[Lucky Dave]

Following 28,000 miles of use my front lower wishbone bushes were very slack!

You can see how worn yours are by using a bar or wheel brace to tighten your front wheel nuts, if the wheel has ANY forward or backward movement then you are going to get a sloppy ride!

I opted for the Superflex type as the have a steel body which I pressed into the cars bush mount.

The drive is totaly transformed, the car has so much turn in its better than the day it was new!

By far this has to be the best suspension mod you can make! Its a must if you are running lowered as the stock oil filled bushes are located to work at a specific angle that they are installed at.

Also a big thanks to the guys at 1320 who spotted the problem while trying to get the mini to sit in the rollers, and lucky for me they had some in stock!

A great product

[oldnell]

On a related note, my previous car (an M reg Ford Fiesta) had problems with bushes.

I wasn't going for performance parts or anything -- I just wanted it fixed at least cost. I was told that it was cheaper to replace the entire wishbone (which came with bushes fitted) than it was to replace just the bushes, as the labour costs involved with the latter was high.

From posts I've read here, nobody ever suggests replacing the entire wishbone. Is something different on the MINI? Of course, those who are looking to replace their bushes with third-party ones will have to have the bushes physically removed and inserted, but if I was to replace mine with the stock items would replacing both wishbones in their entirity work out better/cheaper?

Mine's been at my dealers for other work and I've asked them to check suspension, bushes, track rod ends, etc. Both times they told me everything was tight down there.

However, your description of there being forward/backward motion when tightening the wheel nuts matches what happens on my car exactly.

I tried testing the bushes by trying to lever between the fixed part and the wishbone right near the bushes and there was no movement at all. Physically they look OK, but on the offside front if you rub the rubber, it is starting to perish.

On the front wheels, I was never sure what play was caused by the steering mechanism and what was caused by worn suspension parts.

Thanks for any help. I've ben planning to take the car down to GTT, but it's quite a drive from me. My parents are about 40 miles away, so I could incorporate a visit but I doubt my folks would want to do an 80 mile round trip to pick me up and take me back.

Oli

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by oldnell (original)

On a related note, my previous car (an M reg Ford Fiesta) had problems with bushes.

I wasn't going for performance parts or anything -- I just wanted it fixed at least cost. I was told that it was cheaper to replace the entire wishbone (which came with bushes fitted) than it was to replace just the bushes, as the labour costs involved with the latter was high.

From posts I've read here, nobody ever suggests replacing the entire wishbone. Is something different on the MINI? Of course, those who are looking to replace their bushes with third-party ones will have to have the bushes physically removed and inserted, but if I was to replace mine with the stock items would replacing both wishbones in their entirity work out better/cheaper?

Mine's been at my dealers for other work and I've asked them to check suspension, bushes, track rod ends, etc. Both times they told me everything was tight down there.

On some cars like the old fiesta the bushes (sometimes ball-joints also) are Incorporated in to the wish-bone, so it can be cheaper to buy a replacement wish-bone, rather than buy worn out bushes / ball-joints and have them replaced, complete wish-bone replacement may also be able to be done DIY, replacement of bushes needs a press (specialised equipment) or a lot of hard work & ingenuity, sometimes putting it out of the hands of a DIY job, .

On MINIs the wish-bones are a totally separate item and unless they are damaged in some way shouldn't need changing.

Changing both wish-bone bushes on MINIs is cheaper (in the long run) to do them both (1 each side), because to remove the complete unit (bush & housing) means dropping the front sub-frame (unless there is a tool out there that lets you remove just the bush in situ? If you can buy just the bush).

In theory, if doing certain suspension components you're supposed to do both sides at the same time anyway (not always done), ie. safety / false economy.

Quote: Originally Posted by oldnell (original)

However, your description of there being forward/backward motion when tightening the wheel nuts matches what happens on my car exactly.

On the front wheels, I was never sure what play was caused by the steering mechanism and what was caused by worn suspension parts.


