Well... my car has been riding lower and lower in the back, so I decided to do some investigating. I remembered some rubber bushings at tne top of my upper rear strut mounts when I put on the KW V2 coil-overs a year ago, so I stopped by my local MINI dealership to pick up parts in anticipation of a replacement. I've got to say that I was awestruck at how compressed the old parts were! This is after 6+ years and 76k miles. If you are in replacing suspension components, I strongly recommend springing for th extra $80/side to replace these as well.
I posted in the other thread......you answered my questions here Might have to do this on my car? I think Powerflex sells these also?
Just replaced the springs on mine but didn't notice those being so deformed. That said this has got me thinking about the powerflex rear upper strut bushing option; has anyone used these? Thanks for the heads up!
Unfortunately you can't buy just the bushings... you have to buy the entire upper strut mount assembly... plates and all. That's why it is more expensive, I guess. I didn't know that Powerflex made a replacement. I've got their stuff all over the car and would have gotten those as well.
No squeaking, It was just riding very low in the back. The KWs all ride low in the back, but it was so low that I couldn't get a finger between the top of the tire and the wheel well. It was really slammed. I like a lowered MINI, but I wanted a sporty lowered look, not an outrageous lowered look.
Yep... I would have bought these from Way had I known they were available, but they look thinner than the new stock pieces. I really wanted the height back as I'm at the top of the range of the KWs, so I'm not sure... Powerflex Rear Upper Shock Mount Bushings - Way Motor Works
Here is a pic from when I first put on the coil overs... a tad bit too low in the back for my tastes then, and then it settled a bit more. The front has a nice, purposeful drop but the rear was always a bit low for me. I'm happy with the setup now. It could be a tad bit lower, but I'm expecting it to settle a bit.
I would have thought with that much compression of the stock bushing it would have raised the retaining nut on the shock. Seems like you should have heard a "clanking" sound made by the threaded part of the damper shaft moving in the mount??
They wouldn't compress as much as the stock foamish ones..... Wonder how they ride? Might have to order some!
The rear shock shaft is subjected to high side loads because of the trailing arm position. The reason the OEM top washer on the upper strut mount is dished is to allow the shaft to tilt without causing excessive additional load on the shaft neck from resistance to the upper bushing ring. Note the stock upper spring perch (not shown) has rounded edges on the crown, this allows the edge of the perch to roll over the thicker lower bushing to some extent and provide clearance for the chassis mount. The KW upper spring perch has a wide, flat top, which overreaches the stock bushing when new, that's why the bushing was compressed fairly equally across its diameter, yet in the photo below a diagonal compression line can be seen across the side. If it hasn't already, the upper spring perch will eventually contact the upper mount causing hard contact and additional side-load. Look closely at the strut shaft for signs of seal scuffing along the mid section, and at the spring hat for a shinny spot where the anodizing is worn away. Poly bushings have less compliance and greater chance to bind before the trailing arm is at the top range of its arc. If the car is lowered, it is already at its tolerance limit. Soft is best for this bushing application. I would rather the OEM soft bushing be sacrificed over time than creating unwanted shock stiction from working against harder polyurethane. For aftermarket struts with with wide & flat spring hats, the AST rear upper mount is the proper mate currently available. The shaft sleeve within the mount keeps the nut secure on the shaft and the constant side load takes up slack from the compressed bushing.
K-Huevo, I have the PowerFlex mounts from WMW on my shelf now and have not put them in yet. It looks like from your post I shouldn't. I have a squeak in my right rear and I almost 100 % sure it is a rear upper rear bushings. I have already replaced all the other parts. (Endlinks / Anti Swaybar bushings) Where would / could someone purchase the correct "AST rear upper mount" that would work with the KW v'2? Do you sell them? Part Number / Price? Are these the ones you are talking about? http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info.php?products_id=481
I had the AST upper mounts on my KW v2's. Vorslag had to change the bushings to fit the KWs. I suggest Swift springs too. The KW springs sag alot as time goes buy. Mine were so bad after 30k I had tires rubbbing with them cranked to the top of threads. The ride is a little less cushy than the stock uppers, but still good for a DD. I have moved on to AST 4100 but still use the AST upper mounts.
X2 On everything Keith said. I have two Koni yellows in my closet that are destroyed b/c of a bushing at the top being to soft. Aaron paid $80/ea side b/c he also got brand new plates too. There is another 'factory' option from KYB and can easily be sourced from just about every autoparts store for roughly $25/ea side. Ive used the KYBs on three different cars now with good success. Like TT_Zop said, your springs are likely starting to sag past their intended limits and thats the main culprit behind the additional sagging in the rear.
Yes those are the ones being talked about. Those plates are just as solid as the Vorshlag camber plates. As far as your squeak. You might to check the torque on the three bolts holding your front trailing arm bushing in place. Once upon a time an alignment guy stripped mine and werent able to 100% torque one of the bolts down. It was the single most annoying squeak that progressively got worse until I was able to correct the thread within the body.
We've had great luck with the powerflex strut mount bushings. I've not liked the solid upper rear mounts like the AST, they transmit too much noise and vibration. And I've seen two sets of shocks bent and both were using the solid mounts.