mk1-forum.net

Link to a previous discussion with an article by the BMC Australia General Service Manager that may be of interest.

https://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?p=175019#p175019

Just read that Win. The slow ride home after a hydro failure doesn't apply to Cooper S's. The rear wheels protrude slightly more than usual and if the hydro does pop, the outside of the tyre comes into contact with the wheel arch.

UNLESS you have fitted the bigger (comp ?) bump stops and then they JUST clear. Happened to me a couple of years ago. Caused by the dick-head assembler (me.....) not checking his work

Abingdon are on record as not being pleased with the abandonment of the rubber cone suspension in preference for the new fluid hydrolastic suspension. It was not well received on the Works Minis, as pitching between front to back caused unfavourable handling. Ways were developed by Abingdon to restrict the flow of the fluid front to back and to add dampers to reduce the pitch. The system was also unreliable in the early days on rallies, compared to the dry rubber cones, with numerous collapsed suspension on events. Timo Makinen continued to use dry suspension until eventually being obliged to use Hydrolastic, as Abingdon was corporately committed to using the new system, despite its shortcomings when subjected to the rigours of hard competition.
(Lots more background to the change is in the book "Works Minis in Detail" by Robert Young).

As I've said before on this forum , I've become a hydrolastic evangelist !
My '67 S is the first one I've owned with the system.
The combination of S displacers and fitment of front dampers seems to give the best ride and handling compromise I've ever experienced with a Mini.
There is very little squat and dive, and the bump absorption is remarkably good.
In my opinion, for a road car, its the best option.
I'm bracing myself for all the opposing views !!

Thanks for all of the comments on my query. I'd rather not turn this into another post arguing for/against hydro, there are other posts where this has been done at great length. I was just interested to learn how BMC adopted the change to and back from hydro at the time.

It certainly made a very interesting thread Robin