The topmost peace where your strut is connected has came apart. It is very hard to explain with my little knowledge on cars. Check the picture to see what I mean. Someone I had look at it called it a top hat. It's the right side that's affected. Here is the left side that is not broken for a frame of reference. Anyways I have been driving it with that broken for a couple months. It causes a squeaky noise when the wheel gets turned. I am wondering how to specifically describe this issue and find any information I can on how to get this fixed so I can have an idea for how much it would cost. Thanks in advance. Edit: posted on bimmer forums and found what I needed http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2142131
Stop driving it till you get it fixed. That's the top strut mount. To change it you need a spring compression tool. I believe the part is $60 check with eMiniparts they are one of our sponsors.
Also check to see if the area's where the numbers are stamped into the steel are flat or "mushroomed". This will also need fixed if "mushroomed", and strut defender plates fitted to help prevent this from happening again.
Rather than buy some more oem top hats that will fail again I'd recommend a set of IE fixed camber plates. A block of wood & a BFH will fix the mushrooming. Welcome to M/A
Of course, it might help if you were to tell us where you are located.:confused5: Online help can be useful, but, if you are close to where some of us live, it just makes more sense for a visit....
If parts like this are such a great help and idea, why do people take them off again and sell them? I see this a lot on forums, someone buys an expensive CAI or suspension or exhaust and a few months later it's for sale in the classified.....just makes me wonder why, that's all....... And Scott, he did edit his post to show he'd found the answer already.... Those strut towers do not look like they need any attention to me. I'd leave them be and just put new strut bearings in - the OEM ones lasted this long (8 years), why not go back to those?
I'm impatient sorry I posted in 3 forums the same question, for some reason I was not emailed about on replies on this forum.
Yea everyone says that same thing about mushrooming, "a block of wood and a bfh" and i have yet to figure out what that means. Pretty sure I'm going to sell this car and I'm just going to fix this particular issue.
A block of wood and a big freaking hit will pretty much beat down any mushrooming. If that is the only issue your MINI has, I sure would not be ditching it anytime soon. BTW, thanks for mentioning where you are located. And, unless you send a private message to whomever you wish to get a reply, you will not get a reply unless you happen to check back in the thread of the forum you are interested in reading.
BFH = big farking hammer. Don't worry about posting your questions in more than one place. Pretty sure everyone has done that a time or two.
HEY.....welcome back! Glad to see you here. Hope you will reconsider selling the car. This is simply a wear item that most cars will have fail on them. Get a new one and have fun with the MINI.
The plan is to sell it after I fix it, however it will be tempting not too. I also have to fix a few interior issues. Replacing this part And also fixing the sagging headliner that was probably caused by this whole being here. (Pic taken before sagging headliner so that's why you can't see it)
You need a new guide support, or upper strut mount as most people call them. MINI Cooper Strut Mount It's a easy fix. The cover your missing should be easy to find, i thought we had one but i don't see it. Any car at a junk yard should have it in place. you just have to find a car with no sun roof, or I'm sure we could get you a new one. I bet they are around 7 bucks. Chad Detroit Tuned Ch