B1ondini
1 posts
Joined: 21/02/2005 09:05:25
Location: Kings Lynn United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Rear Subframe mounting bolts.
Hi, hope someone can help. I have, unfortunately sheared the bottom two bolts (1 LHS, 1 RHS) on the rear subframe mounts. These are the ones that mount the subframe to the car. While drilling one out very carefully, my drill bit snapped! Following this, I was gently tapping the snapped, part drilled screw when it dissapeared into the sill along with the captive nut!! Is there anything that anyone can recommend to remedy this situation? My thoughts are to cut a hole in the sill (I have a replacement oversill already) and tack a new nut on the inside of the mounting point. Hope there is someone out there who can help.
Posted: Mar 09, 2005 03:50 PM
blund
10 posts
Joined: 26/09/2008 21:57:08
Location: york United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
rear subframe and the front bolts
i tuck off my rear subframe and the front bolts snapped any got any advise to remove them
Posted: Sep 20, 2009 05:31 PM
Tim
1849 posts
Joined: 18/10/2004 09:40:59
Location: Bournemouth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
You may have to resort to drilling them out completely. If you can re-tap the threads then you're in luck, otherwise you'll have to drill out slightly, put long bolts through and put a washer and nut on each from inside the car.
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 04:01 PM
Adam Birkinshaw
Joined: 22/04/2020 21:22:41
Location: Leeds United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Rear Subframe bolts
Just bought rear subframe bolts, I thought they were supposed to be high tensile grade 8.8 bolts? But that's not what supplied, anyone know what they're supposed to be? The ones supplied have 3 lines which I think are grade 5?
Posted: Feb 18, 2022 01:22 PM
Woody
73 posts
Joined: 29/01/2008 18:58:20
Location: NORWICH United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Rear subframe torques...
Hi all,
i have recently changed my rear subframe with a new powder coated one and all the related parts, i have tightened all the bolts however can find no reference to tightening torques, and was wondering if anyone knew where to find them... have checked the haynes manual...
i was hoping to find out the torques for the radius arm retaining plate bolts and also the bolts that hold the rear subframe... (ideally the front ones that bolt the the rear ''sills'')
Posted: Feb 09, 2011 08:11 PM
kevin shaw
26 posts
Joined: 24/01/2005 13:37:30
Location: Boston United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
knock knock
have you looked at the rear front subframe to body mounts. or even the steering could be loose in the u bolts
Posted: May 16, 2007 09:14 PM
Batmini
168 posts
Joined: 11/03/2007 10:47:54
Location: Kidderminster United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
mayfair brakes.
If you're handy with a spanner and have the tools then this job isn't too bad. I assume your mini is on 12 inch wheels, so this should keep the cost down a bit.
You would be best off buying 12 inch disk assemblies which should have the right cv joints, hubs, disks and calipers. Then get yourself a haynes manual to show you how, with the aid of a ball joint splitter, you take off your old hubs.
Buying the panels for doing the sills and steps will be fairly cheap, about £50-£100 depending on genuine or copy panels being used. The expensive bit is getting them fitted. Expect to pay in the region of £300 or more for someone to fit and paint them.
Rear subframe not too bad. Haynes manual again, Tank out, Wheels chocked then jack up rear end. Disconnect handbrake cable, brake pipes and shocks at top. Spray releasing oil over front bolts of subframe (just in front of rear wheel). Support subframe on jack, PRAY, then remove front and rear bolts for subframe (8 bolts). Replace bolts for stainless type and replace subframe rubbers (only a couple of quid).
Posted: Feb 20, 2009 05:47 PM
Crashnburn1981
158 posts
Joined: 04/12/2004 16:50:02
Location: glastonbury United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
rear subframe again
Hi all, After all my woes with my rear subframe everything is now starting to take shape, on of my concers is that since the panel where the front of the rear subframe bolts up, has been beaten about a bit, will the rear subframe bolt up in the wrong position, all of the other mounting holes have stayed the same, ie the floor mounts and shock absorber mounts, so can i fit the subframe up to these holes and then use packing pieces where the subframe may not quite meet the panel, and how do i check if the subframe is lined up correctly, Cheers Nick
Posted: Feb 27, 2006 11:12 PM
Nick
Joined: 13/09/2004 23:16:10
Location: Inglewood New Zealand
Subframes in New Zealand
I have fitted the later subframe with the large tower mounting bolt, up to the Mk1 body which is currently on its side. The tower mounts fit!!!, the rear mounts fit but are in a different place (and I will need to flatten some strenghting ribs and drill new holes), but the front mounts will not fit with the teardrops between the subframe and body so will have to be solid mounted!! Will this cause any problems??
