GTM Owners Club Forum
http://www.gtmdrivers.com/forum/

Suspension Cones
http://www.gtmdrivers.com/forum/suspension-cones-t3039.html		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  West [ Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Suspension Cones
Right I have been thinking... :roll:

With running Plan B at the moment I am still going to be using cones for a bit longer. Now my Cones are getting old so I am considering replacing, but I do need to weigh up the cost as I will be changing to coil overs later hopefully very soon.

Any way

Currently I run standard rear and machined down fronts with Hilos.

Now Minispares and the like do Yellow dot, red dot and there is the smootharide set too.

So has anyone tried a mix and match, say Yellow dot rears with standard fronts, or red dots and smottharides?

Any experiences?

Neil
Author:  Dino [ Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
No experience of them, but I too have been thinking about options.
Author:  David Large [ Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Neil,

No expeience of different cones, but on the red coupe I owned I put different rated coil springs (as direct replacement for the cones) on the front and the back which was fine and I don't see why your experience with cones should be any different.

David
Author:  West [ Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
David I thought you had put coils on the red one, which ones did you go for?

Years ago when I looked at the coils no one would give spring rates and I want the rates to do some calculations.

Neil
Author:  David Large [ Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Neil,

When I bought coil springs they came in Comfortable?, Fast Road and Competition grades. There were no numbers related to their performance, but then I didn't ask for any. These springs just replaced the rubber cones. I bought them from a firm led by a Japanese guy, but the last contact I had with them I didn't deal with him. I no longer have the papers but I am sure you know where to find them!

On the back I put Competition and on the front I put Fast Road. I think the Competition springs were yellow and the Fast Road were red - but I am relying on my memory here!

They worked well but there are a couple of issues:

Over a fairly short period - say one season of sprinting the rear springs became permanently compressed and "coil locked" so I replaced them. The suppliers did offer to make a different set but I didn't take them up on that.

If a wheel leaves the road either because the car is jacked up or in the excitement of driving when the load comes back on the wheel the spring can be very slightly in the wrong place, which would maybe affect the balance of the car. Easy to resolve.

Hope you are keeping well. are you going to the "run what you brung" mini drag strip event this year? I still have Kermit but I haven't used it for quite a while - it needs to go on a rolling road, that is all.

I bought a Radical PR6 when I retired last year and I sprint and hill climb in that.

regards,

David
Author:  West [ Thu Feb 26, 2015 1:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Hi David,

Yep I know the coils you are talking about, some interesting feedback, I knew about them possibly un seating, but had not come across a coil becoming collapsed, admitely I get a bit fed up with reading some idiots comments on mini forums and lost interest.

Im not bad, have found some new inspiration for the car recently after two years of not doing a lot on it, lots of ideas but not much physical evidance of work an unplanned break if you will, I wont bore you with the details :mrgreen:

Good chance I will be making trips to the drag strip this year not just for Mini in the park, I may also give some track days a go this year, I was waiting for the new rear suspesnion/subframe [plan A] but with resorting to Plan B I may use that as the test bed for Plan A.

Will have to try and catch up again at a hill climb I want to experiance one as thinking about trying that myself for a bit.

Neil
Author:  Starmag [ Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
I've had much thought about this with mine, and I've opted for smootharide cones on the front and standards on the rear.
I'm probably going to be fitting an anti-rollbar on the front as I've read that with the smootharide cones there is a bit of body roll, but maybe this won't have such a big effect with the lighter front end on the coupe?
Author:  David Large [ Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Neil,

I am at Rockingham on March 22nd.

Cheers

David
Author:  West [ Thu Feb 26, 2015 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
According to my calculations a front anti roll bar will be beneficial, and something I will be considering.

David March the 22nd might be possible will have to see how things go my next few weeks are silly busy with sorting my car, supporting Formula E the week before in Miami and a couple of family matters so will pencil it in and see where we end up.

Starmag where about in the country are you? May have a favour to ask.

Neil
Author:  David Large [ Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
I put an anti roll bar on the front of the red one when I owned it. It was very helpful. I used a KAD kit.

David
Author:  Starmag [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
I'm in Devon Neil, what can I help you with? Drop me a PM if necessary :)

James
Author:  Rich [ Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
WEST wrote:
David I thought you had put coils on the red one, which ones did you go for?

Years ago when I looked at the coils no one would give spring rates and I want the rates to do some calculations.

Neil


I've got Watsons springs on the front of my Midas, It's a Metro frame but the basic principles are the same. From memory they are rated at something ridiculous like 4000lb.
Author:  West [ Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Starmag wrote:
I'm in Devon Neil, what can I help you with? Drop me a PM if necessary :)

James


If I get around to it, at this rate in ten years time, lol, I will devise a cunning plan to test cones for their actual installed spring rate, and if I can borrow some other cones I can do some comparisons and generate some useful data. A great plan but I feel time might get the better of me.
Author:  Starmag [ Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Yes Ive seen you come up with this same idea on a few of the older posts! :lol:
I say, just do it!!
Author:  kano nordie [ Tue Mar 03, 2015 4:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Suspension Cones
Looking forward to some results on this issue, at the moment I'm looking at trying coils and rubber springs by trial and error :oops:
John
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/