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2012 R60 Countyman With a Wisbone Backyard
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Top-Maverik-Racer
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:51 pm
In my experience, driving on uneven pavement and around corners has been a real challenge due to my cooper's loose front end. Unsettlingly, the front skips around. We bought new B4 shocks and struts because the old ones were completely worn out. Get your wheels straightened and new tires. The ball joints are secure enough to feel. Swivel bearing on wishbone is snug. All of the wheel bearings are in fine working order. Good sway bar bushings and end links. I am only aware of the control arm (Wishbone) bushings at this point. It appears that the use of a pry bar is causing too much motion. These appear to be simple to swap out because the mounting bolts pass through the subframe and secure the sway bar bushing D clamp to welded nuts.
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Top-Maverik-Racer
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:51 pm
I think they should be more flexible by design; after all, working on the arms of a $100,000 vehicle is no easy feat. While you're at it, install anti-roll bar bushes; polley bushes are a great upgrade; black bushes are more solid, more suited to track days; and yellow or blue bushes are softer, in my opinion.
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Top-Maverik-Racer
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:51 pm
In all honesty, I can't really draw a comparison because all of my other miniatures are F Series. It appears that removing the swivel bearing from the subframe will be the most challenging aspect. In order to remove the control arms, the service manual states that the subframe should not be dropped. Rather than using nuts on the bottom, the bolts for the bushing bracket are fastened up through the subframe using welded-on nuts. Also appears to be enough space to swap out the bushings on the sway bar. Specifically, I'll be using Delphi replacements that come with the bushing already attached. I'll be satisfied if it performs as intended since it isn't a race car.
Just like my F Series Clubman, which is currently on 99,000 miles, you can easily change the anti-roll bar bushes because they are split and can wrap around the bar. I'll take care of the trailing ARMS bushes next Tuesday. I don't have the time to fix them myself, so I'm going to give them to a trade buddy and let him take care of them. In the meantime, I'm just installing standard bushes on mine because I'm selling it. I'm considering getting a 2.0 litre JCW Clubman or Countryman, or maybe fini
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NirviusTom
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:59 pm
After passing through the subframe and the control arm ball joint, they enter a permanently attached cone-shaped region. because of the cone form of the ball joint. gradually becoming snug and nearly impossible to remove. A variety of pry bar techniques exist. Blaster lube by PB. wait till it's off the floor jack long enough to rest the tire on the car's weight, and then you'll hear the tire come out with a tremendous snap. just in time for that deafening pop....bang! It is impossible to predict. Lubing it up is something I do occasionally. returning to it in the morning and lowering the jack partially, of course. Not only did I repair my sway bar, but I also dropped the subframe to update the bushings. a procedure for dropping a 1 inch subframe.
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Top-Maverik-Racer
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 8:51 pm
In general, I despise ball joints. My first line of defence is an air hammer; if that fails, I resort to applying heat.