On Minis it was said that the wings/inner wings provided some of the strength for the front subframe and if you fitted a fibreglass/flip front the recommendation was to fit bracing bars from the top of the tower area to the front of the subframe. Why don't you see them on Coupes/Rossas Is it purely because the engine's at the other end I would imagine the conering forces created would be similar.

I know this is what people say but I've never been convinced.
If you look at a Mini (certainly the later ones), although the front wings/inner wings are clearly providing strength to the front body sections, the only attachment to the subframe is through two tiny rubber mounts like this:

I don't believe they're holding the subframe in, if anything I think the reverse is probably true and actually the subframe is holding the front panel on!

Or in short don't worry about it

I can see where where you're coming from, mind you later Minis feel like a jelly compared with the earlier jobbies. Just being curious

Apart from the tie rod all the front suspension is mounted onto the main subframe tower so all the loads and stresses are dealt with there.



The loads on the tie rod are basically fore and aft and are taken by the very strong perimeter frame of the subframe so I don't think a diagonal brace would be anything but cosmetic.

Was reading somthing in a min mag recently, think it was in readers letters,


Someone was struggling with tyres rubbing on the arches, and it wa said that rover fitted shims between the front subframe tear drop mounts to push the front panel foward forcing the front wings forward and giving a little more clearnce to the wheel espcially at near the end of their life due to mounting tolerances from worn jigs/tooling.


the only structual thing i can see them doing is if you had an accident it will stop the subframe from folding upwards, which on a mini means an engine on your lap, but in a GTM, could act as a good energy absorption i guess

WEST

If you grab hold of the front panel of a bare Mini shell then you'll find you can move it about 6 inches left and right when the subframe isn't in place. The subframe holds the front of the car in place and most definitely not vice-versa.

The brace bars are to try and keep the MOT man happy since most of them don't know their posterior from the joint halfway up their arm and simply reach for the failure sheet if what you've presented isn't precisely covered in their little book.

Iain