Lone Star Mini Restoration

[Lone Star Mini]

Having zero experience driving minis with different size wheels, im told that 10 or 12 rims give better driving experience than 13.   Would love to know other people's thoughts on the subject. Along with the ride, what all modifications must be done if I were to go with 13" tires...brakes, wheel well  mods??

[MPlayle]

I have not had a Mini Saloon with the 13" wheels and low profile tires.  I did have a Australian Moke with 13" wheels, but more standard sidewall height tires - so a different thing and not a good comparison.

That said, I have had a variety of Minis with 10" and 12" wheels.  Personally, I could not feel any real handling differences between those two sizes.

The mods most often required in switching up to the 13" wheels are wheel well opening needs the arch re-cut, wider flares, and a steering rack limiting kit installed.

[Lone Star Mini]

The mods most often required in switching up to the 13" wheels are wheel well opening needs the arch re-cut, wider flares, and a steering rack limiting kit installed.

Hmm.  I didn't know about the steering rack. that is something definitely new that I will need to research.  Thanks

[MiniDave]

The limiting kit is just a couple of plastic blocks to keep the wheels from turning so far they they rub the inner fenders.

I have 13 X 6 wheels on my car and I run small spacers in the front and big ones in the back, but that's more just to match the large flares (arches) this car has. My car does not have the steering lock kit on it and I never rub on turns. Some of it has to do with the back spacing (offset) of the wheels I'm sure, no idea what mine are but they're different than the 13" wheels I ran on Buzz.

Did you look for wheels on JBW.com (John Brown Wheels)?

http://www.johnbrownwheels.com/

[BruceK]

I have 13 X 6 wheels on my car and I run small spacers in the front and big ones in the back, but that's more just to match the large flares (arches) this car has. My car does not have the steering lock kit on it and I never rub on turns. Some of it has to do with the back spacing (offset) of the wheels I'm sure, no idea what mine are but they're different than the 13" wheels I ran on Buzz.

No rubbing? I am jealous.  I attacked my front flares with a Dremel before my trip this past weekend, and I thought I had removed enough material based upon where there were scuff marks were at the time.  Thought the issue was over.   

But I heard a lot of noise of rubbing on the trip, and I just went into the garage and checked out the result.  Both sides have lots of areas where the tires are rubbing - areas that weren't issues before. The contact area has moved up on the flares.  It's also contacting the metal lip of the body's wheelarch too, polishing the metal clean. 

I'm not sure what the solution is, other than adjusting the Hi-LOs and raising the car.

[94touring]

Your scrape marks look like mine. Tried to snap a couple best I could just now.  Basically mine rub all the way to the top of the arch.

[Lone Star Mini]

Thanks Dave,  JBW had them in 7x13. I also found them through Huddersfield in 7x13.   I may have to go with 13s, but I must figure out a no rub situation as you have done

[Lone Star Mini]

You guys rock!   I just hope I can take all this and figure out how to apply it

[BruceK]

Your scrape marks look like mine. Tried to snap a couple best I could just now.  Basically mine rub all the way to the top of the arch.

Is it just these types of flares? 

Looks like you cut away some of the metal wheelarch lip down at the bottom, right?

[gr8kornholio]

My little deep 10's haven't rubbed yet.  Love tripping people out trying to figure out the size.  No one guesses 10.

[Lone Star Mini]

Not much time this week to work on the Mini.  All I can do is try to plan ahead.  Today I did manage to fit check the rotisserie support arms I made.  They appear to be a near perfect fit (length wise).  Now I just have to mark the holes, drill the holes and ask a friend to do some welding for me.  Prior to installing the shell onto the Rotissier, perhaps I'll try to clean around the areas where I believe the rotisserie arms will interfere with cleaning. 

[SoCalMiniFan]

My little deep 10's haven't rubbed yet.  Love tripping people out trying to figure out the size.  No one guesses 10.

I run 10x6 and I love when people bend down and look at them and go "what size are those things?" I think what blows their minds even more are the miniature 7.5" disc brakes behind the miniature wheels!  The whole set up is just ridiculous.

[94touring]

Your scrape marks look like mine. Tried to snap a couple best I could just now.  Basically mine rub all the way to the top of the arch.

Is it just these types of flares? 

