Resprayed Mini is all finished - Dylans, that is - and he is finally ready to do the interior, put in the motor etc etc etc. The big question is.......do we drop both the front and rear sub frames from both cars and pick up the body and plonk it on the old sub frames which have an engine and brakes????

What do ya reckon and how many days to do the job.

Hooroo

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Rod
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Rodney/

Hydro or Dry??

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"Show me the Mini!"

Dry........

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Rod
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Rodney/

yes... but strip the subframes and paint them, and put all new rubbers through them - no point having a lovely shiny body on grubby subframes if you have them out anyway

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

see thats the thing, the new body has nice freshly pained subframes... if we are going to take everyting out of the old subbies then we might as well put them in the new one???

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Well its got me confused.
There are subtle differences with the various subframes but if the "old" ones are physically the same as the "new" subframes, then clean the "new" subframes, replace all the rubbers and other worn components, paint them and install them into the body.

Some wording worried me though. The minds eye picture of lifting the body onto the subframes in particular. Swap one subframe at a time, doesn't matter which one first but do one at a time. Pay attention to the detail and get it all bolted up and all the connecting done (brake lines etc). Then do the other subframe.

Despite what the manuals suggest, the bodies are heavy, awkward and things get damaged and broken when tired frustrated bodies struggle with things that just dont seem to line up first go.

I personally prefer to fit the front subframe without the motor and then drop the motor into once its fitted. I have never had the manpower to do it the other way and its been a horrendous exercise struggling and although I have actually learnt french while trying *s*.

In everything you do Safety is upmost ! ! ! ! ! !
What do other think ??????

There's a little confusion coming in here......let's say Dylans old car - red - and his new one - white. So what we are planning is dropping all 4 subframes and moving the white body on to the red subframes (or to do it safely, move the 'red' subframes to the white car). Doing things this way will be a whole lot less stuffing about with brakes and so on - or so I'm told.

I'm also confused now tho. coz as far as I know the 'white' subframes have not been freshly painted etc. I'll have a look today!!!!

Anyway, having never removed/replaced subframes before, how much of a bugger of a job is this going to be??? More than likely, the nuts and bolts are all going to be 'stuck' after god knows how many years.

Cheers

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Rod
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Rodney/

Its a whole lot easier to get the subframes out than it is to get them back in but its really not complex.

Like I said earlier do one end at a time. Start with the rear - even if you have both minis side by side. Do it when you have plenty of time and dont be racing to finish it some one of the cars can be driven to work or something similar. Jack the car right up high and secularly support it. Put a couple of wheels and tyres under the body, then get out and give the body a good shake to make really sure its not going to slip or fall.

It will kill you if it falls on you - do not use logs, bricks as supports. Use only proper stands.

There is only a half dozen or so bolts holding the subframe to the body - find them in the manual and then on the car. Give them all a clean with a wire brush and a very liberal soak with WD40. Then have a leisurely cup of coffee.

Coffee's over, disconnect all the brake lines (before you do this - undo the brake master cylinder cap - place a film of clingwrap over the opening and put the cap back on - this will stop all the fluid dripping out hopefully.) and handbrake cables. Put a trolley jack (or similar) under the car and support the subrame with lengths of solid timber on the trolley jack so the subframe cannot fall suddenly. Undo the bolts, lower the subframe on the trolley jack and remove it backwards from under the car.

Putting the other one in is just the reverse of the above procedure.

The front is a bit different and I will describe that at a later stage.

Cheers Mike - last week (before I had more than a two minute look at the white car) we had thoughts of getting the car on the road within 4 or 5 days of working on it, but that's not going to happen now. There's a lot of work that it needs but Thanks for your help there. These subbies can't be too hard - think maybe I'm shy too and a bit scarred of something I've never tried before.

Cheers

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Rod
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Rodney/

ok so we had a look at the subframes in the new car today, they are very tidy! so i'm thinking if we are going to have to get everything off the old subframes to clean them up we might as well put everything onto the new ones??? seems logical to me!

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Again confused.
lets just summerise it by saying that clean and tidy is a small part of the issue. Provided the subframes are not bent, warped or rusted out, what you are after is having all the bits and bobs that hang off it having the rubbers, bushes, ball joints, pivot pins etc all in good shape so the suspension works the way it should.

It doesn' t matter which subframe you restore.

sorry...hope i can relieve your confusion. the subframes in the new car appear NEW to me. the front one in my current car that i drive is possiblyy twisted from the accident. so the ones in the white car are already restored, so is it a simple case of changing over or renewing parts into the new subframe?

or can you not assume that it is straight?

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

No you cant assume that because its clean and painted thats its square. Most of the manuals give you the measurements and procedures to check for squareness. Not a bit job once the subframe is out on the ground.

However, bear in mind that there is degrees of "out of square" - way out is a disaster and will directly affect the cars handling. A little bit out would be bearly noticeable in all but all out racing. Weigh that up before you do anything drastic.

A good set of rubbers and a thoughtful wheel alaignment will cover heaps of faults very adequately.

well theres no way i'll be racing in it...we'll get the manual out when we get the car home and have a good old squizz with a set square etc...cheers mike you have been a big big help so far!

PS socceroos robbed!

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Okay - now to the front subframe.
First of all you have to jack the car up on jack stands to disconnect the gear change mechanism and to undo the tie rod ends by removing them from the steering arms on the hubs. Use a ball joint splitter. Then you undo the shock absorbers from the body.

While the car is in the air, also undo the four nuts and bolts that hold the tail of the subframe to the floor. Use a good quality socket and spanner and these nuts and bolts are very easy to round and then it becomes a frustrating job.

Then put the car back opn the ground (with its wheels on) and start disconnecting all the things that attach the engine to the body. Disconnect the battery and then start removing the wiring from the engine. While your doing that reach down and make sure the main harness is not going to foul and be damaged when the subrame is dropped. Undo the clutch master cylinder and swing it out of the way. The same with the engine steady devices, undo them and get them out of the way. Discconnect the fuel lines, choke and accelerator cables. Disconnect the exhaust flange. and disconnect the earth strap from the gearbox cover to the body. Disconnect anything else i have forgetten to mention.

Now, get a bloody big slab of wood to stick under the sump so that the power plant will not tip over either forward or backwards. Undo the bolts that hold the subframe towers to the body (there should be four) and then undo the two bolts in the front of the subframe.

Get your army of friends and simply lift the front of the body - it may need a bit of a jiggle to get the subframe to loosen but it will. Take it steady and check that nothing is still connected or impeding the lift. Lift the front of the body over and free of the powerplant and the subframe. Walk it backwards (YOU MUST HAVE THE REAR SUBFRAME AND FITTED TO DO THIS) and rest it down on some tires so the shell is not being damaged.

Thats the subframe out !!!! Putting it back is a reverse of that but i personally find it easier to drop the subframe away from the engine and fit the subframe without the engine. I then drop the engine in later. I do this because I am mostly working by myself with only my wife as a labour source.

cheers