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Mini Front Running Gear Knowledge/Advice
Doctor Derek Doctors - 5/4/16 at 01:49 PM

I have an idea rattling around my head that is gaining momentum but I need some data to help it escape onto the drawing board.

Does anybody have or know of where to get a drawing, 3D model or diagram with dimensions for a Mini (original not BMW) front upright/hub?

Google Search / GrabCAD are turning up blank but somebody must have this data as its such a well loved/work on/upgraded car.

Canada EH! - 5/4/16 at 02:16 PM

Don't have any pictures except the ones in my head. The front suspension consisted of a cone shaped ali piece with a ball joint on the bottom and a rubber disk on top (pre hydrolastic) the ball fit into the top of the hub and the hub was located on the bottom by a trailing arm-sway bar and the drive shaft.

Pre hydrolastic there was a shock mounted to the hub and the body, this came in handy when racing a hydrolastic as the shock mounts were still there and a Koni shock was used to control the suspension.

I have an original rear suspension but it laid horizontal with a much longer ali cone.

The cones at the front and rear could be shortened to drop the ride height.

Rod Ends - 5/4/16 at 02:38 PM

Alan Staniforth's Terrapin used Mini uprights.
Somebody on the Terrapin board might have drawings.

Sam_68 - 5/4/16 at 03:58 PM

There's a pretty good 2D section drawing of the front upright and hub in the Haynes workshop manual for the car.

It's not to scale, but you can scale it reasonably accurately using known dimension of components (eg. brake drum diameter).

3D CAD hadn't been invented, when the Mini was designed, so the only way you're going to get accurate dimensions in 3D is by measuring one.

Doctor Derek Doctors - 6/4/16 at 02:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Sam_68
There's a pretty good 2D section drawing of the front upright and hub in the Haynes workshop manual for the car.

It's not to scale, but you can scale it reasonably accurately using known dimension of components (eg. brake drum diameter).

3D CAD hadn't been invented, when the Mini was designed, so the only way you're going to get accurate dimensions in 3D is by measuring one.


There are plenty of things accurately modelled and on GrabCAD that were designed long before 3D CAD was invented. I'm very surprised that with the mini being such a widely modified and upgraded car nobody has reverse modelled the front upright or even just done a dimension schematic.

Looks like it'll have to be me! At least they are cheap to buy.

Sam_68 - 6/4/16 at 02:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
There are plenty of things accurately modelled and on GrabCAD that were designed long before 3D CAD was invented. I


Hmmm... I'm very cautious about the stuff on GrabCAD. The best you can say for most of it is that it is of unknown provenance.

I never assume that anything has been accurately modelled unless I've checked it myself.

jps - 6/4/16 at 03:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
. I'm very surprised that with the mini being such a widely modified and upgraded car nobody has reverse modelled the front upright or even just done a dimension schematic.

Looks like it'll have to be me! At least they are cheap to buy.


Have you asked on any mini forums? Also - without knowing - do mini modders (who drop in non-BL/BMC/etc engines from what i've seen) keep mini running gear? I've seen of mini's with Honda engines for example - do they swap out the whole lot when they swap the engine? Might be a reason why no-one has CAD'd them..?

ettore bugatti - 9/4/16 at 11:59 PM

I dont know whether this is still working and/or useful:
http://minis4monkeys.co.uk/images/838.dxf
http://minis4monkeys.co.uk/images/5510.dxf

I'm restoring a Mini at the minute. I did think of measuring and cadding the upright when I was rebuilding, but it never came around that.
They shouldn't be that expensive second hand, but they require lots of cleaning

Keep in mind that the ball joint design is not the most elegant with shims to adjust the play and a grease point. I don't know if a Metro one would straight go in.

rusty nuts - 10/4/16 at 06:21 AM

A Metro one would fit but I vaguely remember the Metro ball joint was available in two pin sizes ,the smaller of which fitted the Mini suspension arms .Not entirely sure the Metro part gives correct steering geometry? Also be aware there are at least two variants of Mini upright , drum or disc brake .

Sam_68 - 10/4/16 at 06:31 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
I dont know whether this is still working and/or useful:
http://minis4monkeys.co.uk/images/838.dxf
http://minis4monkeys.co.uk/images/5510.dxf


Certainly works for me - the 5510.dxf file is a nice little model!

It might well suffice for Dr D's current purposes, with a bit of checking and scaling, but does kinda demonstrate my point on CAD files of unknown parentage... from a quick measure, I'm getting zero caster on that model, near as makes no difference, whereas the real figure should be circa 3 degrees.

Also, the scale seems to be 'unusual': it's measuring 106.86 for the wheelbase, which seems to bear no resemblance to the Mini's real wheelbase of 80.2" (2037mm).

Neville Jones - 10/4/16 at 01:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
A Metro one would fit but I vaguely remember the Metro ball joint was available in two pin sizes ,the smaller of which fitted the Mini suspension arms .Not entirely sure the Metro part gives correct steering geometry? Also be aware there are at least two variants of Mini upright , drum or disc brake .


Metro uses different type of balljoint, has slightly different geometry, and is slightly bigger. The items I have here are anyway. Also got some old Austin 1300 fronts somewhere in the shed, and they're close to Metro dims. The Metro drive flanges can fit both the Austin and Mini, but the Mini shafts have to be later 1275 items, as soe of the outers were different size splines.

I've got Mini, Metro, and Austin fronts if you're looking to buy.

Cheers,
Nev.