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Should my car have the thick spacers between the subframe and the body, I can't remember if it had any when I dropped the frame several years ago. It's a '68 on hydro. Did all the early cars have them?

Only if the Italians did them differently - UK hydro cars don't have spacers.

This has me worried My car is a 66 reg (late 65) car which was on hydro. When it was stripped i don't remember if there were spacers or not but when i fitted dry frames to it we fitted spacers? Have i dropped a bo--ock?

No thick spacers for UK or Aussie wet Mini! but watch out if you use new bolts! long new bolts(wet bolt has smaller dia. 3/8') for dry subframe has 5/16" dia, and IT bottoms out when fully screw-in, check the tower and test fit before put back the subframe, it waste me 2-3 hours to re-drop the frame and shorten the new bolts!

Has anyone ever tried these?

http://www.swiftune.com/Product/880/swi ... d-kit.aspx

I always thought Hydro cars, ran studs and only the dry ones used bolts.

Smiffy wrote:I always thought Hydro cars, ran studs and only the dry ones used bolts.

early dry ran the studs, then went onto bolts

hydro ran bolts (which are different thread to the dry ones (just to confuse people!))

I think the studs are much more user friendly! SO easy to align the subframe and crossmember,:mrgreen:
Why change to bolts???
Like the cylinder head studs and bolts?


Al

The general rule is:

Studs = Cowley built
Bolts = Longbridge

Hi, so if fitting dry frames to a hydro car spacers or no spacers?

my S.A. Traveller 1000 from 1967 had studs and is a dry car...
I think they just used what was available / in the shelf

Another intrigueing thread guys.
I thought (and read) that all Minis up to 1972 had the metal pads / spacers fitted.
I scrapped a 72 and that had spacers. My 68 wet S had spacers and My 67 Woody.
When I get a chance I'll check My 61 and my Wet 68 and another 67 Woody.
As an aside all coopers and S's had bolts rather than studs as tower fixings.
There are 2 types of spacers as well, solid steel and metallistic type with rubber in between 2 steel plates.

Let the debate continue.

IT is supposed the wet subframe is taller than the dry one, than they don't need the spacers, but when I measure the wet frame it reads 365 mm, the Factory manual gives about 375 mm- that means some how my wet frame is shorter?? But stick to the rule of the game, I have not use the spacers, all seems OK, so if using dryframe (shorter height) on a hydro shell, you need the spacers and you will find the two protruding holes on the towers fits nicely in the spacers plates! Dose it help? Steve!
Why this thing is so confusing?

AL

Does anybody have a change point for the spacers? As there are two types :

I can't find any change point date at the moment. The 72 I stripped had the solid steel spacers, the type on the left, above.

Managed to get a look at the other Woody (67) this evening and that has spacers fitted.

My '70 Mk3 has the ones on the right

My 61 Minor has spacers and the 68 Austin has none.

Cheers Al, wasn't aware the dry frame was shorter, glad i fitted the spacers.

Steve,

U are welcome!


Al

I have a 1960 Austin and it has no studs and the spacers on the right .

I must admit it was in bits for 10 or so years after stripping it and has been back on road since 2004 (with new subrame) ......
However because it was in bits so long I had mislaid stuff (as you do) and only remembered the plates when talking to a friend about them coincided with me finding a bag of parts I had forgotten about over several house moves that I had originally wrapped up during dismantling back in 1992 !

So, I run dry without them .
What does that mean ?
Its lowered before I start lower the suspension ?
Had no issues fitting frame .
D