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Use this handy troubleshooting guide to assess problems with your classic mini. Bad starting, fuel system, steering, suspension & transmission.

This is one of those subjects viewed as a ‘black art’, largely because of lack of understanding and confusion. The confusion part is because folk encompass the whole suspension set-up deal with suspension arrangement and design, lack of understanding instilling terror at the thought of ‘fiddling’ with the suspension components.

The principle behind a sway bar is to achieve a ‘balance’ to the car, front to rear, such that when we turn at our chosen speed we can maintain control of the car. As a Mini Cooper will naturally understeer in order to get closer to a balance, we either have to decrease the understeer or INCREASE oversteer.

These rods have been produced to improve car stability when cornering and braking and to facilitate easy adjustment of caster angle. Manufactured from a high-grade material in a much larger diameter than the standard items they are far less susceptible to bending - both in use and where poor workshop practice is observed. The most common fault here is jacking the car up with a trolley jack sitting the cup up against the forward tie-rod mounting bracket on the front subframe. As the wheel droops, the tie-rod becomes bound hard up against the jack cup, the sheer force of the un-loading rubber spring causing the insubstantial standard tie-rod to bend. This effectively shortens the tie-rod, therefore increasing caster angle.

The steady decline of readily available hydrolastic displacer units has prompted an escalation in the number of folk asking how to go about swopping from hydrolastic (‘wet’)

A surprising number of racers still avoid dealing with them, as with geometry in general they're seen as another 'black art'. Not at all alleviated by the sight of the well-to-do single seater teams producing computer controlled, highly accurate scales to make last minute corner weight adjustments or slipping wafer-thin shims in between steering arms and hubs.

The Mini has consistently more than proven its capability in competition with very limited and cost-effective modifications based on the standard equipment fitted.

This bar has been developed to complement those road cars fitted with post 1990 rubber springs. Being the softest compound yet used on the Mini in an attempt to improve comfort, they allow more body roll, thus compromising

The data on this page relates to all Minis unless specified. Major changes to suspension and steering are limited to the introduction of a new steering rack and steering arms for Mk2-on models. Mk2 steering arms have two `ears' to aid in the use of ball joint splitters; this is how they may be differentiated from Mk1 steering arms.

A car has "neutral" steering when while turning in tight circle at moderate speed the car will complete the circle at approximately the same position across the diameter of the circle. A car has "understeer" when turning on the same tight circle at the same moderate speed the diameter of the circle is increased because of the front wheels "pushing" out!

This kit has been designed specifically for road use with the view to limited tarmac competition events. If used for “off-road” purposes, strengthening modifications will need to be made, as failure may be a possibility. All wheels and tire combinations fitted to the vehicle should be inspected as it is essential that there is enough clearance between the wheel . tire and suspension units. Very minor adjustments using wheel spacers may be required otherwise.

British Motor Heritage has added two more major components to its growing list of Mini classic parts - front and rear subframe assemblies for the MkIV Mini.