only thing maybe is weight? but I think it's negligeable. If you are going to race your mini then maybe different story, but as far as road, they are great. Go spend your money on other improvements such as brakes!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I am doing the brakes, it's just a matter of which type

Theres no way i'm doing the cooper s ones to expensive, honda ones sound alright but tricky, or metro ones or the reco ones from northern.

most coopers come with hydro i think it was a option or was it the other way around dry was the option
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

12x5 performance wheels with 9inch honda discs is the way to go... that's what I want...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I've already got the wheels

Well then!!! doesn't get much better than 9" honda city discs. Cheap and very effective!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

All MK2 cooper S's came with hydro, dry was an option.

thanks mike i new one did
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

Stay with the Hydro all around with comp Bumper stops from Karkraft and ensure you have some space between the stops and the frame.
Morris is running on the stops and a little firm but thats the ways Sue like it but not the way it should be. (I will ajust it soon and see if she notices)
If you want more than this you can do front Camber and Toe in Ajsutable front end and Rear Camber as I am on the rear. (dry Van and more work Involved and cost)

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It