So I finally finished up the rear end, which is a longer story than I'd like it to be. But here goes...

The drivers side was the horror story with the the ground away bearing. I checked the hole on the arm, and though it wasn't ovalized it did have some wavy marks left behind from where the needles were digging in for who knows how long. I made the decision to push on and continue using it, because it really didn't seem that bad. I took my time with my first ever reaming job on the passenger side, and it sure is hard work! Sitting on the floor of my garage with the arm between my legs didn't much help. Overall I am quite pleased with the job. There is the slightest bit of play in the bush side (maybe 1/4mm), but I reckon with some grease in there it will be perfect. The pin is a bit tight when I push it in, I imagine they aren't lined up quite as perfectly as I'd like. I can't turn the pin by hand, but throw two nuts on one side and it all spins relatively easy. I think 50km will wear it in nicely and it'll be good as it ever was.

The drivers side however, well the reaming went to plan and I was satisfied with the job. But trying to push the pin through proved more challenging. I removed the pin and decided to push it through from the bearing end, just to see if I had alignment issues. As soon as it got to the rear of the journal I heard a 'pop' - one of the needles had escaped. I grabbed a hacksaw blade and patiently removed the bearing, hoping to save my reaming job and just replace the bearing. Once removed I took the arm down to MinisPlus for an expert opinion - and whilst Lindsay agreed it didn't look too bad, he sorted me out with 1/2 a Rover subframe for $60 and I was on my way.

I got home and removed the new arm from the subframe, and upon investigation the used arm, pin and bush all looked to be in excellent condition. I was staring at a brand new rear arm rebuild kit, but decided I'd better cut my losses, clean and lube the new arm, and move on with my merry life.

Quite the adventure! As it sits right now the entire rear end is back together. New drivers rear arm, new pin, bush and bearing on the passenger side, two new SS brake lines, and of course, fresh rubber donuts and shiny shockers.

Starting tonight it's onto the front. I've got all 4 of my new balljoints lightly lapped in. Tonight I remove the passenger hub and balljoints and start putting it all back together. Oh yeah, and I decided to buy rebuild kits for the front upper arms as well. Because, well, I've replaced everything else...

So! Install and adjust balljoints, install new donut, install upper arm with new pin/bearings, install new adjustable lower arm, install hub, connect upper arm, lower arm, shocker, tie bar. Repeat. Install new radiator hoses, new thermostat gasket. Install radiator and shroud. Replace engine mount bolts. Bleed brakes, bleed cooling system, adjust height (leaving it all a little higher than I'd like), do alignment with a string and ruler. Easy peezy - should be done by dinner.

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

Good job Bkozan. After a few uses of the reamer you may develop a deft hand at it without the guide. It will still come good, it just needs the addition of the guide and one final pass of the reamer at the last setting.

I suppose this is where the guide would have been helpful. It keeps the cut parallel to the axis.

However the best is that you did crack on, and came up with a solution.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

Oh the joys. The top arm bearings aren't completely knackered, but they're far enough gone that I'd like to replace them while I'm on this (never ending) job. I've dremel'd two channels in one bearing, and went to town with a hammer and screwdriver - my screwdriver lost the battle.




I'm not enthused about any of the options found in this thread either.
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/in ... m++bearing

I'm ringing MinisPlus in the morning to see if removing top arm bearings is still part of their catalog. But I'm curious - is this a real tool or is this guy just some sort of mini wizard with bad taste in music?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ralN9XdCdQk

Anybody had success with this type?
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-jaw-pilo ... -4876.html

Lastly, the track rod end on the steering rack doesn't seem to be a replaceable ball joint. If one of these is dried out and dead, the only solution is to purchase a new one?

Thanks guys.

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

It will come. Dremel the outer cage until you just barely make it through to the casting then stop. Ensure this is true for entire width of the race. You only need one cut, not two.

Trust me in that is will all but fall out by its own gravity after this.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

But how do I get to the inside reaches of the bearing? The dremel cutting disc, while small, is still a larger OD than the arm. I went at it with a 32 tooth hacksaw blade for about 5 minutes and it barely scuffed the inside edge.

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

I made a tool to remove idler gear bearings, it would also remove top arm ones. It is a bush copy of the BMC tool.
Note the O-ring is just for storage.

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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.

That tool is brilliant Doc, exactly what I was imagining would be readily available in a range of sizes.

My biggest issue so far in this entire project, is the lack of a vise. I was ready to buy one, but my neighbor teased me with a free one from his storage warehouse. I've waited and waited, though I probably should have just ponied up already. I ended up using the bench in his backyard. Once I had the parts in the vise, a decent screwdriver and a big hammer drilled all 4 out with relative ease.

