Ride height / Hi-Lo's

[SoCalMiniFan]

When I built up my car I installed new rubber (red dot) cones, hi-lo's, and KYB Shocks (non-adjustable) but generally recommended shocks.

The problem: My car in the back sits like a 4x4!  I had the Hi-lo's adjusted as low as they would go before being so loose they might fall out on the sh*tty roads here in San Diego but I could here them clunking about and that made me nervous I'd hit a pot hole and rattle one free somehow. 

With them at that setting I had at least 4-finger gap. Now I have more threads showing to where they are locked in nicely and there are no rattles but I have like a 4-finger gap and a little bit.

Is it sitting so high because everything is brand new and barely broken in?

Do I need more fat friends in the rear?

Combined weight of my regular co.pilot and I combined is significantly less than 300lbs. 

The front is also adjusted very low but with the engine weight it's actually sitting perfectly low enough.

The rear is ridiculous. Any advice on getting the suspension to break in a bit?

[Willie_B]

Can you can go so low that the shock is bottoming out? They may just be too tall and hard for good use on the rear.

[94touring]

You could try swapping the front cones to the rear.  However red dots are only recommended for the front on road cars.  Since they do sit higher I recall that the hi los are cut or modified on race cars...maybe on the rear?  Anyways sounds like you need to sell me the rear pair and buy stock rubber for the rear.  ;D

[John Gervais]

Is there any chance you can take a picture showing your ride height and another of your HiLo?  (Genuine Ripspeed or an imitation?)  KYB damper - Gas-a-Just or a 'normal-grade/normal-grade upgrade?  10" wheels?

The KYB Gas-a-Just dampers have an extremely long operationg travel, can be actually shorter than many 'lowered-height' dampers.  I attached a damper chart that I'd started, but never got around to finishing it.

I don't know if you saw this when you ordered your cones, from the MiniSpares website:

http://minispares.com/product/Classic/Suspension/Rear/Dry/C-STR687.aspx?190701&ReturnUrl=/shop/classic/Suspension/Rubber~cones.aspx|Back%20to%20shop

ROAD RALLY RUBBER CONE SPRING - RED SPOT   C-STR687


Genuine Mini Spares product along with C-STR688 as used by serious raceers for maximum performance where other examples available tail off in performance as they get worked. Competition rated rubber spring for use on all Road/ Rally Minis. Priced individually.Should be fitted in axle pairs and front only for normal road use. Some customers fit them all round. Marked with a red spot on the metal base for identification.

The thick top plate has an internal metric thread for strength rather than a nut welded in place as per standard cone springs(MiniSpares design now copied by all).

These uprated springs do not feel much harder or give a harsher ride, but were specially developed specifically to give a more compliant and supple performance by way of careful re-arrangement of the spring rate. Basically, less body roll with a better working rubber cone that does not tail off as quick in spring rate under use . You will need hilos with these as they sit higher and although settle a little, adjustable suspension will be required. Beware of copies on the market as they do not perform the same and not manufactured in the same way.

These are manufactured by a company who are involved in Formula 1 and high profile motorsports rubber parts. Under use they get hot and ours retain more consistency than any other on the market as they are specially moulded.

Keith Dodd fitted 2 on the front of his twin point car without any sagging or deterioration to date after over 10 thousand hard road miles.

If using these on 10" wheels with Hilos cut 3/4" off the end of the centre threaded bolt of the old type Hilo with a circlip as it will bottom out on the cone spring face and the car will sit high, for extremely lowered cars the hilo face will also need machining a few mm.

Like all rubber products they only have a certain shelf life and being fitted equates to the same. See C-STR688 also.

Sold individually


Before you go cutting the HiLo's, I'd suggest offering the pair of C-STR687 cones to someone on this forum who can use them, and maybe has a pair of new Dunlop standard cones to trade.

[SoCalMiniFan]

Thanks guys, I guess I have some more reading and what not on the topic. Thanks for the input.

John: When I get home I'll take a photo and post.

Dan: The rubber cones have less than 500 miles on them? I'd actually say less than 300, I took one longer adventure 100miles r/t and all my driving is around the neighborhood doing burn-outs and honking the air horn because I'm a classy lady! If I swap them out we can work something out.

[John Gervais]

Thanks guys, I guess I have some more reading and what not on the topic. Thanks for the input.

John: When I get home I'll take a photo and post.

Dan: The rubber cones have less than 500 miles on them? I'd actually say less than 300, I took one longer adventure 100miles r/t and all my driving is around the neighborhood doing burn-outs and honking the air horn because I'm a classy lady! If I swap them out we can work something out.

cool -  77.gif   17.gif

[94touring]

Definitely iinterested in them for the fronts on my mini. 

[John Gervais]

This might be an idea -

The guy local to me doesn't want my used std. Dunlop OEM-type front cone.  They're suitable for the rear, though, and I'd use them myself if I didn't already have some installed...  These cones, although around 13 years old, haven't driven very much, a few thousand miles - I only do a couple hundred each year, and still have a bit o'life in them. 

I can take a picture of them, and I've been meaning to for a while now, but haven't had a camera with me when I've been to the garage.  (I haven't been to the post office yet either, have a couple of DVD's for Dan... - yeah, I'm slow...)

The good news is that they've already got the 'Ripspeed HiLow' seat impression on the rubber, so rephrased would sound like 'they're already broken in'.

The bad news, they're pretty heavy, so would probably cost a bit to ship. 

Dan would like SoCal's '687's - I could send my old front's to be used on the rear of either SoCal's or Dan's, and whoever got them could pay postage and/or whatever.

