Hydrolastic rear subframe
Discussion
You can convert it to dry very easily.
All you need to do is to knock back the location tags where the displaceres sit so that the rubber cones simply sit correctly. Alternatively you can grind away the lugs themselves. The location ring does not have to be completely circumferential as it just locates the cone and ensures it seats in the corret position. Remember that you also have to fit dry trumpets or hi-lo units with new ball joints and seats.
The same aplies to the front sub-frame.
In fact, I'm shortly to do this on a '66 Mini 850. On the front you need new top arms as the mechanical dimensions are slightly different. For lowered applications, as FWDracer has recently confirmed, the use of hydro top arms on lowered dry cone cars can be an advantage. From memory, the hydro front frame requires 1/4" spacers at the tower tops, but these are easily made if you don't have them. They should already be there if you have a hydro frame to re-fit (last time I did this I lost the spacers and had to make some out of aluminium plate with thin plastic barrier sheets to stop corrosion.
All you need to do is to knock back the location tags where the displaceres sit so that the rubber cones simply sit correctly. Alternatively you can grind away the lugs themselves. The location ring does not have to be completely circumferential as it just locates the cone and ensures it seats in the corret position. Remember that you also have to fit dry trumpets or hi-lo units with new ball joints and seats.
The same aplies to the front sub-frame.
In fact, I'm shortly to do this on a '66 Mini 850. On the front you need new top arms as the mechanical dimensions are slightly different. For lowered applications, as FWDracer has recently confirmed, the use of hydro top arms on lowered dry cone cars can be an advantage. From memory, the hydro front frame requires 1/4" spacers at the tower tops, but these are easily made if you don't have them. They should already be there if you have a hydro frame to re-fit (last time I did this I lost the spacers and had to make some out of aluminium plate with thin plastic barrier sheets to stop corrosion.
I only have the rear wet one. I'd be happy to swap it to be honest. I was going to sand blast it and use it but spotted that the cone/displacer section was different to the dry subframe type. We married up a dry cone and saw it was the lugs that caused problems. Its a shame to wreck it if its any use to someone, but thanks for your comments cooperman
The use of wet sub-frames for dry cones is easy. It's the use of dry ones for hydro cones which is the problem. I once did a rally in a converted 'dry-to-wet' car (don't ask why, it wasn't my car!) and we eventually retired due to the front suspension repeatedly collapsing due to lack of location of the front hydro units. The frame had no lugs and the hydro units moved about! It's just so easy to go from wet-to-dry though. Just punch the lugs back, file/grind off any remaining projection, check the seating of the dry cones and your 'wet' frame is a 'dry' one.
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