Lowering Minis
Discussion
What would be the result of lowering a car on 25% uprated dampers by half an inch to an inch, with regards to potholes and speedbumps. Most importantly, will my 'roundabout terminal velocity' 
increase? I'm looking at getting a set of HiLos soonish and wonder how much could be removed, within a sensible margin.
Thanks!
increase? I'm looking at getting a set of HiLos soonish and wonder how much could be removed, within a sensible margin. Thanks!
it would depend on the make of shocks you are using......
my rule of thumb (and its very technical!) is that if you lower the car so only three fingers on less can be put between the top of the tyre and the arch you will need lowered height (i.e gaz, avo, koni, spax) shocks.
anything more than three fingers and 'normal' i.e std usually non adjustable shocks will do.
obviously the type and age of the cones have an affect, but the three finger rule will work for 90% of cases.
an example - my 'road' mini has settled to about two fingers all round (too low i know, i just cant be assed to sort it) it has white/silver kybs fitted. the rears do bottom out if i go over a speed bump it or hit a pot hole. when i have some spare cash im going to get a set of lowered gaz for it and run them on a soft setting.
my rule of thumb (and its very technical!) is that if you lower the car so only three fingers on less can be put between the top of the tyre and the arch you will need lowered height (i.e gaz, avo, koni, spax) shocks.
anything more than three fingers and 'normal' i.e std usually non adjustable shocks will do.
obviously the type and age of the cones have an affect, but the three finger rule will work for 90% of cases.
an example - my 'road' mini has settled to about two fingers all round (too low i know, i just cant be assed to sort it) it has white/silver kybs fitted. the rears do bottom out if i go over a speed bump it or hit a pot hole. when i have some spare cash im going to get a set of lowered gaz for it and run them on a soft setting.
Personally I can never quite see the point of lowering a road-going Mini unless it is used for serious track work as well. The car has little enough suspension travel anyway and no real high cruising speed. dso the most fun is on twisty and, probably, slightly bumpy roads.
If you get the suspension set correctly at a standard ride height the handling, road holding and, more importantly, driveability on give-and-take roads will be optimised.
Of course, others may well disagree!
If you get the suspension set correctly at a standard ride height the handling, road holding and, more importantly, driveability on give-and-take roads will be optimised.
Of course, others may well disagree!
my mini (and i will be the first to admit it) is far to low for every day use. its a 1965 on ten inch wheels that i can only get two fingers between the tyre and the arch. i dont really thrash it any more (much) and very rarely carry passengers. its too low due to the suspension settling and me being to lazy to wind the hilos back up, but i must admit that it does look very aggresive and mean. im not a good enough driver to say if it handles better than a car that sat 2"s higher but it does seem to be ok.
i think pete is missing the point (and no offense ment here) as to why many people lower there road cars, it doesnt make sense when you are trying to get 10/10th out of a rally car, but it does look good. thats all it is a vanity thing, and the mistaken belief that a lowered car will handle better without addressing any of the other suspension issues that are more difficult for a layman with no special tools to fix (i.e castor, camber)
i think pete is missing the point (and no offense ment here) as to why many people lower there road cars, it doesnt make sense when you are trying to get 10/10th out of a rally car, but it does look good. thats all it is a vanity thing, and the mistaken belief that a lowered car will handle better without addressing any of the other suspension issues that are more difficult for a layman with no special tools to fix (i.e castor, camber)
My 66 is dropped so that the wheels (10") are concentric within the arches, I run my shocks with the ratio of stiffness:axle weight with maximum stiffness on the front, to stop rear wheel binding under crazy cornering, I've fitted a rear ARB. It's pretty stiff, I'm running standard track so I wanted to minimise body roll. I suppose you could fit rims with a greater offset so achieve similar ends, it will hurt the steering though. I reckon that dropping it and adding a bit of track will see you cornering flatter/faster.
Rear anti-roll bar is the best thing on my mini.
