Recently aquired my daughters 2003. After bodywork, paint, and rotors I started installing front struts.....but upper part of shaft is different. Old strut is 14mm diameter bearing surface and 14mm thread....new strut appears (no caliper so estimated w/tape measure) to have 16mm diameter bearing suface with 12mm thread. Did I get the wrong struts or does my car have the old struts that were supposedly discontinued after 3/2002. I'm willing to buy new upper strut retainers but no idea which ones. Can anyone help with dimensions for which year?
Are the new struts OEM Mini? If so, what are the MINI part numbers on the struts? What is the month "build" date of the 2003 MINI.....
A few folks have ordered struts on e-bay/amazon from one brand...most have been wrong...think it was Stagg...a couple decent reviews...then listed on backorder...then they started shipping... And most folks said they did not fit... What brand do you have? Some koni's do need some slight adjustments for the rears to fit if I recall...but I had my local guy do it...did not want to deal with rusty suspension bits...salt up north destroys nuts, bolts...so having a full garage with a torch, a tap, and extra skills can result in much less cussing......
Buying stuff from folks who know nothing about mini's can become an issue.... You must be the 3rd or 4th one that have had the same issue with stagg struts from eBay (in recent memory).....guess the seller thought the dimensions were "close enough".......or had a roomful they needed to dump...:eek6: Great way to save a buck...lol...good luck.
I went to the Stagg web site..... They list fitment for a bunch of vehicles.... But MINI isn't even listed.... If you can.... Try and get your money back.... MINI specific struts have MINI specific brackets for the brake hose support and brake pad wear sensor.... Might be less headache for you...
These Stagg Struts Are Identcal In All Ways To The Mini's Except Fot The Nut And BearIng Mating Surfaces For The Upper Retainer. Thats Why I Didnt Catch It Till I Tried To install. Started A Complaint W/Seller On Ebay.....Feedback Rating Of Seller Is Very Good Still Trying To Find Measurement Of Inside Diameter Of The Upper Retainer bearing For The early And late 2002 Models To See If They Are A fix.