Restoration-Mini

Technical Forums => Maintenance and Modifications => Topic started by: bahoffe on May 18, 2009, 08:33:04 PM

Title: Leaning to the left
Post by: bahoffe on May 18, 2009, 08:33:04 PM
My left hand drive mini is leaning a over over the front left tire.  Not sure what is causing this.  I jacked up the car and tried to shake the tire left/right and up/down and there is very little play.  Hoping someone could give me an idea what would be causing this problem.

1971 Austin Mini Left hand drive
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: 94touring on May 18, 2009, 08:50:07 PM
Sounds like a bad rubber cone.  It will give the car the appearance of being lowered, at least on the corner where the cone has failed. 
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: joltfreak on May 19, 2009, 02:37:37 AM
Quote from: 94touring on May 18, 2009, 08:50:07 PM
Sounds like a bad rubber cone.  It will give the car the appearance of being lowered, at least on the corner where the cone has failed. 
+1
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: mascher on May 21, 2009, 05:33:47 PM
If the cones have never been changed it is likely that the knuckle joint has worn through the nylon cup in the upper arm. In my experience the cones in pre-'74 Minis rarely collapse. The only significance to 1974 is that I'm the attendant to a '73 Mini and all the rest are much earlier models. The mid-to-late '80s and later cones, and the current OEM cones collapse if you look at them wrong.

Cheers,

Kelley
Title: Leaning to the left
Post by: bahoffe on June 08, 2009, 08:21:16 AM
I just got my new cones and will be replacing them this week.  Do you have instructions on how to do this?
I referred to the Hayes maintenance manual but there isn't much information.

Brian
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: 94touring on June 08, 2009, 12:33:57 PM
I've personally never had to replace cones, but I believe there is a special tool?
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: bahoffe on June 08, 2009, 04:20:18 PM
I have the tool but from what I can tell they are hard to get to.  Heading to the garage now.  Let you know how it goes.

Later,
B
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: bahoffe on June 08, 2009, 08:43:34 PM
Another trip to the store is in order.  Need a ball joint seperator or whatever the hell that tool is called.  haha
Title: Re: Leaning to the left
Post by: 94touring on June 09, 2009, 05:54:19 AM
I hate seperating balls joints!  They are either really easy or impossibly hard.