Oli

Various worn out / loose parts could cause your problem (ball-joints / bushes / track-rod ends), and should have been picked up on a check up by someone who knows what they are looking for.

If you take your car to someone who knows MINIs as I said they may even be able to change the wish-bone bushes in situ without removing the bush housing saving dropping the sub-frame, I may be wrong .

[cristo]

The bushing itself is about $35 USD, the bushing with the bracket it's pressed into is about
$40 (and therefore worth getting instead of the bushing itself as it needs to be pressed into
the bracket after pressing the old one out. you still have to press either one off and onto the
end of the control arm.)
The control arms are about $155 and I don't think they include the bushing.

[oldnell]

Excellent. Thanks, guys, for the info.

One final question. Will replacing the bushes mean that I'll need my wheel alignment done? My dealer, having told me my car drives perfectly normally, suggested getting the wheel alignment done. If I did that, and then replaced the bushes, would I need to get my wheels aligned again?

Oli

[Mike Edwards]

If the problem is worn bushes, a wheel alignment is a waste of money as the wheels will just keep moving around as you drive.

Better to have the alignment and any wear checked by someone who knows what they're doing first. If the bushes are okay, but the alignment is off, then it's worth making changes. If the bushes do need replacing, it's good practise to do an alignment check and adjustment as part of the installation.

[oldnell]

Thanks, Mike. That's as I thought, which is why I didn't take them up on a wheel alignment.

As far as I can tell, the tramlining at motorway speeds could easily be attributed to bad tracking, excessive drifting when on rough roads less so, and excessive trasmission of bumps into steering at low speeds not at all.

Thanks again.

Oli

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by oldnell (original)

Excellent. Thanks, guys, for the info.

One final question. Will replacing the bushes mean that I'll need my wheel alignment done? My dealer, having told me my car drives perfectly normally, suggested getting the wheel alignment done. If I did that, and then replaced the bushes, would I need to get my wheels aligned again?

Oli

Quote: Originally Posted by Mike Edwards (original)

If the problem is worn bushes, a wheel alignment is a waste of money as the wheels will just keep moving around as you drive.

Better to have the alignment and any wear checked by someone who knows what they're doing first. If the bushes are okay, but the alignment is off, then it's worth making changes. If the bushes do need replacing, it's good practise to do an alignment check and adjustment as part of the installation.

100% with Mike Edwards especially "someone who knows what they're doing","it's good practise to do an alignment check and adjustment as part of the installation."

Make sure the garage doing the bushes has the 4 wheel alignment equipment, and knows how to use the equipment they have (easier said than done).

eg. I did some work on the front suspension for MOT (R50, ONE, 2003), that required alignment, as this was the case I changed the rear suspension (as the rear tyres were wearing on the inside edge), earlier R50s don't have any camber adjustment on the rear, R50s approx 2005 do so I replaced it with the later spec .

My friend who has the 4 wheel alignment gear and knows how to use it was on holiday, I needed to get the alignment done ASAP (4 new tyres £100 plus each for MOT, passed 100% after sorting a headlight problem) . So being in the trade went to the local specialist that all the local traders use as they're supposed to be good.

On arrival explained to them what had been done and let them know I knew it needed doing (so I don't get charged when they haven't touched the car). R50, it's a ONE, updated rear suspension adjustable (every thing marked up so I can tell if it's been done ) and rear camber was my biggest concern with the new tyres.

Collected the vehicle they showed me the report (quickly looked at the figures all in green, OK) to say everything was OK, driving home noticed the steering wheel was slightly off (I'll straighten it myself later), then I looked from the back of the vehicle at the rear camber still exactly the same.
ie. / \ , (wearing the inside of tyres) , had a look at the markings I had put on, not budged on rear moved on the front, a closer look at the paper work they had put it down as a R53 ? which will be similar but different, .

Other ½ had to go on holiday in the car (another reason I wanted to get it done), on return said there was a knocking on suspension & the car was wandering a little .

