I was just talking with a local Mini racer and he suggested the same thing. Straps. Attach to the shock mounts. SO MUCH EASIER!! Haha.

The limit strap idea seems the way to go for me... I got a pair of these:

//www.spridgetmania.com/part/AHH5081/Strap-Rebound-Rear-diiferential--74-Sprite--Midget

It would be easy enough to attach to the shock mounts to 'help' the shocks limit the suspension

bigger sway bar

I finally got around to really looking into this on my car. I had orded a set of hydro rear bumpstops that I was hoping to use in place of where the hydro droop stop bumper thing would go on the subframe. Even in 1994, the subframe still has both holes for them:-)

Well, it didnt work. The Spax lowered shocks still bottom out with the bumpstop in place. I think I would need to add an inch or more to the bump to get it to work. The runbber is soft and has give so thats not helping. I am honestly thinking of making a nice block of wood instead. One with a locating pin and recessed botl hole that fits in place with the original holes. I'll let you know what size I end up with.

The whole reason I started this was because I was tired of my suspension height being controlled by the droop/suspension going slack. I am about to install new cones (comp/rally units) as well as going from A048s to A539 and i bet I will not have the same issue with the car being set so low. Still, there seems to be a lot of travel at the rear that isnt really doing anything

I toyed with limiting straps for a couple years. But then I got my setup just right for the 13's that I didn't need one. Now that I'm going with 10's, maybe I'll have to consider them again.

They are used mostly offroad where full droop situations abound, but for the dedicated race cars, it's not necessarily uncommon.

Yeah, but I am not convinced that those will work with lowered cars. That is way I am going to try to create something.

Does anyone have the thickness on those though? Maybe also the size of the original bump stops as well as they share the same base. Maybe one could use the bump stop in place of the rebound buffer on lowered cars.

The rubber to use on the subframe as a droop stop on a rubber suspension car is the "rebound buffer" 21A1517. You "only" need to position it so that it "meets" the trailing arm "lever" on droop and find a way to secure it in place. Not that easy with the subframe and trailing arm still installed... 

And of course, it only works with serviceable rubber springs which are not hardened from age and "flat" like donuts...

//www.minimania.com/part/21A1517/Buffer-Rebound-Rear-Hydrolastic-Mini-Cooper

Cheers, Diddi

Terry if you mean the big round ones that go on the shock bolts, I just put those on.   Have beaten them up suitably on skyline rd. for the last week and they do the job a ton better than the little stock ones.  Only a couple tire rubs even though I'm fully lowered, so I'm very happy.  I'm ordering the rear ones now too.

A few guys here suggested cutting 1/2" off the top, but in retrospect I would wait on that.

The strap method idea seems a workable solution.

It could even be a cable as most of us will not put the stress on full droop like 4WD.

I never understood why when lifting the rear of the wagons, one would disengage the trumpet.

Now that I realize the shock is the limiter, it makes sense as I have two differnt types of shocks on the two cars.

Anyone have any photos of the front hydolastic bump stops installed?

Terry

Basically the same idea as the axle straps on MGs

I actually thought about that very same thing. You could bolt one to the end of the bottom shock mount and then drill a hole maybe in the arch lip.

In offroad we have something called a Limit Strap.  Available in any length, they're a light and quiet fix for this issue.

Right. Those are the stock bump stops from a wet setup and in the correct location. We are talking (although a bit back and forth) about rebound buffers to keep the suspension from dropping too far.

On that, i have to assume that rear Mini shocks have to be designed to act as stops internally. Seems a little harsh though. Then again, I am not sure your average Mini driver is going airborn that often...mine seems to a lot:-)

Image Gallery

These are on my Half-Elf trailer, so might look a little weird, but they're in the stock locations on the hydro arms. Notice the welded on pad where they hit the body.

I'd like to know that as well. Remember though, they were designed for a stock ride height and hydro bags. Not even sure if they would have even worked on, say a stock 1964 dry setup. All comes down to the total length of the shocks.

These are exactly the same as the wet bump stops in it base shape, just flatter shaping to the rubber. Both have a small locating dowel in the center of the back as well to keep them in place.

I wonder what the size of the original is?

The shape is similar to a rubber front subframe front mount.

That diagram shows it perfectly. The rebound buffer (droop stopper) is bolted to the subframe. It is located directly in front of where the knuckle joint flange on the radius arm sit. As the suspension lowers, that knuckle joint flange gets closer and closer to the front of the subframe, where the buffer is. How close it gets all depends on what type of shock you have and what its fully-open length is. For the Gaz lowered shock, it looks like I need a 1.375" (or a touch larger to make up from flex) piece of something to keep my shocks from reaching their fully open position.

I have those taller front rebound buffers installed so it will be nice to have something similar for the rear.

Yes, the bump stops are easy to add. I added a set of S-Racer to our sedan and will consider adding them to the wagons.

But I am having a hard time visualizing the rear droop stops in place, like how they bolt on

I guess rebound buffer is the correct term

Yeah, that is what I am planning. I want to find a chunck of poly in that thickness. Something like this. Its for a Jeep and measures 1.875 x 5" and is 1.75" tall. I'll have to actually measure the subframe but I figure something like this, with the one tab cut off and a bit saved off could work a treat.

If you can get a 1.375" long socket in there, why not a chunk of hard(ish) rubber like old tire tread, fastened through the hole you mention? Or maybe a bump stop shimmed to the correct height?