Posted: Dec 23, 2004 07:38 PM
handling, cooper sportspack
The lack of welding between the front panel and the inner wing shouldn't affect the location of the subframe - if the subframe is moving it's because the front or rear mountings are disintegrating, and/or the top bolts and mounting rubbers are loose. Normally, you would feel subframe movement via the steering wheel, particularly when accelerating/decelerating.
Posted: Jul 16, 2007 11:47 AM
pickme
672 posts
Joined: 08/09/2004 23:10:14
Location: Chippenham United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
front subframe
The rear mounts on the front subframe will always look fine on the car. Its only a few bolts so they are simple to take off but you might find they fall to pieces once removed.
Posted: Apr 05, 2006 12:30 PM
wings
Most of the weight of the front end of the car is taken on the turrets and is held in place by the two big bolts, one on each side. Youll see these near the master cylinders on one side and the wiper motor on the other. The rear front subframe mounts hold the subframe on square and take a lot of the accelerating and braking loads. The mounts onto the front panel are mainly there to keep the panels in place and not a lot more. If this wasnt the case, flip fronts wouldnt be possible. So, make sure your turret bolts and rear front subframe mounts are done up tight before you cut the front off and for goodness sake dont undo them until its all back on again and you should be fine.
Posted: Apr 10, 2006 12:35 PM
front subframe mount
Do you mean the rubber-bonded mounting that holds the rear of the subframe to the front of the floor-pan? If so, and it's just the rubber that's come apart, they're very easy to replace: just jack up that corner of the car, undo the 4 bolts (two that go through the floor, two that go through the subframe) remove the old mounting and insert the new. The only tricky bit is aligning the holes to put the bolts through again - use a small screwdriver to wiggle it about, and don't tighten any of the nuts until you've got all 4 bolts back in.
Posted: Mar 27, 2008 04:43 PM
abs
98 posts
Joined: 08/11/2007 20:20:11
Location: cornwall United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Re
Being a rally mini you would have the brake lines running inside the car along the exhaust tunnel so you could fit the valve there some where. I have seen them under the rear seat base but both my mini`s have them mounted on the bracket above the front subframe tower bolts on the drivers side.
Posted: Dec 11, 2010 06:43 PM
Fixings etc
Seats - Many seats are available with bottom fixings. These are good because you can fit a tailored subframe that will fit as a direct replacement. You can also use the alloy frames available and mount the seat fully behind the cross member. This might be important once youve fitted the cage . Look at what seats have already been fitted (mini mag etc or shows) to get an idea of what will actually fit. I use a Cobra Clubman and that only just fits on a tailored subframe because of the width of the shoulder support. You may find you have to move the seat back behind the cross member and put the sholders of the seat behind the B post part of the cage. Once you actually look for that on other cars it makes more sence. If you do move the seat back, youll probably need a steering drop bracket too. Belts - Rear seat belt mounts a fine but are boarderline with FIA regulations because the belts are at quite a sharp downward angle. Ideally, you mount to a proper bar on the cage thats fitted just for this. You can also fit them through the top of the rear parcel shelf, but a big load spreading plate will have to be fitted. Bear in mind that the belts will be pulling forward when you mount the fixings so if they stick vertically upwards, the plate will need to continue down the back of the seat a bit to give it support. For rear seat access (if the seat position hasnt already scuppered this) some harnesses are available with a detatchable rear section, so leave your normal seatbelt in place and use the harness eyelets to bolt it in place. That way you can choose which one you want to wear. Cage - Bolt in is fine and FIA approved (if the cage itself has FIA approval). Weld in is fine and lighter, but it needs to be done properly to get approval. Make sure you seal the bare metal properly after drilling any holes in the floor or itll rust through very quickly.
Posted: Mar 10, 2005 09:05 AM
Barry Brown
511 posts
Joined: 23/06/2008 12:08:31
Location: New Barn United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Battery cables
Hi,
The car is negative earth. Its a short braided strap from the battery in the boot to the 1/4"unf bolt that hols the battery cover retaining strap. The positive feed runs through the hole in the boot floor where the battery box meets the rear seat bulkhead - it MUST have a grommet fitted. It goes down that hole and is held to the rear subframe by an insulated "P-clip"where it then runs along inside a "C" shaped channel to the right of the exhaust tunnel (right viewed from rear of car facing front). When it gets to the front bulkhead near the differential it is then held to the front subframe by 2 more insulated "p-clips" routing underneath the clutch bellhousing. It branches away from the subframe at this point and curves around the flywheel housing up to the ignition solenoid. The best way to measure it for length is to get a piece of twine and fit it to that route then cut the twine to length and go get it from the spares shop. They can match the cable size to the battery clamp bolt down terminal.
