Just like the title says...I know the MINI has routine maintainence, but what should we be doing above and beyond for cars that frequently hit the track? Reason I ask is I honestly don't know. I'd love to see a sticky thread from all of you in the know on esoteric things that we should be checking/doing--lubing various parts (Of the car that is), bleeding the master slave for the clutch, checking/changing wheel bearings, belts, whatever. I've kind of come to the point where I'm planning on keeping my car forever, and a thread devoted to stuff we should be checking but probably aren't would be oh so helpful.... Could be broken down into categories--engine, chassis, etc. Just an idea....
I'll throw in a few ideas: 1. Front wheel bearings. They age gracefully on the MINI, but failures are usually nasty. I had one start to go bad after a lot of miles and a couple of "offs". 2. On the R53 MCS, check the drive belt for cuts or wear on the smooth side of the belt. Strange wear patterns indicate a failing tensioner. 3. The CV joints get quite a workout during autocross days, so listen for the telltale clacking of worn CV joints, and look for excessive slop in the drivetrain. 4. Bushings and rubber mounts! The front control arm bushings wear out, as do the trailing arm bushings. Also, if you have aftermarket rear control arms, check them for soundness once in a while. I had an old set with rubber inserts, and the inserts were degraded way, way past the point of needing to be replaced. The car's handling was very strange. 5. Steering joints. The outer ball joints will get loose. 6. Front lower ball joint. These are very close to the brake rotors and can die prematurely when the little rubber boot splits from the heat. This is doubly true for cars with brake kits. 7. Check the front control arms to see if they are tweaked after a significant "off". They are made to collapse in an accident, and they can bend a little at the built-in weak points.
Ok, that's exactly what I'm talking about! Great place to start. I've been off a few times, I'll definitely check those out this weekend when I go over the car. Got to get a Bentley manual now I see....
And, to state the obvious... brake fluid - minimum of a bleed after each event. I prefer to bleed before and after, just to be sure I have fresh fluid in the calipers before the event. If you're using a fluid that absorbs moisture at an unusually fast rate (like Motul 600) them you may want to do a full flush before events. I boiled my Super Blue on Monday, so did a full flush after the event... Inspect rotors for hairline cracks, ridging, or other excessive wear. If you're on street tires, check wear patterns and rotate accordingly when you get home. My front shoulders were much more worn than my rears. I'm on asymmetrics, so I cross-rotated, which gives the directional wear some relief also. If you're stressing your car with a significant amount of performance driving of any type, I recommend you accelerate the normal maintenance schedule (oil changes, belt replacements, other fluids, etc.)
At the very least I flush the brake lines after every event (and do a complete flush midway through the season), and oil an change after 1-2 events (like to do it after every event, but time doessn't always allow). What I'm mainly after is what Mike put up--the not so obvious stuff that neophytes like me aren't going to think of. Don't want to learn that I should have checked this or that AFTER I've pulled my car out of the tire barrier... Rotors don't even get me started on. Just ask Mark... Tire wear--what camber are you running up front?
This is a good thread idea! Here's the basics of what I do: *Flush brake fluid using ye ole foot pump method [power bleeders don't seem to work on the MINI], inspect calipers for leaky bleeders and piston seals, and inspect brake pad and rotor thickness *Check all suspension bits for wear-n-tear [coilovers in good shape, swaybar drop links and swaybar bushings, control arms, all suspension bearings/bushings, tie rods, ball joints, wheel bearings *Check engine bits: belt, tensioner, idlers, oil, coolant, radiator and intercooler fin condition, air filter clean, engine mounts good *Check seat belts and seat mounting hardware every so often *Check power steering fluid and steering motor fan for functionality *Of course, check tire wear and adjust alignment/pressures/new tires accordingly! If you've enjoyed "mowing the lawn" or any other "off", then it's critical to fully inspect not only the suspension but the whole unibody for straightness. With the MINI it's pretty easy as if you bend the body then the roof will buckle usually near the hatch and the doors won't close correctly. This would be a rare and catastrophic "off" for sure. Through all this, I put the track MINI through a more frequent general servicing in terms of oil, coolant, and power steering fluid changes. I would hazard a guess that 100 track miles [which is about one HPDE day] is equivalent to about 5,000 "everyday work commute" street miles in terms of stress on the body, suspension, brakes, and engine. This exemplifies how important it is to inspect the car before and after each and every track day. Cheers, Ryan
