Pablo
142 posts
Joined: 28/10/2004 09:04:37
Location: Glossop United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Tower bolt
Hi Zogle, Ive had a couple of knocks with my mini. The first time it was the manifold to gearbox bracket that had lost a bolt, causing the exhaust to swing into the gear change area which can sound like its also coming from the engine bay. My other knock, apparent when accelerating and braking, turned out to be the driver side tower bolt. The hole in the cross member (where the bolt passes through with its rubber bush) had rusted away, causing the subframe to move and knock when under stress. Try taking out the tower bolt and have a look at the state of the hole.
Posted: Feb 04, 2005 10:20 AM
LewisCr125
136 posts
Joined: 13/04/2006 17:03:39
Location: Old Knebworth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Subframe Front Tower Bolt
Brought one of these as one had knackered and all the threads didn't look too good.
Anyway £40!! for 1 bolt. Put it in, go to tighten up with a 6' rachet and the thing strips!
If the bolt only cost £4 then I wouldn't be bothered. But £40!!!!! I expect the fucker to be indestructable!
Before anyone says, it went in straight. I'm sure! It went nice and tight, just went to nip it up before putting on the torque wrench and it went.
I'm going to call up mini spares tomorrow and see what they can do. I'm not paying for another one and i need another one as i don't like the front subframe being loose.
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 10:53 PM
Roy
261 posts
Joined: 19/09/2005 19:34:20
Location: huntingdon United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Just beacuse you have fitted a new bolt, dont expect it to do the job if the thread in the hole is knackered too!....
I agree that £38.00 is a bit steep for a bolt though, Whats it made of? Titanium nitride coated Tungsten carbide super alloy or what....
QUESTION TO MINISPARES.....whats the difference between the bolt up to 1976 ( dry suspension) and this one that justifies the hike in price?.......( the other one is about £3.50 ish...)
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 11:07 PM
Made out of Playdo haha.
Not sure what it's made off. It's a gold looking colour. I would of thought it would of been at least hardened steel.
Surely if the threads were knackered in the subframe then the bolt wouldn't get damaged.
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 11:21 PM
Oh and i think pre '76 they had 2 small bolts holding the subframe. Then after went for the big expensive bolt.
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 11:22 PM
Probably made of Hi tensile (EN8 or better, EN24) steel and then zinc plated and yellow passivated giving it it's gold appearence but you'd think at that price a refund or re-placement is in order if the threads have stripped off the bolt.
BUT.... yes a stripped hole can damage a bolt because although there could still be enough thread material left in the hole to take the bolt, there is not enough thread depth to support the bolt thread at full depth making the fastening properties of hole and bolt considerably weaker due to the reduction in contact area and when given the same forces, This strips the top off the thread on the bolt.
I'd check the hole as well as it's unlikley to have come out of this unscathed...
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 11:40 PM
mark
397 posts
Joined: 18/08/2005 14:01:28
Location: Hitchin United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
I got some spare bolts if you need one....
Posted: Mar 12, 2007 12:13 PM
You also live in hitchin, where i go to college. Boy give me your number!
Oh and if it's damaged in the subframe. What's best? Helicoil? or do a home job and tap it out and fit a custom bolt.
Posted: Mar 12, 2007 06:42 PM
May well be worth helicoiling as you yourself will not have in your garage/shed/kitchen, the facilities to heat treat the homemade bolt to the required strength!
Posted: Mar 12, 2007 08:55 PM
True. Although a very good friend of mine has a metal fabricating company. He'll probably be able to get hold of some.
But then if it's been hardened it's going to be difficult to machine.
Helicoil it is. If that doesn't work i'm welding the subframe to the bulk head haha (joke)
Posted: Mar 12, 2007 10:52 PM
work in Stevenage
post an e-mail address and i will reply, and bring to work
Posted: Mar 14, 2007 12:31 PM
lewisgame500@hotmail.com
Cheers
Posted: Mar 14, 2007 12:47 PM
has the replacement worked then ?
Posted: Mar 16, 2007 11:15 AM
MasterP
5 posts
Joined: 01/02/2011 05:18:30
Location: Vista United States
Tool?? Tower Bolt 1990 Rover Mini
I measured the head of the tower bolt at 32 mm, but a 32 mm socket does not fit. Going to buy a 33 mm socket. Can anyone confirm this tools size? Amazing all the data out there and I can not find the tooling information. Need help
Posted: Feb 26, 2011 05:55 AM
Tower Bolts Identify required Tap and some advice
I have a 1990 Rover Mini. Began the task of replacing the front rubber cones. Taking out the first Tower Bolt it was obviously cross threaded when it was installed before. I purchased new bolts and a tap. I believed it to be an M20 x 1.5, but after receiving the tap I do not think that it is proper.
Do you know what the proper size of a tap required? If you have had to perform this repair, do you think I should come from from the top or bottom to tap the sub frame easiest?
Looking down, it appears that the sub frame bolt hole is off center, to forward, Can I jack up the front of the sub frame to shift the Sub frame into position? Would I need to detach more than just the one Tower bolt to create play to accomplish this. Need some shared experience please.
Andrew
Posted: Mar 26, 2011 06:13 PM
Tim
1849 posts
Joined: 18/10/2004 09:40:59
Location: Bournemouth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Sounds like you've sorted it.
There may be some metric nuts and bolts on the later minis with injected engines, but most of the mechanical bits and pieces hardly changed at all from 1959 right to the end. Quite right too! Apart from the thread on the rubber cones, for some reason. Maybe they changed that because the earlier imperial thread was smaller, and more likely to strip?
I changed the rubber cones on mine over the winter - what a difference to the ride that made! After nearly 50 years (I assume they were the originals) the rubber had not only compressed but turned rock-solid - virtually no spring in them at all. But for some reason the front is now sitting way too high (the rear is fine). I'm hoping it will go down with time, but I've done a couple of hundred miles and it's made no difference at all. I'm thinking of buying some hi-lo adjustables to sort it out, but it's a shame to have to take it apart again.
Posted: Jun 14, 2011 08:14 AM
Furion
6 posts
Joined: 07/01/2010 01:36:04
Location: Oromocto, NB. Canada
Front subframe tower bolt torque setting
Hello All,
I've just installed the front subframe tower improvement kit from Mini Spares, Would anyone have the torque setting for the large hex bolt that goes through the bulk head as i can not seem to find it any where? Thanks in advance. Mark
Posted: Apr 30, 2012 01:06 AM
shane cameron
Joined: 01/07/2014 11:14:00
Location: Nowra Naval PO Australia
Welded subframe tower bolts
I have a 67 van that i am restoring and i have removed the front subframe and the tower bolts have been welded in. I am just not 100% sure if this if this correct as i have not found any evidence suggesting so. If not any suggestion on removal so i can install new ones. Thanks
P.s i will post picture soon.
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 01:54 PM
I don't understand how you could have removed the subframe without removing the bolts?
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 09:36 AM
They are welded to the subframe not car. From memory it was just two nuts either side that are held in by the lock tabs......and the the other nuts and bolt of course. But yeah those 4 were undone and it slide out. Had to jack the car pretty high to get it off the bolts though.
Like i said ill post pics as soon as i can because its hard to explain how they're welded. For now just curious if this is common practice. As no manual or diagrams or picture of subframes for sale on this site or similar indicate that it is.
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 01:06 PM