Mini 2011, 66K miles (33506772789)
Trying to replace the Rear stabilizer end links. The ones I have are dry and completely flexible.

I bought some new ones but they don't fit. They are too long once you account for the extra height of the back ball joint. I've tried bending them and can't. Anyone know a way around this? If I have to rebuy, are there some heavy duty ones people can suggest that are not extra thick?

 

Alright, I just took a cut off wheel to it and now it fits. I'm tired of monkeying around.

 

I just did my rear brake yesterday and dont remember anything that would be in the way. Going to switch back to the JCW springs and Koni's in a few days will have to take a closer look plus I have some new end links to change out as I have it apart.

 

The bottom of the Wishbone backs right up against the bottom back of the rear end link. There is just enough clearance for the thin Mini end links. You could theoretically remove the lower half of the wishbone but that is way too big of a job for me and I don't have a hammer or a socket big enough for that job. I tried the shock all the way at the bottom and jacked it up as high as I could reasonably make it go compressed and it was in the way the whole time. In fact, it is worse going up. I just cut off a 1/4 of an inch off the length and it fit perfectly. It is way too long anyways. It required me originally to buy a deep 16mm socket because the end sticks out so much from the nut. I'm not sure why it is this long anyways.

 

Is this a 2011 Cooper because my 2012 Cooper looks like this.

 

Yes, 2011. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=33_1356
The bottom of the wishbone #9 goes forward back to the frame and behind the end link.

What is that plastic piece behind yours? Mud flap?

 

The picture is basically shot strait up from the shock assembly, I'm guessing you're seeing the dust boot that's in the center of the spring. Depth presentation is not great in the picture. I'm just curious about what you ran into because I'm about to do mine.

 

I tried taking that picture and you don't have a wide enough field to capture the wishbone at all from only 6 inches away given the low clearance of the car to the floor. Otherwise the thing I think is a mud flap is your lower wishbone.

Here is a picture from the back looking at the end link with the lower wishbone. The lower wishbone is the horizontal piece with the clean hand mark on it directly behind the end link. You can see you have maybe an inch and half clearance before the back of the end link hits the lower wishbone. Now this particular end link I could not budge sideways, only up and down. I have another one that that I can twist the end and I might be able to fish it in. However, it is doubtful with these particular end links so I just went ahead and sawed off a 1/4 inch off that one as well so I don't have to bother. LIke I said it is too long anyways and will stick out close to 3/4 of an inch past the nut anyways. These end links probably go on a dozen of cars and some may need this extra length.

The biggest problem with this job is to remove the lower end link which is also not keyed, you really need a 16mm open end bicycle wrench which is only like 1/8" thick to fit in and hold the back. I didn't have one on hand so I used a needle nose pliers which is ok if for removal but not installation if you want to save the integrity of the 2-sided nut. Once my wrench comes in, I will need to pull the tire off and snug this to torque specs.

I wish there was a way to wash all this dust and grime away and prevent further rust and erosion. This car was up north before I bought it. I also changed my sway bar rubber bushings the same time. However, the metal C clamp fitting was rusted. So I had to de-rust it, prime it and paint it and that took an extra 1-2 days that I had no planned on. Buying new ones would have taken weeks so that was a worse option for me.

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Sorry, I get what your problem was. The treads are much longer making the whole thing to wide. You cut off some of the threads. That was the best choice.

 

Yes, it was probably a function of these end links being too wide. I didn't buy the mini ones that look kinda cheap to me. There are choices between $9-$18 a piece for the cheap ones and then some really expensive adjustable ones. I would prefer some that are in the $35 a piece range that are heavy duty. These look like the best ones. Perhaps these would not have this problem.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-meyle-hd...506772789~mhd/

 

+1 the meyle HD and they are pretty nice and heavy duty on the ends. One of our guys is running the turner ones on his R53 JCW, he likes the adjustable.

 

just noticed on my new meyle HD end links that I'm putting on tomorrow has 1 end with a shorter thread. Would guess that's for the lower part so it will clear.

 

yep believe so.

 

No, it is the other way around. Long end goes on the bottom. At least if you want to reinstall it the way the old one come out. I looked at it. However, if you put the long end on the upper side, and put them on backwards, you will not be able to get a socket on it "at all"...even a deep one won't work because the end will butt right up against your brake rotor. In fact, you will have to pull the screw back, just to get the nut started. You need the length on the bottom. You just don't need as much length as they give you if it is thick. I'm not sure any of those other links are that deep. The HD Meyle's don't look that way. Also, if you can position the screw horizontally, you should be able to fish it in. However, mine would not budge until the end weight of the car was on it.

Also, if you look at the picture above you can see mine where a good 1/2 inch longer due to thickness of the housing. However, I think that is a good thing because that means there is more grease in there for lubrication. The existing OEM are obviously cheap and this is a high failure point. I'm guessing any Mini over 6 years, these are shot.

 

New End-links and new sway bar bushings. Creaking sound at the rear like the trunk was left open-- all gone. My bushings were actually not that bad but the end links were just trashed at 60K miles....basically wet noodles.

 

Update on the installing the Meyle HD end links. Finally got my parts in to freshen the F&R upper mounts, bump stops and endlinks so I can go back to the JCW springs. Like mini-is-for-me said the trailing arm interferes with installing the rear end links. I was having a hard time believing that Meyle would build a HD link with this problem so after trying every possible angle/direction multiple times, convinced there was trick to it besides removing the trailing arm that has the toe adjustment in it. I just did what mini-is-for-me did and cut the threads shorter. The longer does go in the bottom like the factory links do. Cut off 1/4 inch and a little angle on the ball joint it goes in with 2-3 threads sticking past the nut. It's hard to believe that Meyle would design it this way with such a simple fix to making them install easily. No issues on the front and now the car is tight and rattle free.

 

Close up of modified end link showing threads

 

There probably is a trick to it, but once you thread the nut on, start the cut wheel and cut off a 1/4" off the end, you realize you spent way more than 4 mins. thinking about it. lol

So are you saying you replaced the front ones too? Is that much harder or about as easy? My guess on as bad as the ones on the rear were, the front ones can't be in too much better shape. I don't hear any sounds up front but now that the back is so tight in curves, I notice the front is a tiny bit loose. It makes the car take curves so much more commanding.

 

If there is a trick to the rears without removing the trailing arm I never found it. Yep the first side took 45 minutes the 2nd side after going straight to cutting off some of the treads took 10 minutes and part of that was removing the wheel and putting it back on.

Fronts was just a bolt off and back on. This all really started because one of the front inner ball joint was bad so I figured just to replace all the front suspension parts that had access while the subframe was dropped. Plus switching back to my JCW springs decided to replace all the bushing and end links. Ordered all my parts got everything done but front items. My friend that owns a shop has the car right now will change those and align it . I really just did not want to do the front without a lift.

 

Well I looked at one Youtube video and it looked easy. However, yes, if you are trying to do the bushings and everything else on the front, I believe that is a Royal PITA.