As some of you know, I recently changed from my stock v-spoke 16" wheels with Dunlop run-flats to 17" flik wasps with stock (17") Dunlop run-flats.
Since the change, I have noticed that the car seems more prone to wander from side to side. It almost feels like a tire may be flat, or at least low. I check the pressures, and they are all around 36 pounds. Yesterday, I took a corner a little fast (the arrow was orange) and the BACK end started to come around. I've never had that happen in a MINI or Mini before. I was not on the accelerator, nor the brakes, and there was tire squeal all the way round the corner.
Any ideas? Alignment maybe? I haven't hit anything, and it wasn't doing it before I changed the wheels.

 

did you get enough miles on the tires allowing them to break in?

 

The tires had been on the wheels for a couple of thousand miles on the car of the guy I got them from. Then sitting in his garage for 3 months.

 

Your tires might still have release oil from the mold...drive gently for another 50miles or so and see how it is.

If it still tend to oversteer, lessen tire pressure on the front by 2psi
vs rear. (34psi front / 36psi rear).

The wandering feel is probably from tramlining from the tires. not sure,
but probably.

 

I've also put close to 2k miles on since these have been on. It honestly feels like I have low pressure in a a non-runflat tire. I've checked the pressure in these things more in the last 2 months than in the prior 2 years on my original tires.

 

Had the same problem but it was the pressure was too high I am at 34 now and it is better; but my situation is slightly different in that I also changed the tires and wheels. Are the Flik wheels alot lighter??? My new wheels are 5 lbs lighter and I wonder if that has something to do with it because I still don't feel that the new tires and wheels feel as sure footed as the stockers.

 

oh.. you should get different tires then.

 

I believe the Wasps are quite a bit lighter than the stock wheels.

 

I replaced my 16" x-lites and runflats with 17" Konegs and All season Falkens the same I picked my car up. In the fall I put them back on, swapped them back in the spring, and back one time a month before I traded it in.

I experiences severe tramling with my 17" inch wheels and tires. After every switch to the 17's I would be really disapointed in the ride and the cars desire to hunt out any and all ruts, especialy while braking. Having become very used to the 16's, you may be experiencing a similar adjustment.

 

If you want to REDUCE oversteer, you want to REDUCE the pressure in the rear tires. You want to soften the end that is breaking away first to reduce that tendency - either reducing tire pressure, or adjusting sway bar to the outer ends.
Reducing pressure on tires increases grip (and rolling resistance)

It does sound like Agro is experiencing tramlining. I've got the Goodyears on Slites and haven't experienced tramlining. Just swapped to Xlites w/Dunlops, but haven't driven on them enough to compare.

 

Agro,

I also have the same situation with my 17 inch FLIKs with the run-flat tires. Originally, I had my Falken Ziex's on the FLIKs and the car did not feel like it does now. I put the run-flats (Pirellis) on the FLIKs because they are the summer only performance tires and the FLIKs are my summer wheels.

When I recently switched from the s-lites/falken combo to the FLIK/pirelli combo the ride changed dramatically. My car now pulls both directions searching for a place to go (except, it seems, in a straight line). The Pirellis do not handle nearly as well as the Falken/s-lite combo either.

I guess my desire to get the life out of the Pirellis is going to end in the near future. I am going to buy another set of tires (non-run flats) for the Fliks for the summer months.

I feel your pain. I currently have 35 pounds of pressure in the Pirellis. Going to lower to see if it helps. Or should I increase it? Not sure what to do...

 

So what's the answer? Increase the presssure? Reduce the pressure? Increase pressure in the left front and right rear while decreasing in the left rear and keeping the same in the right front? Move my change to my left pocket? Get new wheels? Go back to the stock 16s? Get new tires? Drink heavily enough that I don't notice it?
I love the way the wheels look, don't want to get rid of them.
I want to keep the runflats as long as possible (the whole spare tire situation, you all know how that goes) and coz I don't want to spend money for new tires when these have 70% or more tread left. Also, I want to support the Australian company, Dunlop.
What do I do? This weekend I'm driving the "12 miles of terror" with the Sin City MINI Club. Is this likely to be a problem?

As I said in my original post, I have never in my life had the back end of any MINI or Mini come loose before. I was surprised as hell, but the car was very easy to straighten out. Opposite spin the steering and floor it, no worries.

 

We have 2 MINI's. My wifes car has stock 17" S-lites with Pirelli runflats. Handles crappy and follows every grove in the road. I had stock 16" V-sopkes with dunlop runflat on mine. No problem. I put 17" Kosie's and BFG G-Force Sport tires on it. Again, no problem.

Bottom line, from my experience, I'd bet it's your tires. 17" runflats just don't seem to do a very good job.

ripley.

 

I'd get new, non-runflat real performance tires.

 

I would suggest to lower the pressure to 28psi back and 30psi front. The run flats are so stiff you need to lower to make them work right don't for get to reset tire monitor. The tire pressure specs on the door are for regular tires.

 

The back end comes around when there is to much air in the rear,lower the pressure 28psi

 

congratulations, It seems to me that your driving skill has out grown your run flat tires so the time has come to get tires that can handle the extra speed you re carrying in the corners. BTW the Flik wasps are about 5lb lighter than your original wheels.

 

Actually from experience, when you reduce tire pressure it softens the
side wall rigidity and causes instability. when I was getting too much
oversteer, I lessened the front pressure to lessen the quirky response
while stabilizing the rear so the tires would not collapse at high lateral
g.

maybe this is only true on higher performance tires...

 

This points out the signifigance between front and rear - understeer vs oversteer is relative - and proportional to front vs rear. -

in this case pressure are acting as anti sway devices - think of retaing pressures like swaybar dimentions.

A bigger front bar - counteracts a oversteer - ere go higer front pressure may exibit the same feel.

Alex

 

Well, I am still confused. Should I increase or decrease? Should the fronts and rears be different pressures? Someone help me...

 

what pressure are they at now? You want a few more psi in the tires that you want to have better traction. the person saying to lower the pressure is refering to drag racing not the lateral loads you are having a problem with.

 

They handle just fine on mine.

 

Well, the Sin City MINI Club did a road trip to Sedona this weekend, and came back via the "12 miles of terror" aka the road to Bagdad. I was pushing the car pretty hard at times, and was leading the group on the 12 MOT all 3 times. I only felt like the back end wanted to come out once, and that was under fairly heavy brakes at the crest of a hill.
I guess my problem could be because I'm trying to wear out my brakes before October, so they will be replaced under the maintenance contract. I've never been one to use the brakes much, especially in a Mini/MINI. I was taught to change down to slow down. Brakes are for complete stops, emergencies and when you're really pushing the car near it's limits.