I installed the new balljoints on the hubs, and though this was a finicky job it worked out alright. I've left them so they are pretty damn tough to move with your hands, but put a 4" piece of pipe on there and they move around alright. They feel a bit tight to me, but I have no doubt they will wear in quickly and be just right. The 4th one I had a bit of a struggle with. No matter what I did with shims, it had an insanely tight spot at straight up/down, but put it at any angle and it would flop around loosely. I first attempted to lap it in a bit more aggressively, but this didn't do it. In the end I swapped out the seat for an old one in pretty good nick, re-lapped it all together, and it seems good to go.

I've pressed in the new bearings to the top arms, and I'm looking at clean, shiny hubs and top arms ready for installation. After lunch.

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

Also - ProTip from Ben - I cut the edges off the old locktabs, leaving me with a 0.9mm shim. This worked beautifully meaning I only needed a shim or two for each joint. If anyone is ever short some shims, I've got a very large stack and would be happy to throw 'em in the mail for ya.

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

Details & dimensions of that tool I made are in the how-to forum, if anybody wants to make one.
(There is also details of another to pull the outrigger bearing outer ring from the flywheel housing)

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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.

That tool of docs is rather sweet, but for your question, don't use a cutting disc. In the little kit you got with the dremel will be a few small grinding stones and the like. Use these.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

Yeah, I always wonder what the intended purpose of those various tiny tips. I did try for a while with a metal burr looking tip, but it didn't make any good progress and I scrapped the idea. I didn't try the stones, wasn't sure if they were for de-burring / light touch-up work. I guess they'll hold up for some grinding of bearings! Next time.

I'm about to go find out now. One of the HD lower arms doesn't quite clear the bottom of the subframe, and I can't get the wobbly pin through. I'm gonna try to the stone to grind away a bit of the casting on the arm (1mm or so)

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

Car is on the ground!!

All that is left is tightening of the castle nuts on the front wheels, bleeding the brakes, and then a slow, very, very slow test drive around the block to see how far off the alignment feels. After lunch.

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

Job's a good'n!

All seems well in my world again. I put about 40km on her last night, and my string alignment doesn't feel too far off. Drives relatively straight, though it definitely turns right a lot quicker than left. The steering is a bit heavier than it was when I started, I put this down to the new balljoints being installed a tad stiffer than I may have wanted. I'm hoping they will wear in a bit over the first 100km's, and Mini will be right as rain. I haven't had anything to worry me yet - no noises, squeaks or looseness. No leaks form the cooling system or brakes, and overall I'm pretty happy with the job.

Though it seemed quite 'doom and gloom' a couple times throughout the project, thanks to the nice few blokes on here that egged me on to keep at it, and the ones who lent me tools to get it done. I've learned more than I could have imagined, and am very happy to know that I've got all these shiny new top-notch components under me.

Last order of business - I've booked in next Monday for a proper alignment with who I'm told is the guru of Mini suspension setups, Craig Robinson out in Kilsyth. Once that's done, I'll be settling into routine track days! Again, thanks for everyone on here and the absolute wealth of knowledge available. I wouldn't have attempted this job without ya's. And a BIG thanks to Lindsay and Ben at MinisPlus - Masters of the Mini.

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

Brian - If that's your attempt at parking safely on the side of the road I'd say the wheel alignment next Monday is not just important, it's essential.

Seriously, well done on persevering when things got difficult. Looks like a great outcome overall.

And thanks for sharing the good and bad of the journey with other enthusiasts.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43

So, back at it. I thought I'd resurrect this thread instead of starting a new one.

Last week I sadly experienced the demise of a lower ball joint. <moment of silence>
This week I am trying to determine the cause of death. I removed both hubs, and here's the information I've got. Hopefully someone can tell me what's wrong.

When I assembled all 4 joints they were very tight. Mostly impossible to move with your bare hands, but smoothly mobile with a short piece of tubing attached. I assumed they would work themselves in and would be perfect. Almost 2 months and 4,000km later and here's the synopsis. Both TOP joints are smooth and move freely in all the correct directions. They have about as much resistance as a play station joystick. The surviving BOTTOM ball joint is moveable with my hands, but it is very "chunky". Go -Stop -Go -Stop. I figured with the springs in the bottom they would be a bit stiffer, but I can't come up with a good reason why they would be so non-uniform in their movement.

I'm going to go hunt down a vise now and open them up. See what it looks like inside. Any thoughts?

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