Mini Magazine - Summer 2018

MINI
WORKSHOP
Tech
Words and Photography Neil Burgess
Tracking the front suspension is the
easiest suspension change you can
make to your Mini, and I’m sure
you’ve all had the tracking set at some
point in the past.
Four-wheel alignment on a standard
Mini is okay, but with standard radius
arm brackets or even those which let you
change the camber, you can’t alter the
tracking on the rear of a Mini. You can
however get camber brackets which also
let you alter the tracking.
At the front, you wind the end of the
steering rack in and out of the track rod
ends. Winding the steering rack ends
(steering rack tie-rods) into the track rod
end effectively reduces the length of the
PART 3
HANDLING IMPROVEMENTS
MINI HANDLING IMPROVEMENTS
MINI
In the third part of our Mini handling series, we look at the Mini’s tracking;
one of the easiest suspension changes that you can make.
steering rack assembly, so pulling the
back edge of the wheels further together.
The tracking is described as ‘toe in’ or
‘toe out’. When the back edge of the
wheels is closer together than the front
edge then that’s ‘toe out’. Just the same as
when your heels are closer together than
your big toes, your toes are pointing out.
When the front edge of the wheels is
“It is good to have a little toe as it puts all
the bushes and joints under some tension”
closer than the back edge, then you are
‘toe in’. Again to use the feet analogy, this
is the same as if you stand with your big
toes closer than your heels, as your toes
are pointing inward.
The effect of tracking is something
particularly noticeable. If there is no toe
in or out, the wheels will be pointing
directly ahead. This is obviously best for
driving in a straight line as the tyres are
not fighting each other. However, it is
good to have a little toe as it puts all the
bushes and joints under some tension.
Too much toe in either direction,
however, can result in excessive tyre
wear, which you don’t want.
GETTING THE BALANCE
As standard, the Mini comes with a little
toe out. The setting is largely down to
your preference but adding negative
camber is likely to make a desirable
change and a dash of toe in at the front
can make a Mini a little more lively when
turning in. Like everything, it’s a balance
and you will need to work with how the
back of the car is set up. It’s worth
measuring the rear setup even if you are
unable to change it as it can help you
understand what is going on,
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