Hi
Wondering if anyone might be able to help with a quick wheel question. I am looking to upgrade my 1964 850 super deluxe to 's' spec brakes and have seen some genuine minilite wheels for sale. They are described as 4.5jx10. Will theses be the correct offset for the new brakes? And also is there any way to tell old magnesium wheels from newer alloy ones. Don't want to buy anything the wrong size or unsafe.
Thanks for your help guys
Genuine minilites buying advice
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Tupers
- 998 Cooper
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
I had 4.5x10 S offset Minilites on my Mini with S discs and spacered drums. I can't help with the difference between Alloy and Mag wheels but one would be obviously lightweight.
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skylon
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
Thats a big help. Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. Beautiful car by the way....absolutely love it.
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1071 S
- 1275 Cooper S
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
"Genuine" Minilites could be either the old or new styles....
AFAIK, old ("original"??) Minilites only came in Magnesium. Unpainted, old magnesium will have a dark grey colour - rather then pale grey/silver if its aluminium. And of course mag is much lighter (if you have one of each to compare:).
New Mlites usually have "Made in England", "Minilite" and the size cast into the outer edge. The original wheels were plain (but I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can order the new ones plain....)
The old wheels will have the correct offset for S brakes. The new ones can be had in offsets for either discs or drums.... but I can't find any marks on mine to indicate which is which - although it will be obvious when fitted. They do have different part numbers if you order new ones...
Old wheels should probably be crack tested to ensure safety ..but I've used old ones that had a known (and gentle) life with no problems...
Cheers, Ian
AFAIK, old ("original"??) Minilites only came in Magnesium. Unpainted, old magnesium will have a dark grey colour - rather then pale grey/silver if its aluminium. And of course mag is much lighter (if you have one of each to compare:).
New Mlites usually have "Made in England", "Minilite" and the size cast into the outer edge. The original wheels were plain (but I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can order the new ones plain....)
The old wheels will have the correct offset for S brakes. The new ones can be had in offsets for either discs or drums.... but I can't find any marks on mine to indicate which is which - although it will be obvious when fitted. They do have different part numbers if you order new ones...
Old wheels should probably be crack tested to ensure safety ..but I've used old ones that had a known (and gentle) life with no problems...
Cheers, Ian
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In the shed
- 998 Cooper
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
I acquired a set of old "minilites" ages ago. These are 4.5s and they are "sound". Rich mentioned that they were likely to be early minilifes due to "the way they were". I am inclined to agree. Still, they are quite light and I'm not sure if they are alloy or mag. They weighed in lighter than the alloy ones. They are also surprisingly rough, which I would not expect from Minispares.
I had some JA Pearce wheels and they are "old metal pencil sharpener marked germany" colour (German metal pencil sharpeners are Mg! ). It is quite a pencil lead colour.
One of the problems I have seen with early minilites AND IT IS ONE WHICH SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE HAVE A COLD SHOWER AND NOT USE THEM FOR ANYTHING BUT DECORATION is the "pumice" style porosity of early Minilites. They can "decay" into something resembling thermalite block material. Some people "fill them" and paint them, or run tubes.
My best advice would be to buy a set of wheels in bare metal, or which have been coated so that you can clearly see they have not been "smoothed over".
I am going to hang onto mine for the minute, but I will probably chop them in for a set of rosepetals in due course.
I would buy a set of minilifes, purely because they are not going to fail on you. Old mag wheels are a totally unknown quantity, you can have crystallisation, cracking, porosity, bad castings and it's just not worth it.
I had some JA Pearce wheels and they are "old metal pencil sharpener marked germany" colour (German metal pencil sharpeners are Mg! ). It is quite a pencil lead colour.
One of the problems I have seen with early minilites AND IT IS ONE WHICH SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE HAVE A COLD SHOWER AND NOT USE THEM FOR ANYTHING BUT DECORATION is the "pumice" style porosity of early Minilites. They can "decay" into something resembling thermalite block material. Some people "fill them" and paint them, or run tubes.
My best advice would be to buy a set of wheels in bare metal, or which have been coated so that you can clearly see they have not been "smoothed over".
I am going to hang onto mine for the minute, but I will probably chop them in for a set of rosepetals in due course.
I would buy a set of minilifes, purely because they are not going to fail on you. Old mag wheels are a totally unknown quantity, you can have crystallisation, cracking, porosity, bad castings and it's just not worth it.
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skylon
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
Hi Ian
Thats completely answered my questions...thanks very much for letting me know. The info on the markings was really helpful as they've helped me identify that the wheels I'm looking for are newer and not magnesium so I should be safe to buy them. I'd heard horror stories about older breaking up so I wanted to make sur eI knew what I was buying. Really appreciate your help with that. Thank you!
Thats completely answered my questions...thanks very much for letting me know. The info on the markings was really helpful as they've helped me identify that the wheels I'm looking for are newer and not magnesium so I should be safe to buy them. I'd heard horror stories about older breaking up so I wanted to make sur eI knew what I was buying. Really appreciate your help with that. Thank you!
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skylon
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
Thanks guys.. really good of you to take the time to respond. I think with all your help I've managed to identify that the wheels are definitely the later alloys rather than magnesium. They are going to be used on my car everyday so really wanted to make sure I didn't buy anything that can only be put on for show.
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skylon
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
This a pic of the wheels I'm looking at...the chap who owns them says they came of a clubman with cooper s brakes. It had no arches and they didn't stick out so I'm guessing they must be 's' offset.
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rich@minispares.com
- 1275 Cooper S
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
they are just modern alloy minilightsskylon wrote:this a pic of the wheels I'm looking at...
make sure the nuts & washers are included in the sale, or its another 40 odd quid to replace them!
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skylon
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Re: Genuine minilites buying advice
Thanks for the top tip.....I've checked theyre included....£40 seems pretty steep for wheel nuts! The wheels are on ebay. Set of four with nearly new falken tyres. Currently at £279 so Ihtought they seem like a pretty decent buy if they don't go up too much further. Just hope all the other bidders are skint after christmas. 