Hi all,

So the new suspension kit was installed on the mini by my mechanic (I was not doing this myself!)

Set up the ride height and that's alright, dropped a little when it started to settle ect and raised the height back up.

My question is . Are new cones abnormally soft when new? I've got the ride height at the back at about a 3 finger gap each side, which isn't low loookingat all, however if I go over any kind of bump or even go round a corner fast enough, the tyre will hit my flares. I didn't want to raise the height much more or else it'll look ridiculous, but is this normal? Will it get better when they really settle in?

Especially people who installed the Mini Sport Smootha Ride Kit, would really appreciate some advice guys!

Cheers
James

EDIT:: when I had two passengers in the back the other day. The wheels were basically sitting on the flares (couldnt drive it without adjusting) this was from the above stated 3 fingers gap. Seems a lot to drop?

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Fit some competition bump stops to the rear trailing arms to stop the tyres hitting the flares/guard. I also like to cut about 8-10mm off the new bump stop before fitting.

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"Investing my Super in a Cooper" &
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Thanks Aussie Brian,

do you mean these?

http://minisport.com.au/pair-of-competi ... bump-stops

It says that they are for Hydro cars, do they fit dry as well? If they do fit, is there any mods needed to fit them?

It seems odd though, I never had issues with my old cones bottoming out at the rear

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They can be fitted to dry cars, I have done some in the past.
You need to drill & tap a thread in top of the arm, also move the brake pipe away from the top of arm and secure with a hose clamp or similar.
[edit] Fitting instructions for a dry car are in the kit.

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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.

IMHO you need to raise the ride height. Smooth-a-rides are soft ... they're meant to be in order to provide a cushier ride - which means more movement ....

Setting things up to basically run on the bump stops is just negating the reason for fitting the softer cones.... actually its more like several steps in the wrong direction. Bump stops are there to stop bad things happening as a last resort. Hitting the bump stops half way through a corner will cause a huge spike in the spring rate ....... with nasty consequences.....

Cheers, Ian

I'd agree with adding some height to get some decent suspension travel.. The kit comes with "comprehensive instructions", did they specify a ride height for best performance/ride?

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/\ This.

The cones are progressive rate springs, the more they travel the harder they get. (a brilliant concept)
Let the cone do its job.

I have the smootha ride kit and car has been on the road for 3+ years now. It took about 6 months to settle down where I then raised it a bit. Been stable in height since then.
Much better ride than my Hydro Cooper S and I probably have the height set a bit higher than 3 fingers as I have a body kit and large muffler which are very close to the ground.

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

Thank you everyone for your replies,



The 'Comprehensive instructions' are a bit of a joke., "remove old cones, install new SMOOTHA RIDE CONES' 'Drive 50km' 'Readjust accordingly'. Don't really specify a ride height as such


This is the current height of the rear:



I'm worried if I raise it much more, it'll start to look a bit funny.

If I do raise the height on the hilo a bit, will the cones eventually settle to a nice height, but still utilise the cones properly?

Cheers
James

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The cone itself will not change when you adjust the Hilo all the Hilo will do is adjust ride height. No more no less the cone is independent of the Hilo if you get whit I mean

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It's all a compromise, if you want a smooth supple ride you have to increase your ride height so the cones can work as intended. If you want track day handling and looks, then you will get a harsh ride on the street. The smoother ride cones are not supposed to be that low.

The height of a hi-Lo will not change the way the cone works but it will define how soon it will rub on the gaurds

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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".