Took the car to my mate with the alignment gear to double check it, the rear suspension had been moved but the camber not done, the front, the drivers side track-rod end was loose the inner ball-joint also loose and not just a little almost undone completely (DANGEROUS!!!) and making the alignment a wast of time. All the components were OK 2 week before for the MOT, only items lose, were what you would have had to undo to do the alignment , rear camber was within tolerances but only just.

Went back to the garage response was.........."Everything was OK when it left us."

Q: Why was everything loose ?..........A: It may have been like that already, we may not have touched it.
Q: Why R53 COOPER S..........A: 17in wheels & spoiler (looks sportier than a ONE / COOPER).
Q: Why has rear camber not been done..........A: 2003 not adjustable according to our info. Didn't need it tyres are OK.
Q: Money back..........A: We will do it again for you.
Reply: I don't think so.

Back to the 1st post.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lucky Dave (original)

I opted for the Superflex type as the have a steel body which I pressed into the cars bush mount.

The drive is totaly transformed, the car has so much turn in its better than the day it was new!

By far this has to be the best suspension mod you can make! Its a must if you are running lowered as the stock oil filled bushes are located to work at a specific angle that they are installed at.

Thats why MINI racers and anybody serious about handling change all the bushes on their cars .

[oldnell]

Great post, Randall. I was wondering about the rear suspension.

In the summer I replaced my wheels and shortly after had alignment done at a tyre fitters (after phoning round endlessly for someone who at least said they had the required weights to do a MINI). Prior to that, I had the following wear on my tyres

o o x


o x o x

Where o is a tyre and x denotes shoulder wear on that side of the tyre.

I've not noticed abnormal wear since, but I wonder if I should do what you did and get the later rear suspension parts. The rear seems to go wide slightly if I take a rough corner at speed.

Oli

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by oldnell (original)

Great post, Randall. I was wondering about the rear suspension.

In the summer I replaced my wheels and shortly after had alignment done at a tyre fitters (after phoning round endlessly for someone who at least said they had the required weights to do a MINI). Prior to that, I had the following wear on my tyres

o o x


o x o x

Where o is a tyre and x denotes shoulder wear on that side of the tyre.

I've not noticed abnormal wear since, but I wonder if I should do what you did and get the later rear suspension parts. The rear seems to go wide slightly if I take a rough corner at speed.

Oli

Thanks!.... You don't need to change the complete suspension, you can get adjustable rear bushes for the lower rear arms from MINI performance stores, and if you were thinking of getting the fronts done as well, it could cost you quite a bit, especially if you add on the wheel alignment but it would be worth doing it all at once to save on alignment costs (don't have to do it twice), I only changed mine because I've noticed over the years plenty of MINIs with wear on the rear tyres (due to wheel upgrades, lowering & just not being adjustable), obviously MINI have realised it as well and changed the rear suspension on the later R50s R52s R53s they have changed the rear trailing arms so it's not a simple job to do (requiring changing a few components depending on the year of car), I only changed mine because I was doing a few other jobs (front suspension & tyres, full service etc...), and I had some ( later trailing arms), other wise I would have done the adjustable bushes plus I do all the labour myself (making sure it's done correctly ).

I believe if the alignment is done correctly it's well worth the money and done correctly it can save you money (tyres etc... etc...), done wrong your initial money is down the drain and it can still cost you in tyres (run-flats ain't cheap), whoever does the job needs to know what he is doing as not only does all your suspension components need to be in perfect condition (ball-joints, track-rod ends bushes, wheel bearings etc... etc...), as you say the car should be weighted correctly tyre pressures done etc... etc... (your wheel bearing may be worth checking as it's a common problem on MINIs & can cause tyre wear ).

Now mines done correctly it drives & handles "MINT" (like a go-kart ) and I couldn't have more even wear, the only downside to that is, I change the tyres around, and when they need replacing they all need doing .

