Mini rubber front suspension in a Mk 3

[DavidL]

Has anyone done this? I have had a bit of a look around the forum but couldn't find any mention.

Is it a daft idea? It's been a long time since I looked at a Metro subframe.

Would it be a practical conversion? Would it be worth trying? I'm curious...

[johnnyfixit]

is this going backwards instead of forwards

[DavidL]

is this going backwards instead of forwards

Well, I dunno. My Bronze had the Mini rubber suspension of course, but I haven't driven, or passengered in, a Gold (although I did have a Metro once), so I don't know how the ride compares. I accept that the Gold is heavier so that might be a problem, but then so was the original Mini Clubman and as far as I know, it used the same rubber cones as the standard Mini.

I've seen some of the posts about fitting coilovers in place of the hydrogas units, and words of warning about the future unavailability of hydrogas units, so it just seemed a reasonable question to ask.

[Stuart]

I think a set of new cones would work well, I thought about it at one point as I preferred the ride in my mk2 compared with my harsh riding mk3. It also looks like it may even be an almost bolt in job.

[DavidL]

I think a set of new cones would work well, I thought about it at one point as I preferred the ride in my mk2 compared with my harsh riding mk3. It also looks like it may even be an almost bolt in job.

Well, given that the shape and size of hydragas units isn't that far away from rubber cones, that makes me think that I surely can't be the first person to have thought of this.

...which led back to the questions I originally posed.

I'm not afraid to ask daft questions, me.

[Hans Efde]

How long do these rubber cones last? I imagine the rubber getting hard and brittle in rather short time. Or am I wrong? If I am what then was the reason they got rid of these things if they are better than hydragas?

[Stuart]

A lot of places say around 30,000 miles for rubber cones, I guess age must have an effect too

[DavidL]

Possibly not a good example, but I did about 80K miles in my Bronze on one pair of rubber cones. And I didn't buy them new. The only thing I could say about their condition when I sold the car was that they'd never been the cause of an MoT failure.

[manifold]

its all relative to the weight of car, type of use and external conditions...rubber being perishable. some will last longer than others. my guess is in the south, where its warmer and drier, they wont last as long.