[94touring]

I'm a cone connoisseur, so if no one takes those I'll gladly pay shipping.

[John Gervais]

Cool - I hope to get into the garage this weekend, need to get the upper arms back in. 

So, I'll take a picture of a new C-STR687 sitting beside the older std. cone - I know it's not an accurate comparison, but it'll give you an idea of their state and what you may or may not want shipped.

[SoCalMiniFan]

Hey Guys,

I would be down for a swap of sorts for the rears.  From what I've been reading the Cones I have in the rear really are better suited for the front.  Dan needs/wants those. I would prefer the "broken in" cones John has. John you said they have a rip-speed impression, do you think it will be ok with my knock-off Rip-Speed hi-lo's? 

Let's make it happen.

[94touring]

Pm me your asking price on your cones. 

[John Gervais]

The left side is now installed, just need to tackle the right side.  Pain in the arse, this was... 

I made all the stupid mistakes that I'd made years ago, installed the upper arm and remembered that the cone is too wide to install into the tower with the arm in place, so needed to remove the arm again.  Then, even with the HiLo at it's shortest length, couldn't get it over the knuckle joint without compressing the cone. 

Ok, compress the cone, get the HiLo in place, adjust it up a tad, drop the cone, go to attach it to the upper ball joint, can't lever the arm upwards, so compress the cone and lift the hub with the floor jack, release the cone and realized that the rebound buffer needs to be installed - search through plastic storage boxes as I know I've got a new pair or two somewhere, can't find them, so the old ones get re-used.  Can't lift the hub, so jack the hub up again and squeeze the rebound buffer into position.

Wow... 


I took a couple of pictures of the old cones yesterday, but of course forgot the camera at the garage.  If I can get up there tomorrow, I'll bring the camera home and post an image or two.

[John Gervais]

Right -

Some pictures of my old cones - yes, they come complete with a more than generous smather of copper grease (Castrol, no less...)

[94touring]

Those are nice.  Looks like we all made out.   

[John Gervais]

Those are nice.  Looks like we all made out.

Dan, the dirty ones...

[94touring]

I'm not a strong reader. 

[John Gervais]

It's OK, we all do the best with what we've got...

In addition to bringing the camera home from the garage, I bubble wrapped and boxed the cones, brought the cones home for a shipping label and a bit o'tape, so I'll be sending them tomorrow when my Fiat is in for service - if the supermarket post office will send them. 

Yes, the supermarket post office.  Our brilliant Post Danmark postal service has scaled down quite a bit.  When they closed a plethora of 'real' local post office locations, they opened local branches inside several local supermarkets hither and thither. 

These supermarket-based post offices were in place for many, many years in outlying areas, but never offered 'full-service' functionality.  The country bumpkins would need to hitch-up the team and ride into town for international services.  But now, with the newer supermarket-based branches, some do and some don't offer international postal capabilities, so I'll keep my fingers crossed - all six of them, just like the locals...    77.gif

[John Gervais]

OK - the package is in the mail, and should be arriving at SoCal's place in around a week or two. 

Just be careful when you unpack them, they've got a lot of copper grease. 

[SoCalMiniFan]

After a long week of re-wiring the new to us '81 VW Westfalia for a radio, auxiliary battery, power inverter, and LED interior lighting, top it off with my tenant moving out and needing to prep my Condo for the new tenant I FINALLY stepped into my office yesterday and sitting on the desk was a box from John!

Dan, this weekend I have a wedding so my plan is the week/weekend after to step out and work on my mini.  The first on the list is to take out the cones and put on the ones I got.  I'll get them packaged up and mailed out to you then.

Mini Meet West is fast approaching and my Mini needs nothing to run but a lot to make her presentable!

- Clean up 9gallon gas tank and install
- Line interior, lay carpet
- Some sort of dash needs to be fabricated

I need more hours in the day.

[94touring]

No rush!  I've got so much going on the cones are the least of my worries.

[John Gervais]

Glad to hear that they arrived - kindly let me know what you think of them.

[SoCalMiniFan]

Cones are in.  Ride height is WAY closer to what I'm going for.  My right side went in smooth, easy like good beers go down.  My left hand one though the Hi-Lo doesn't thread as far and it was a royal pain. Had to remove the gas tank, drop the shock, for literally a HAIR of space that was needed.  I really should have swapped the r/l Hi-Lo while I was there for future ease. Oh well. I also noted that I didn't cheap out like I thought I had and I have RipSpeed Hi-Lo's. That was a nice surprise.

Anyway, here is a picture.  I went from almost 6.5" wheel gap to about 3.5" and I think I have some room to adjust the Hi-Lo's and my shocks will break in nicely with the weight of the new 9-gallon tank.  The picture is hard to tell the difference because I shot it at a slightly different angle. Wish I had put up a ruler for before/after.

[94touring]

Wow that's some impressive wheel gap in that first photo! 

[John Gervais]

You know what, I really like the gold wheels against the purple paint.   77.gif

Good score on the RipSpeed HiLo's - built to last and use the original-spec knuckle joints.  Nice!

As for the ride height, I'm having a hard time understanding why the left and right side HiLo's adjust to different 'short' lengths.  Does one have damaged threads preventing it from being screwed into the 'cone'?  Even so, with my RipSpeed units, I lowered my mini and still had around just over an inch of 'thread' visible.  Perhaps the cones aren't seated in the subframe or HiLow?

This isn't the greatest picture in the world, but you can see the HiLo locknut and adjusted threaded 'bolt'.  The mini does sit pretty low - I've since raised it a tad, especially while waiting for the new '687 front cones to settle.