Subframe alignment & Flip Fronts
Turbo Mini Forums

I hastily took my engine out at the weekend at proceeded with equal haste to remove the subframe, inner/outer wings and front end to make room for a flip front.

Should I of made up my brace bars before I took/cut it all apart. I was hoping that when I fit solid mounts (both tower and toe board/panel) the subframe should align it's self? I've read before that with the car on the ground, engine in you should jack the car up by the floorpan by an inch or so, this apparently makes it a solid structure after the braces are fitted and car dropped back down to the ground? (quote: http://www.manchester-minis.cwc.net/techni...flip_front1.htm (turboDave))

So with my car up on 4 axle stands and a solid mounted front subframe should I make the braces in this position or do I need to raise/lower/align the subby first?

I hope I'm making sense! Many thanks in advance. G

Yes, Im getting there.....

www.itsmuckingfagic.com

i would recomend having a check of the subframe alignment, theres no garentee it was 100% so start with!!

find an equal pair of points on the front and rear subframes and measure diagonaly between them, if the measurements arn't the same then investigate further, also if you pm me your email adress ill dig out my copy of bmc body alignment data end email it to you.

Thank you, but what about the angle between the subby and shell, will I need to raise one or the other like I said in my prevoius post? Bearing in mind it has no engine or wheels yet.

Yes, Im getting there.....

www.itsmuckingfagic.com

from reading the article my understanding is,

You should lift the car to take the weight off the subframe so that when the brace bars are fitted as the car is lowered the subframe/body will flex slightly and the brace bars will now be put under pressure (do their job). this however assume the engine is fitted.

if you don't lift the car and just fix the brace bars on with the car sitting there the brace bars will not be taking up any stress.

If the car was jacked right up, then the subframe would have the weight of the engine pulling down meaning when the car was let back down after fitting of the brace bars the bars would be under more stress than is optimum.

In your case I think that as there is no engine you can just bolt the subframe up on the solid mounts, check the alignment then fit the brace bars, every thing will be in a nice non stressed situation and every thing should then take the right amount of stress up when on the ground.

does that help?

Joe.

terrific, I'll give it a bash. Many thanks.

Yes, Im getting there.....

www.itsmuckingfagic.com

Ah, I was wondering you had it sused now.