Front cone removal

[briain]

Hi think I'm going to have to do this job soon. Do I have to get the mini cone compression tool or could I use a normal spring compressor as long as it go through the center of the cone?

[beadles]

i have the compression tool if you want a lone of if
i'm in Mount Merrion

[constantdreamer]

as far as I know you have to use the special tool for the cone as it actually screws into the cone itself. Its a pretty cheap tool to buy though. I replaced my cones a couple of months back ,was not that difficult just awkward as ****!

[briain]

as far as I know you have to use the special tool for the cone as it actually screws into the cone itself. Its a pretty cheap tool to buy though. I replaced my cones a couple of months back ,was not that difficult just awkward as ****!

Yeah thats pretty much what I've read when I googled it was just hoping someone had figured a good way to do it. did your trumpets seize into the cones?

[briain]

i have the compression tool if you want a lone of if
i'm in Mount Merrion

Yeah that would be brilliant if you pm me your phone no. I'll pop up tomorrow to get it thanks

[constantdreamer]

no, the cones came free from the trumpets on the front , probably because of the compression tool. but on the back I wasn't so lucky. I actually pried the cone and trumpet out as a unit, still attached to each other. they were well seized together. I wasn't re-using the trumpets so I never bothered separating them.

[just_st3v3n]

get the tool whether it be buy it or get a loan you wont manage without it...
i did my sisters a while back, they are quite awkward and anoying...
once i got the original cone out it took alot of messing and then i decided to remove the swivel arm <----- do that! makes it a whole lot easier to put the new one back in. keep the cone compressed with the tool and put the swivel arm back arm and thats it basicly....
pretty easy really just hope that none of your nuts or bolts snap which happened in my case

steven

[mustard]

when your using the compressing tool, dont tighten it too tight as i did and i pulled the threads in the cone. just compress it enough but not too much if ya get me drift...

[CLUBMANGT]

Be carefull cones have 2 sizes of thread the tool comes with 2 threaded bars one has a fine thread the other is coarse

[jimbo19162]

Can I ask a silly question ? Whats a cone ? is it the spring off the suspension ??

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Not a silly question at all Jimbo.

The "cone", "cone spring" or "donut" as it is called is the piece of rubber that sits on top of the alloy trumpet in the suspension of the Mini.

[jimbo19162]

Ah cool thanks a mill

[briain]

What a pain in the arse i spent 10 hours at it and i'm still at it. the haynes manual is completely useless which meant I wasted about 4 hrs trying to do that way couldn't open the ball joints. then figured out how to do it. Now I can't get the bolt off the upper suspension arm on the drivers side ( the nut is siezed on the engine side so the plate gets caught on the engine before it comes out far enough to move the suspension arm) any help or tricks please

[just_st3v3n]

im not too sure at what you mean.. but this might help.
to free the seized nut, put an extra nut on the not seized nut so that you can lock the bar going through the suspension arm by putting a spanner on the (locking) nut and the seized nut, and just turn using brute strenth and power
dont know if that was even the answer you were looking for but thats the problem i came accross wen removing mine and it freed up using that method... quite simple really.

steven

[briain]

im not too sure at what you mean.. but this might help.
to free the seized nut, put an extra nut on the not seized nut so that you can lock the bar going through the suspension arm by putting a spanner on the (locking) nut and the seized nut, and just turn using brute strenth and power
dont know if that was even the answer you were looking for but thats the problem i came accross wen removing mine and it freed up using that method... quite simple really.

steven

Yeah I think thats what I'll have to do was pretty frustrated at the time I put that post up. Its just bloody awkward nut to get at. Hopefully it will stay dry tomorrow and I can get it sorted