Don't forget the earth strap that goes between the clutch bellhousing and the right hand inner wing panel.
Posted: Dec 11, 2014 02:31 PM
need to change the rear subframe.
The difference between the two types of subframes is simply the exhaust pipe mountings. On the earlier ones the mountings are bolted to the subframe (and it should have holes in the appropriate places), and on the later ones the subframe has some metal hooks that take the rubber doughnut type of mounting, but it's not really a problem interchanging them as your local exhaust shop should be able to get you the necessary bits and pieces to mount your exhaust however you want.
I can't see any reason why you shouldn't use a subframe from a 1998 model, provided it's in good condition - remember that's 10 years old now and over here at least subframes can rot through in less than that. Make sure you give it a good clean up and several coats of paint before fitting it - you don't want to have to do the job again in a year's time.
Be aware that you may have problems unbolting your old subframe. In particular, the bolts at the front of the subframe that go into the back end of the sill (behind the rear seat) can rust solid and snap off when you try to remove them. The best thing is to soak in penetrating oil for several days. If you can get access to the ends of the bolts inside the sills (via the bottom of the cubby boxes at each end of the rear seat) soak them as well.
Posted: Jul 31, 2008 12:45 PM
Custom subframe manufacturing / modifications - where to go?
I need to see about getting the rear subframe on my 1992 mini either adjusted or a new one made, to make it few centimetres deeper front to back. Looking at where the body sits on the frame I think this should be possible - there looks to be space for about 4cm adjustment there.
the front can't go anywhere because of the heelboard. But it would not be impossible to shorten the floorpan under the rear seat providing you make provision to bolt the back edge of the seat to the subframe as this is loadbearing for the rear bulkhead. You can gain about 6 inches ther but it shortens the wheelbase.
you can really go further back with the rear mount as this fits into the support bracket welded to the floor and rear wheelarch. That transfers the load through the curve of the arch into the rear wing and the rear bulkhead. if you did go for that option then you need to place a strut from the boot floor edge to the bulkhead such that it doesn't spear the passengers in a rear end shunt. getting around the fuel tank would be a challenge as well. And you'd lose the rear valance closer panels so a little more stiffness would go from the backend.
Some of the lightweight racers in the 70s had a rear subbie that was just a titanium beam bolted to the heelboard. the radius arms hung from that with no rear mounts other than the shock absorbers. You could try looking for one of those units and seeing if it can be 'packed out' to sit further back but that's a lot of stress to put on the heelboard.
Posted: Apr 09, 2010 02:29 PM
minidude
6 posts
Joined: 18/01/2005 10:57:17
Location: SOLIHULL United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Happy in the end...
Thanks for clarifying, pickme. Thanks for your response, wrinkly. I accept that I overtightened it a bit, my fault, it was because I tried it with the gasket to start with. It still works OK (without gasket) so no drama. Ill know better next time. Doh! I also sent the specific question about the gasket via the contact us section of the Mini Spares website, but I never got an answer. I was confused because the catalogue definitely says that you need a gasket for each end of the cat, but of course I now know that is not universally applicable. In case anyone is interested, I thought that the exhaust (the original and the RC40) hung too low using the later hangers. The subframes, even on the very last cars, have the necessary holes for the older type rear mounting and captive nuts for the older type centre mounting. So, I bought the RC40 fitting kit and it now sits nicely up under the subframe and, only in my opinion of course, looks much better. I just need a less obtrusive rear clamp. Youll need the bolts for the centre mounting because they are not in the kit (I didnt expect them). They are the same thread as the other bolts/studs. I cut off the centre hanger rod from the silencer as otherwise it would have sat almost in contact with the one on the car, and I didnt want them banging together. Actually, I cut off both, but the rear one was OK. Attached some pics, I hope they are useful to somebody. Anyway, happy now. The RC40 sounds great, looks great and if it gives me a headache on the motorway I can swap it for the twin box now Ive got the right fittings. Thats a whole new question - anyone got a twin box RC40 on an MPI? Better or worse for performance/economy?
Posted: Jul 30, 2005 04:50 PM
Jonny 5
Joined: 11/01/2005 13:57:58
Location: Bristol United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Rear Subframe removal
Hi Dave, Dont think you can do it while its on ramps. The way I took mine off was to jack the back of the car up and lower it onto a beam of wood (running the width of the car and supported on axle stands) just in front of the rear subframe mounting points. Then all you have to do is undo half a dozen bolts and keep your toes out the way as the subframe hits the floor. However if its well rusty the bolts can be a real sod to get off. Good luck Jon
Posted: Sep 05, 2005 02:05 PM