Does anyone know of a decent kit for an R53 with the standard or Aero bumper? I am looking for something that has good fitment and is actually functional, not some junk cobbled together with bits and pieces.
Way makes a nice looking one, ducts replace the fog lights, but it doesn't direct air directly to the hub. Better than nothing though. Minimania makes one that attaches underneath the car--the ducts should only be on at the track, not for everyday driving. The ducts hook up to a modified dust plate that directs air directly to the hub. What isn't available is a kit that is permanent like the Way, and directs air directly to the hubs like the Minimania kit. It can be done as a DIY though.
the way's look good, there is a little dremeling required though, which is not the case for the mm however chances are the mini mania system will get ripped off during street driving. not sure about actual performance or how it compares to mini manias
that's a bit of an understatement :lol: How about "a whole heck of dremelling." Not that it's a big deal--if you're wanting to install brake ducts, you're willing to cut a lot of your car away. I'm so beyond worrying about getting the dremel, or the angle grinder and putting it to my car.
cct1, yes that is a good idea. A big problem though is that you would have to buy both kits to piece it together DIY. Both of these kits are way overpriced as it is, damn. They are just stupid expensive for the components you get. Then of course, you would have to connect the end of the Way hard duct to a flexible duct to get to the backing plate. Obviously, for the Way duct inlet install in the bumper cover there would be some cutting required to mount it. So, is this the only 'dremelling' required, or were you referring to something additional? Also not afraid of a little car surgery.
The modified dust plates are available separately, then it's just a matter of connecting the rectangular WMW duct end with the round Mini Mania end. Oh yeah, and routing it all so the suspension and drive shafts don't interfere. This may be a case where a cobbled together kit is more effective than trying to marry the two. Vader on Metroplex Mini did just that with bits from a roundy round shop and a spare set of dust shields. The results are effective and not at all kludgy looking. Caveat, for those that live where it actually gets cold more than one day in the winter may have issues with directing that much air to the brakes of street driven car. Exp on a cold, rainy day.
Yes, the bumper needs to be cut out to fit the actual ducts, but the plastic behind the bumper that actually holds the bumper on has to be cut away to allow the duct-tube to pass around the wheel well liner and then you have to cut a little of the liner away where the rectangular tube exits and points at the brake/hub.
Some pics of Way's kit: No rotor warpage or hot spotting or pad transfer last time out, and the rotors were thin since they were cut. I'm satisfied with it - don't know if I'll try to get the tube from the outlet to the rotor. Maybe one day. I have the black surrounds from aesthetic creations to go around the inlet to make it look cleaner, but I really don't think I need it. - Marc
Do you mean a vinyl sticker that would actually go behind the inlet and completely black out the area? If so, that would look cleaner, but likely can only really tell from really close. Also, thanks for the pics. Now it is easy to see that the duct exit to the general direction of the caliper, and not the rear section of the rotor as does the Mania kit. BTW, I thought those inlets were for the standard bumper cover, not the Aero kit bumper?? I thought that an aero bumper inlet would fit more precisely and actually be a little bigger.
The problem with the ducts I've seen is the functionality. From an aero and pressure point of view, too many kinks in the duct reduce the effectiveness of the duct. You can get away with more if you are at sustained high speeds, but at the medium speeds the mini will likely see, at a track day, the ducts design leave a bit to be desired. I have to say, some ducts are better than none and there are a lot of obstacles so it will be a compromise. I have a couple of blocks of foam sitting here waiting to get carved into some plugs for molding a set of ducts, but the project keeps getting pushed to the back burner.
You will not typically get near the amount of cooling directly on the hubs with this approach as with a proper duct from a high pressure area on the car. You usually need significantly higher speeds to attain proper brake cooling with this method than any normal MINI will attain on a regular basis on the road or track. Lift lift/drag benefits are well known, but need proper tools to design correctly. Without any data from your scientist, we cannot assume how the tests were carried out. What velocities were these tests conducted out at? Was it a moving plane or fixed tunnel? Would said aero jet rocket scientist like to join our conversation and present their thermal pictures and data for the community to view so we can better understand their data?
Talking to Waylon yesterday while getting a cam installed, he said that he should be getting a new prototype made out of carbon for an aero bumper soon.
Yep, that's what I mean. I doubt I'll even put 'em on. Yep, they're for the regular bumper, but the shop did a good job of getting them to fit and look decent. Now there might be an aero option, but there wasn't when I bought them. Maybe one day when I'm a more serious track driver, I'll look into getting everything hooked up to the rotor. - Marc
Interesting ...I posed this question to GM's chief aero lab technician and he told me, to paraphrase..."while the highest pressure point at the front of the vehicle is typically at the center and lower portion of the bumper (where most car takes advantage by placing the radiator there), brake ducts when installed outboard of centerline but still facing the direction of travel is an ideal area to direct high pressure air into the low pressure cavity of the wheels well. As long as there is not a "torturous" path, air will naturally flow from high to low pressure zones." The Whelan ducts (I believe is copied from JCW cup CF ducts) does not have a "torturous" path. Trust me...there's plenty of air being rammed into those ducts...I believe the countless mashed bugs inside the inlet will attest to that...:wink5::wink5:
The current WMW ducts are for the standard bumper cover but with a little finesse and creative dremel use will work in an Aero bumper. Some more install images. This is into an Aero bumper cover with the intent of having the ducts molded in to look OEM.