hey everyone

The one questain that people have asked me when i am explaning my future plans for my mini is what diff am i going to use to convert it to rear wheel drive. it had got me thinking aswell. im unsure of what diffs i can use to do this conversion. if anyone has any suggestions or any info theyd like to share please feel free to post it up or just pm me . ohh by the way the engine will be a 13b rotor .. aswell i dont want the tyres poppin out the side to to far .... once again thanx everyone and ausmini for all your help

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i like chicken

The diff out of the car that the 13B come out of!

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Gonna have to do a customised setup. The usual thing to do is get a 1 ton mazda ute setup and have it shortened. Thats what the Gemini boys do.

Or a Ford 9 inch, if you're game....... its a big'n though

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

Jag IRS or a 1600 datto IRS would look trick

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Getting harder to find than the whole car is

Although.... the ones who upgrade to SR20T's sometimes turf their datto IRS in favour of R32 skyline IRS (well, my brother is anyway)

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

Suby rear IRS. Original was supposedly a Nissan anyhow. crap the 2 diffs look similar..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

You talkin' about subarus.... from the brumby vintage?

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

Yeah that's where the original rear diff came from- Nissan. Dunno about Impreza but its casing still looks similar.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I tried the same thing a while back... diff is still sitting in the car.
Same track as a mini,
easily same stud pattern, can then bolt mini brakes on it... straight on.
with an LSD centre. only expensive part are the axles

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Miniworx Centre 0883741299
Sooperdooperminicooperexpertengineering
Online BMW Mini Shop

does it have to b an irs? it will be alot more work fitting it . go ford 9 in or something mazda.

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lookin for another clubby

I would say that IRS is LESS of a head f**k than a solid axle...

Have a look at all these Bike-engined-hybrids in UK at the moment.... they all use IRS

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[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

yes ,but they are all mounted on a custom tubular chasis, and they are all custom made, not modified car items . i think a solid would have less pick up points wouldnt it ?

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lookin for another clubby

What would you be doing for the subframe / suspension set up if you when IRS?

mod a front subframe to go in the back or how?

If you mod a front subframe does there become any hassles because the back weighs less than the front and the leverage on the suspension is now the same as the front?

It's a trifle wierd a setup but there is this rear suspension setup:


It has a single leaf spring between the two back wheels

hey why did that picture go so small? Try:

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Factory/5812/quadra_frme.htm

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

Building or adapting an IRS into a mini has one big problem....the lack of car length. Datsun/Holden (who both got the idea by looking at a Triumph 2000) have a V shaped subframe running forward to mount their trailing arms on. It is not going to work in a mini due to lack of car length. Besides that the whole system sucks big time due to lack of adjustability and more than, that geometry changes. The toe and camber changes are huge. The only reason it would be good for the mini is the same reason Holden used it and that is it would be fairly easy to engineer into the car without huge floor pan mods. The floor pan for the Holden was designed for a live axle and Holden were not going to invest millions changing it and it is rubbish. You need to build a proper 4 link rear end and I don't think it would be that hard to do. The hard part would be engineering it into the car. That would be hard and likely to not find favour with the engineer who has to pass it. If I were he I would want proper drawings etc before I even looked at it. Building a live axle into it is going to be the simplest if the spring mounts can be engineered in and car length will be a factor there also. Hang on a minute, it can't be done as the Mini has no rear overhang and the front mounts would be behind the front mudflap (you get my drift). Coil overs would require major floor work even on a live axle. Life was never simple. While writing this I am guessing it is going to be a road car, because if it were a race car life would be far simpler. The other problem you are going to find would be the considerable differences in roll centres front to rear. if not designed properly it could turn out to be a real beast to get around corners. Another thing to watch out for will be the vertical C of G location. What you are doing is redisigning a car that originally took many engineers a lot of maths to work out in the first place. It is very doable and has been done numerous times before but mostly for the race track. I can supply you with a contact who would more thatn likely advise you for a reasonable fee and possibly for nothing if he was interested enough. Best of luck with your project. I thought of rear mounting motor in a van and running it back through a marine V drive once.....for about 5 seconds!!!! BTW any conversion is going to present huge spring rate problems. The stock springs from anything are going to be wrong. How about a custom subframe with horizontal springs and shocks. No body mods for the shocks just the mounts for the frame. That would be real trick!

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Chris

Everything I like is either
illegal, immoral or fattening.

In a recent issue of Mini World (October 2004) a mini with vtec had a renault 5 rear put in it. These came out in 4wd IIRC. Just a thought. a Good read though as it was not an easy conversion even without a diff.

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Chris

Everything I like is either
illegal, immoral or fattening.