We started carrying Griot’s Garage products in the stop this month and as part of the dealer agreement, we have to be familiar with the full line of products. So dang, now we have to stay in the garage until everything is polished. I now completely understand why one of their kits is called “weekend …
Armed with my trusty Bentley manual and the internet, I decided to learn how to change my own brake pads. The dealer charges somewhere north of $400 for pads and labor so I thought I set out to get a higher grade pad and to do it for less money. To start with — the …
I think I finally solved a nagging problem I’ve been having with my right rear brake caliper. The right rear brake always ran hotter than the left. In normal city driving, it wasn’t a big problem, but at the track, that meant I would cook the brake pads at the end of a long session. …
Read more “Dragging Rear MINI Caliper Mystery Finally Solved”
If you experience “heavy” steering; notched steering; and/or crunchy steering, try checking these three items below. The first two are caused by faulty designs. The third was probably caused by someone (not me) forgetting to disconnect the lower steering knuckle before lowering the rear portion of the front sub-frame. The steering column is designed to …
I’m not generally a big fan of carbon fiber trim, but this stuff may very well change my position. As I was preparing for the recent JCW steering wheel installation project, I thought it might be a great opportunity to get rid of some of the silver trim I don’t like in the MINI. I …
When you’re driving a car, how do you get feedback from the road? If you’ve been in the GeorgeCo MINI and said “seat-of-the-pants” or “dental fillings” you get partial credit, but the answer I was looking for was “through the steering wheel.” If you’re like me and spend 3 or more hours a day commuting, …
I decided to take the MINI to work this morning to see if everything was back in order after recently replacing the motor mount. The engine seemed to be running a little rough, but I just figured the new motor mount was a little more firm than the old one. I got off the highway …
Read more “Codes P1688 and P0107, WTF? Replacing Broken MINI Crank Damper”
GeorgeCo spent the past weekend at the track in both the GeorgeCo MINI powered by Beano and the GeorgeCo Porsche. Why the switch? GeorgeCo ran all day Friday in the MINI until the tires were shot. Light rain in the morning made the first session loads of fun. It dried out later in the morning …
We installed (and removed) the DAS Sport Roll hoop. Click here to see the complete installation process. Once you figure it out, installation takes less than 45 minutes, less if you have a helper. You loose the rear seats for passenger seating, but no one wants to sit back there anyway. You also get a …
Front Sway-bar Replacement: The R53 subframe design is a wonderful example of compact packaging. Unfortunately the tight confines of the front end makes replacing the front sway-bar a time-consuming activity. It is not particularly difficult, just time-consuming, especially if you don’t have access to a lift. The process outlined below will allow you to drop …