Rubber cones: Who really sells OEM quality ones?

[Oew1293cc]

Hi there

Having been out of the mini scene for a LONG time, I've lost track of a lot of things I used to know well..My Mk1 rep currently has the race spec Minitastic coil springs fitted and I'd like to go back to rubber units but I'm confused by seemingly multiple suppliers claiming they sell the OE spec parts. Do any of you chaps know who the best supper is of these?

cheers

Paul

[Tupers]

I'd go with Mini Spares cones over anyone else's. http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... o%20search

[SMOKE GREY]

MiniSport, with the correct rubber compound Alex Moulton engineered. Even got Moulton moulded in.

[Spider]

I'd go with Mini Spares cones over anyone else's. http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... o%20search

These are as close to genuine that you'll find. They are made from the original tooling and using the original compounds. I've used quite a few of these now as well as others, but these are the pick of the bunch for sure.

[Oew1293cc]

thankyou gents!

time to get rid of those toy car springs

[111Robin]

MiniSport, with the correct rubber compound Alex Moulton engineered. Even got Moulton moulded in.

Surprised by that, the ones from minispares have the dunlop and Moulton logos blanked out, presumably due to copyright or similar issues.

[Spider]

Just add perhaps one type to stay away from. I fitted a new set to the front in May, these were Avon Branded ones, done just under 5000 km on them now and they are stuffed.

[SMOKE GREY]

MiniSport, with the correct rubber compound Alex Moulton engineered. Even got Moulton moulded in.

Surprised by that, the ones from minispares have the dunlop and Moulton logos blanked out, presumably due to copyright or similar issues.

Minisport I am pretty sure own the patent/copyright
after working with Alex Moulton on their smootharide kit
Etc.

[Spider]

MiniSport, with the correct rubber compound Alex Moulton engineered. Even got Moulton moulded in.

Surprised by that, the ones from minispares have the dunlop and Moulton logos blanked out, presumably due to copyright or similar issues.

Minisport I am pretty sure own the patent/copyright
after working with Alex Moulton on their smootharide kit
Etc.

No, Valley Rubber do for the OEM ones. The Smootharide are different, though repudedly developed in conjunction with Dr. Moulton.

[rich@minispares.com]

the valley rubber ones are the ones made on the original Dunlop machines using the original methods. the Dunlop bit is blanked out as they are not a Dunlop cone anymore. these are the ones minispares sell and can be considered 'genuine'

the avon ones are copies.

the red/yellow minispares once are made by/for minispares and shouldn't be mistaken for cheaper 'red spot' ones

then there are the unbranded really el-cheapo ones, but the less said about those the better......

[In the shed]

I fitted a new set of Rover ones many years ago and they were so ridiculous....land rover style ground clearance even with hilos wound down. I fitted the ruined ones back on.

A while later, I came across some 1960 cones which had been perfectly stored. These still rode high, but not ridiculously so and had a harder compound IMO. I still have them and they seem OK.

[Spider]

I fitted a new set of Rover ones many years ago and they were so ridiculous....land rover style ground clearance even with hilos wound down. I fitted the ruined ones back on.

A while later, I came across some 1960 cones which had been perfectly stored. These still rode high, but not ridiculously so and had a harder compound IMO. I still have them and they seem OK.

Older cones are stiffer but only because they have aged. From what I d understand, they are made today of the same compound and methods they were using back in 1959. I will add to what I said earlier about the OEM ones in my own use of them that I do like to buy them about 6 - 12 months before fitting them to let the rubber mature. I also did this with the Avon Branded ones and it didn't help one bit.

[mab01uk]

Weren't the OEM cones made softer in the 1980's in an attempt to improve the Mini's ride but also reduced their lifetime over the earlier cones?
If so what spec rubber are todays OEM/Genuine cones made to...OEM early or late?

[In the shed]

Shure Hardness is the figure you are looking for and the pre64 and later cones are different.

It's not an aging thing, it's a vulcanising thing.

[Spider]

Yes, Shure Hardness is the units sometimes used when measuring the hardness of Rubber, there are other methods and units.

Ever looked at old tyres?

Hmmm,,, with respect;-

http://www.rlhudson.com/O-Ring%20Book/s ... aging.html

http://www.bouncing-balls.com/chemistry ... ageing.htm

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/601249.pdf

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie50286a022

In all the many parts books I have going back to about 66, I've only ever been able to come across 2 part numbers for them, the early one having the UNF Thread and the later ones with a Metric Thread, which were changed to around the early / mid 70's.

" Early cones had an imperial compression nut; this was changed to metric in the mid 1970s. When removing or refitting cones, to an earlier car, be sure to use the correct thread on your cone compression tool! "

Source: http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/in ... page&id=52

In all the factory documents that I have there's no mention of a change of rubber or vulcanisation methods or a change of rate in production.

" The compact design & durability/quality of the rubber cone helped make the Mini the classic that it is today. Designed in the late 1950's it was ahead of it's time. The only problem is that some may still be driving around on cones that could have been built in the early 1960's with a UNF thread. They are now only Metric thread. The design is good, not ever lasting. The rubber not only gets very hard but it also sags and loses it's ability to hold the car upright. It is not uncommon to have a cone sag so badly that it lowers the car 2 or 3 inches and it handles terribly. Like all rubber products, they only have a certain shelf life and being fitted equates to the same. "

Source https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... o%20search

I also know what they do from cones that have been removed and my own testing.

edit> if someone has some reliable data / info on a change of compound, I'm sure many of us would like to read it, if you could post it up, cheers

[In the shed]

This is interesting. Interesting links regarding weathering also. In a past life, I was a chemist. I get all of the stuff. My "old" cones were stored in their boxes. They didn't exhibit any signs of perishing .

I forgot where I read about the pre 64 cones being made out of different "stuff" but it was changed. These cones had been in the back of an old repair garage prior to 65 and everything in there was pre 65.

I'm sure there was a book with a really comprehensive treatment of mini suspension and it went into quite a lot of detail about the development of the material and the shape of the cones....and how this related to the shape of the "lands" on hilos.