EDIT by 9YaTaH: Mini Mad...apologies...I cut and pasted your stuff and somehow went into Moderator mode...Man
wheres the Krytonite when you need it
Simply...as changed by 9YaTaH
All three types have CV's on the wheel end..
Gearbox end you have..
Hardy Spicer all steel Universal joints.....which are the cross and u bolts thing and were originally fitted to a lot of Coopers
and
Another type of cross type/U bolted joint that isn't as strong but more common....each end has a nylon thingamy which has a needle roller bearing inside and a groove on the outside to take the U Bolts
and
pot joints..which are another type of Constant Velocity joint involving ball bearings running in there own grooves...they look like a horizontal cylinder with an open end where the splined driveshaft slides in with a circlip to locate it on the gearbox output shafts
Hardy & spicer rob you of more horsepower, but are easier to work with......can't comment on that...the difference must be small....but Pot Joints are more direct drive....Pot joints transfer more power to the wheels...OK
but they are a pain in the ass to work with by yourself......Huh!! no harder than a lot of othyer things on a Mini.....just have to do your homework
If you use U Bolts, trial fit the U Bolt first, it may need slight re shaping by bringing the threaded end closer or further apart....use new nyloc nuts....