Looks like you cut away some of the metal wheelarch lip down at the bottom, right?

I cut away some metal too.  The rub marks toward the top of the flare is likely from the previous owner having 12s with oversized tires.  I want to lower it more but will need to do more trimming.

[BruceK]

Your scrape marks look like mine. Tried to snap a couple best I could just now.  Basically mine rub all the way to the top of the arch.

Is it just these types of flares? 

Looks like you cut away some of the metal wheelarch lip down at the bottom, right?

I cut away some metal too.  The rub marks toward the top of the flare is likely from the previous owner having 12s with oversized tires.  I want to lower it more but will need to do more trimming.

Dan, are the flares secured to the body at all toward the front of the wheelarch?  Or just secured at the back and top of the arch only?

[94touring]

On mine not secured on the front at all. 

[Lone Star Mini]

Prepped the rotisserie support beams for welding and I'm so thankful I decided to do a more thorough second check fit.  I found that my original welding plan would not have worked.  The upper bridge where the grille attaches is too high for my original plan.  Therefore I had to adapt with plan B.  I then had to make sure I fully understood how the rotisserie works because I got concerned over the rotisserie rotational pivot points.  I measured that the front attach points are approx. 2-3 inches higher than the rear attach points.  If the rotis had a set pivot point, then I would have had to redesign the aft rotis support beam to match the height of the front.  So I studied the rotisserie making sure I understood how it works.   What I found is that the hydraulic jack will lift the shell upward. I will measure the rotis pivot point making sure they are the same from front to back.  Then I can fine tune the aft section w/o changing the pivot point as there is approx. 13.5 inches of of travel.  I only need 2-3 inches so I'm in good shape.  As soon as my friend can help me with the weld, then I will be ready/nervous to install the shell on the rotis.

[Lone Star Mini]

Now that I'm looking at the picture and thinking about it, I may not want to weld the support beams at all.  Instead, find some heavy angle iron and attach all beams with bolts.  This way I can disassemble when not needed.  Otherwise I will have two large 3.14 Pi shape of steel pieces to store...  I now thinking against welding... 

[MiniDave]

I agree with bolting things together and being able to disassemble them. Wonder if Dan would be interested in acquiring your rotisserie once you're done with it?

[94touring]

I'm fond of my crappy ones I toss outside when I'm not using them. This one is museum quality. 

[Lone Star Mini]

Dan,  I'm not sure what to ask here because I simply don't know what I don't know.  You mentioned that you have a tool that will press in/out and ream the rear arms.   I would like to salvage the arms, BUT..  I don't' know if I will need new arms depending on any specific brake system.   If I go with any new brake system, will it require new rear arms?  The picture you took has a different 'ribbed' housing than mine

[94touring]

You won't need new rear arms for any setup unless you forked out money for the ultra light ones that kad sell.  The ribbed thing is just a minifin style drum for drum brakes.  They are significantly lighter than the stock drums.  Kad sell a rear disc conversion, but the stock arms are still used.  Since this is a major restore, you should rebush those rear arms while it's apart.  I can do them for a fee or ship you the tool as a rental for a smaller fee.

[MiniDave]

You'd be smarter to let Dan do the arms for you, there's a bit of a learning curve - especially for getting the inner sleeve out and back in correctly - and you will need to rebush them, I'm sure........Mini fin drums look great but in the real world aren't any better than the stock drums for stopping power unless you track your car.

But they do look cool - you can get them for about $75 the pair from MiniSpares and they bolt right on in place of the stock S style drums. S style drums have a spacer built in to move the rear wheels out further to match how the fronts moved out when they went to discs in front.

[94touring]

Yeah the first set I ever did involved a day of cussing just getting the old bearings and plastic sleave out.  Then had to find someone to ream them.  Just bought a puller kit for rotary engine work that should easily yank out mini rear arm bearings too. 

[Lone Star Mini]

At work and can't two finger type welll.   If I go with the 7x13"wheels In the pic above, can I use the stock arms?  And yes, I will gladly send them to you for rework.   I would clean up first. 

[94touring]

The arms have nothing to do with your wheel choice.  Only time the rear arms would be different is if you went to a hydrostatic/wet setup..which you aren't.  Front disc size and restricted turning radius is the only time wheel size conflicts with what you may want to do.