[Damo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lucky Dave (original)

Following 28,000 miles of use my front lower wishbone bushes were very slack!

You can see how worn yours are by using a bar or wheel brace to tighten your front wheel nuts, if the wheel has ANY forward or backward movement then you are going to get a sloppy ride!

I opted for the Superflex type as the have a steel body which I pressed into the cars bush mount.

The drive is totaly transformed, the car has so much turn in its better than the day it was new!

By far this has to be the best suspension mod you can make! Its a must if you are running lowered as the stock oil filled bushes are located to work at a specific angle that they are installed at.

Also a big thanks to the guys at 1320 who spotted the problem while trying to get the mini to sit in the rollers, and lucky for me they had some in stock!

A great product

How much did it set you back inc fitting?

[Lucky Dave]

I fitted them myself! Im lucky to have a workshop with all the right tools!

[Damo]

Big job, if its the part I'm thinking off thinking it is (Spent 7 hours doing the front anti roll bar on a drive!)

[k-huevo]

Here’s a how to for the front wishbone bushings Lone Star Mini Club Forums - Front Control Arm Bushing Install . There is also a link for replacing the bushing while on the vehicle. Rear trailing arm bushings are much easier to replace. While the “for and aft” test on the front wheel is valid if there is a lot of movement, minor movement is normal. In my case I could grab the control arm near the pivot point and move it by hand. I was under an MCS this weekend and a bushing tear was visible from the rear but not from the front.

The first time I replaced the bushings I discovered two bad ball joints so I replaced all at the same time; that’s not difficult with the control arms off the vehicle.


These bushings are wear items and they can wear quickly. With normal urban driving they can last 50,000 miles more or less, I’ve had one fail in less than 12,000 miles under hard use. I still prefer the rubber bushings over poly and the install goes much quicker with practice.

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by Randall Raines (original)

Changing both wish-bone bushes on MINIs is cheaper (in the long run) to do them both (1 each side), because to remove the complete unit (bush & housing) means dropping the front sub-frame (unless there is a tool out there that lets you remove just the bush in situ? If you can buy just the bush).

That's the tool.

Thanks! k-huevo

[k-huevo]

Notice the oil stain on the bottom of the bracket, most likely that was the bushing’s internal fluid and is indicative of impending failure or after the failure fact. That tool is functional without dropping the subframe if the rear disc mates correctly, it worked the first time I used it with the subframe in place, but for the second bushing the disc slipped inside the bushing sleeve effectively creating a rivet. From then on it required a washer between the disc and sleeve to start, then after the bond was broken and sleeve slid flush with the bracket, the washer is removed and the disc could be turned around and used as intended. With the washer as a work around assist the tool could no longer do the job without lowering the subframe at least a few inches.

[Jaw_F430]

Hi all

Having been to 1320 autos they have made me aware that my front wishbone bushes are quite worn and they also tell me that this can be done under warranty. Has anyone has this done under warranty? Are BMW aware of this or will if be quite hard to get them to change them?


Regrads


James

[B1ANK]

Hi all,

I need some advice, the bushes need replacing in my Mini OneD, after 43,000 miles it feels rather sloppy... I have standard 15inch wheels and as I live in London I crave comfort rather than ultra hard suspension.

BMW have quoted me £410 plus vat for the front bushes and a wheel alinement, does it need one after this work or is it a way to make a bit more cash?

Lohen do a whole package both front and rear from powerflex and I have also seen a company called 1320 Autos...

Don't want a harsh ride but do want sharp steering returned!

And I would like to keep the cost down as this month has been expensive with tax, insurance and an xl tlc service pack!!!

Any ideas on the types of packages and costs?

[Damo]

Lohen did my Alta PSRS bushes for £188 fitted. As the superflex bushs are only £50-£60 your talking about £250 all in with them

[Lucky Dave]

If you can get superflex bushes for £60 then I will take 100 please!

I think you are thinking Powerflex?