I have non runflat 18" Conti DWS 06 Plus tires on my 18 Clubman S and it seems to get a lil squirrely just off center under any acceleration other than light and gentle. I'm a bit of a lead foot so it always feels like the front end is extremely light feeling and wanting to torque steer just off center, even at interstate speeds when I hammer down. It's to the point that if I somewhat aggressively pass on a 2 lane or the interstate I better be holding the wheel tight because it gets pretty unsettled and I look and feel somewhat like I can't control the car. I'm told that it is because the Contis are a hard compound tire and have a high wear rating. My question is does anyone else on here run these and what are your thoughts. Also for those of you with non runflats what are your pressures front and back? Should I stick to the 35front 32 rear thats on the door jam or take it higher?

 

I run those in winter and like them.

Mind you, temperature and speed matter. If I set a Conti at 32 in the shop, it will be 29 on a freezing morning and 35 on a warm highway. I watch TPMS real time normally, and it has been eye-opening.

Given that, I run 32 front and 34 rear - and see the whole range previously described depending on conditions. I run 225 on an 8" rim which is a good fit and well supported. A 205 on the OEM rim is the same way essentially a square setup. Neither seems to like excessive pressures.

I obtain even wear, and certainly better traction than an over 35 psi would grant me.

However, I do find that it is prudent to have both hands on the wheel before pushing too hard on the throttle - and that applies to all four of my Minis over time.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Maybe you should have your motor mounts checked.

 

My previous experience with Conti DWS's was that they had fairly 'soft' sidewalls, which was great for absorbing bumps in the road, but not so great for cornering. Please note, these were pre-06 variants, 17's on a Subie Legacy Wagon. I remember running those 2-4 psi higher than the oem A/S Yokohama's that came on the car and it helped them seem a lot more stable. Certainly couldn't hurt running your tires at 37/34 F/R to see what changes you notice. You would just want to make sure you don't start to crown the tire and wear out the center strip of the tread with too much pressure.

Even with an ALL4 version, I notice some torque steer from my Clubman and certainly remember the torque steer a former SVT Contour used to put down with FWD.

 

I actually ended up with these tires because all 3 mounts were bad at the same time last year and tires were part of the troubleshooting. Im trying a slightly lower pressure right now to see how that works. Probably doesn’t help matters that I have the Dinan tune and lots more torque on a fwd.

 

Sounds like a normal front wheel drive Mini to me. I test drove a JCW convertible about five years ago. Torque steer was terrible on it. You really had to hold on when you put your foot in it. From that lesson I ordered an all wheel drive JCW Clubman that should be a lot better with all wheels pulling to distribute the torque.

 

I run 36 psi front and 34 rear on my JCW which is running 320 bhp and 450 nm torque, the tyres are Mitchelin Pilot Sport 4 ,although i have just put a pair of Goodyear Eagle F1 on the front ,all tyres are 225/40 x18.