Fitting front hilos
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi all jus came in from the garage chucked me tools on the floor in disgust, Do you need to use a cone compressor tool to fit the hilos to the front subframe? I read somewhere that you dont need to but my hilos won't adjust any more to get the hilo in without compressing the rubber cone it needs about 1/4 of an inch more to go in. and when trying to compress the cone there was a loud bang and a stripped tool
Not happy

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Yes buddy you usually do need to compress the cones to get the hilos in. Sometimes like you say, you can get away with it, but commonly you need to compress the cone. If it has stripped all is not lost, if there is no trumpet in there either take it out and re-tap the hole, or get a nut on the trumpet side of the cone and screw your compressor into that.

Ahh cheers Tom, slight prob tho i stripped the tool not the thread in the cone and i spent all lunch making a new rod because the last thread stripped! This is why im annoyed. Guess the only way is to buy a new compression tool.

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Make sure you are using the correct threaded part of the tool. Earlier cars have an imperial thread, later ones a metric thread. The imperial thread is much finer than the metric. From memory I think the imperial is 1/2 UNF and the metric M14 but I could well be wrong on that. I think the changeover date was 1976 when the front subframe became rubber mounted, again one for correction possibly, I can't remember any more.

Ahh thats prob the problem then its 1986 car but wasnt sure if they were still imperial or not. Rite cheers tom il make a new shaft with a 14mm thread on it. only got the imperial shaft because its a really old tool

Cheers Matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Check that it is M14 before you go making something!! I _think_ it is, but I am not 100% certain.

I managed to squeeze my hi low in without a cone compresser, using new cones.

I did have to use a bar to push the arm up into place. Can't remember quite how. But it is possible.

sorry to hear about it Matt but thats life s***e happens sometimes

you are right tom 1/2 unf to 1976
gosh thats some 29 years ago!
how time flies
i naffed one up some 20 years ago.

well after 76ish M14 course metric,
if the threads are ok in the rubber cone, then try againg using the M14 thread and put a small 1/2 " cut 180degs to each other up the lenth of the thread from the btm only 1/2"up
this will aid cleaning the treads out as you go.

if the thread is U/S drill througth the cone using a 14mm drill with this brazed or welded onto say a round bar and then tap to M16 with a tap welded on to around bar
then use M16 threaded bar to compress the cone.

this is how i got round the problem:

Edited by BENROSS on 23rd Feb, 2005.

Tip....

if you use a compresser obviously you need to take the bonnet off, the main tip is to compress them under the weight of the car, ie not jacked up.

If you can't compress them for what ever reason just cut them in half( a pain i know but..) and bin the standard trumpet and replace the hi lo in that you wind in shorter so it fits...

then adjust accordingly to suit ride height.

Done loads of sets...

JF

Ahh rite yer its 14 mm il try drilling and tapping to 16mm then. The subframe is outta the car and im putting hilos in but they are 1/4 of an inch to big to fit under the cone without compressing it. its getting annoying now lol

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Have you removed the small rubber rebound stop (one fitted with single phillips screw) this gives a little more clearance to fit hilos without compressing cone. Failing that should be an easy job (as subframe is out) to whip off the top arm, assemble knuckle joint and hilo then refit.

Edited by T3Tone on 23rd Feb, 2005.

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

iv fitted and removed std trumpets before without a cone compressor by simply removeing the bottom arms. didnt take to long.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

The problem is that on many of cars, the cones have been changed at sometime. It's essential that you find the proper thread... Don't take the pre/post76 as gospel

Is the compression tool possible to make as I begrudge paying the RRP for them?

Yes, Im getting there.....

www.itsmuckingfagic.com

You proberly could make one but its not really that easy to make lots of different types of threads in it. I made a new shaft for mine (the bit that screws into the cone) But got the actual tool second hand from the free-ads worth checking those i guess. By the way thanks for yor help guys got the hilos in and the subframe is on the car jus gotta connect the brake lines etc and get everything ready for the engine hopefully will be in next month!

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!