I reckon it's a matter of personal choice/driving style. I like a slightly dropped car running 145 tyres and 4 wheel drifting everywhere, that is the purity of minis, but when you get into big engines, you need bigger tyres and they dictate the whole thing is set up properly.
How do you want it to go?
Rear anti-roll bar is the best thing on my mini.
I reckon it's a matter of personal choice/driving style. I like a slightly dropped car running 145 tyres and 4 wheel drifting everywhere, that is the purity of minis, but when you get into big engines, you need bigger tyres and they dictate the whole thing is set up properly.
How do you want it to go?
guru_1071 said:
my mini (and i will be the first to admit it) is far to low for every day use. its a 1965 on ten inch wheels that i can only get two fingers between the tyre and the arch. i dont really thrash it any more (much) and very rarely carry passengers. its too low due to the suspension settling and me being to lazy to wind the hilos back up, but i must admit that it does look very aggresive and mean. im not a good enough driver to say if it handles better than a car that sat 2"s higher but it does seem to be ok.
i think pete is missing the point (and no offense ment here) as to why many people lower there road cars, it doesnt make sense when you are trying to get 10/10th out of a rally car, but it does look good. thats all it is a vanity thing, and the mistaken belief that a lowered car will handle better without addressing any of the other suspension issues that are more difficult for a layman with no special tools to fix (i.e castor, camber)
I'm sure you are right there Rob. Lowering, as you say, won't improve the roadholding unless everything else on the suspension set-up is 'spot-on'.
Too many people mix up roadholding and handling. The finest handling Minis are possibly the early cars with skinny tyres and the original geometry, whereas roadholding, these days, is probably as much to do with current tyre technology as suspension settings and damper rates.
For me, the most aggressive and mean looking Minis are the works rally cars of about '64 to '67, but that's just a personal thing.
The big disadvantage with lowering a road car, IMHO, is the loss of ground clearance for that oh-so-vulnerable sump. Fit a decent sump guard and you lose another 1" of ground clearance.
RickApple said:
I want a bit less roll on the back when cornering hard and under braking, although i have no idea whether the two are interconnected!
14mm rear anti-roll bar will sort that out and also make it go around corners "better". The whole braking around corners and getting overtaken by the back is intrinsic to minis. You could try to slow the rear>front weight transfer which causes it by running soft front suspension or jacking the arse up a bit. If you are having the "scary braking around corners" experience, get a rear bias valve from a Mk1 and back the rear brakes off a tad. I reckon minis are overbraked at the rear.
Have a good think about how the weight transfers under driving conditions and how lowering/stiffening/etc influences the suspension geometry you have. I reckon that's the way to look at it not by saying "I want X deg camber/castor/tow out/etc" Look at how you want it to behave and select your components from that.
For pretty spirited 998 on the road driving, I reckon a rear ARB is a good idea if you want less roll/understeer. You have to place it into corners properly though
I really do give mine a good thrashing.
>> Edited by love machine on Tuesday 29th March 18:12
I love driving mine through the forests on gravel. You blast up to a corner, brake late whilst throwing the car the 'wrong way', come off the brakes and turn in positively, then as the back comes round you get back hard on the power to balance it all up and kill the oversteer whilst keeping a bit of lock on. If it still oversteers balance with opposite lock and full power.
Even at my age and after so many years, it still gives me a real 'buzz' when I get it right. Get it wrong, however, and the body repairs can be quite expensive, as I found out a few yrears ago when I rolled my '64 red car off the side of a forest track, down 13 ft and onto its roof!
As I said to my navigator/son, "Oh dear, it seems to be broken!"
Even at my age and after so many years, it still gives me a real 'buzz' when I get it right. Get it wrong, however, and the body repairs can be quite expensive, as I found out a few yrears ago when I rolled my '64 red car off the side of a forest track, down 13 ft and onto its roof!
As I said to my navigator/son, "Oh dear, it seems to be broken!"
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