Hi All,
I've searched but couldn't find the answer I was looking for on this.
I just picked up an '06 MCS with LSD and 19K miles. I think I have a might have an alignment issue but I'm not sure that is the complete issue.
When I can find I decent flat road around here the car appears to have a very slight pull to the right. HOWEVER a moderate change in throttle position will cause the car to really pull to the right.
Not in a torque steer "wrestle the wheel" kind of way, but more like it is just really amplifying the slight alignment pull it has.
It's easy to cross into the other lane if you arent correcting it. Conversly, when I let off the gas I can summon a directional change as well.
It should also be said that I've been driving/autocrossing front wheel drive hot hatches like the CRX and GTI for 20 years, so I am familiar with how a light FWD sporty car should behave.
My question is: Does the MCS typically magnify minor alignment issues like this or should I be looking for something else like damage to the suspension?

THANKS ALL!

 

An alignment would not hurt. MINIs don't torque steer, at least mine doesn't.

 

Agreed. In fact, I have made the appointment and am booked for next Wed.

Now for the lesson on "PWF" or Posting When Frustrated:
Last night after I posted this I was lying in bed wondering what could be wrong with my new toy.
It hit me that I did not check the simplest thing. TIRE PRESSURE.
So at lunch today I checked and the Drivers front was 10LBS over inflated !
and the passenger rear was 3lbs under inflated!
So I corrected the pressures and the sensation is GREATLY diminished. But I still think there is enough to warrant an alignment.

 

Hopefully, tire pressures fixed your problem.
However, if the toe is off it can get worse when you accel/decel because the toe will change slightly as the car lifts or dives. If after your tire pressure adjustment you still feel a pull, you should get the alingment checked. Bad toe can eat a tire so it is worth the cost of an alignment to save a tire.

 

Thanks quikmni, that's actually comforting because it does feel as though the reason for the change is the weight transfer when accelerating or decel so maybe the toe is out. Alignment check set for next week.

 

It could be a deflated right tire. My car did the same thing because the runflat was letting out air on the side. I fixed it and no more pull.

 

If all is well, this shouldn't happen. If you still get a pull after checking all you can, then check to see if some of your suspension is loose. A worn or sloppy bushing can allow movement under torque or load and cause the left or right wheels to move or change angles and cause a run off to the left or right.

YD

 

I'm having the same pulling issue to the right, but had just recently gotten my alignment done. I checked tire pressures on the front and they were at 38-39 ish. (I thought MINIs were supposed to be at 35?) Anyway, lowered them to 36 on both, but didn't check the rear wheels. I am still having torque steer and what seems to be alignment issue, too. The wheel sits slightly at an angle while "at rest". I know my 05 MCS originally didn't have torque steer when i first got it, so naturally when it happens now, I get worried.

Alignment was done at the dealership and on the 2nd day of driving it after I got it back, I really noticed the TS to the right as well as the drifting to the right while coasting or in neutral. If the hill's at a leftward slant, then I go dead straight lol...

Any suggestions as to what the problem could be?

If it's definitely alignment I'll have a row with the dealership since they should have fixed it the first time. But if it's something else, I would definitely like to know.

Thanks for the help!

 

tenshiryu,
Sounds like an alignment issue. Did they give you a print-out of the before and after alignment settings? If so, maybe you could post the sheet.
So was the alignment good for a day and then went bad? Did you hit any big bumps or pot holes? Maybe you knocked it back out of alignment.
If there are any worn parts that might have impacted the alignment, the alignment shop should have noticed those parts and pointed them out to you. Are your tires in good shape with no unusual wear?

The shop I go to will re-check and adjust the alignment for free for six months. The dealership should be willing to recheck and adjust the alignment if you still have a pulling problem. Or they should tell you what is causing the pulling.

 

My Mini has the EXACT same issue. I noticed it happening as soon as I had the front control arm bushings, a set of Dunlop Star Specs, plus Ireland Engineering camber plates installed. At first I suspected a bad alignment with the camber plates however I've had the car aligned three times, and the alignment is SPOT ON!

The car generally tracks straight, but as soon as I give it much throttle, it pulls pretty good to the right, and if I don't fight it I'll find myself in the next lane over. When I let off, the car will go back the other directions, so it's a bit hairy. I can actually make the steering wheel turn by applying throttle. It's unlike any torque steer I've experienced before. I had an Acura Integra GS-R w/240whp that didn't have near this amount of fight.

I've also noticed that if I'm in the middle of an aggressive turn, it feels like the car suddenly has a burst of toe change and extenuates the steering angle so I suddenly have to make steering adjustment. Guess I'll have to put the stock camber plates back into see if I can narrow it down. Could it be the poly bushings?

 

quikmni -
Tires are new (less than 3 months old) with good wear - or so the dealer says. This time around they didn't do the print out, though the time before they did. The road home from the dealership doesn't have any bumps, nor the road to work - where I noticed the steering wheel being off + the drifting on neutral.

I had asked the service to do a full-check of my car because it was the last one before my car warranty expired. I'll really not be a happy camper if I find out that things need to be replaced after the fact -- mostly when this was what i was trying to avoid in the first place.

I'll call them up and see what's up. Before, they said they'd switch the tires cuz it could be that, but if it's even wear, it shouldn't be a problem, right?

 

I agree that switching the tires should not change a drifting issue if all the tires or worn evenly.

If the tires are worn unevenly (usually due to an alignment issue or worn out parts causing an alignment issue) you can notice a difference when the tires are swapped front to rear. I have a 4x4 truck with large off-road tires that frequently wear poorly and I can always feel a big difference when the tires are swapped front to rear.

With only 19k miles I would hope that the control arm bushings are still OK but you might want to specifically ask the dealer because that is a part that seems to wear-out quickly on the Mini.

Good Luck with the dealer.

 

Just got the Mini back from the shop. Thought i'd post the conclusion to my post especially since others seem to have some concern about the issue as well. Thanks to all that answered and gave opinions.
My alignment checked out perfect and my bushings still look and perform great and nothing was found to be bent anywhere. So what was it?
TIRES.
Now, If you look at my tires you will NOT notice any appreciable difference in the wear.
In fact, I was so skeptical that in order to demonstrate the point they swapped the tires around on the car and the car now pulls to the OTHER side!
I will reiterate that without taking measurements you would not notice a difference in the wear. But it's there and it's the culprit.
My guess is the previous owner did not rotate the tires properly and on such a short wheelbase and responsive car it really magnifies the effect.
Now I get to shop for new tires and the wife will have to understand...It's for safety you know!

 

Thanks for posting the results.
I am glad you solved your problem but sorry the solution requires new tires.

 

Ok here is the FINAL final result...
Put the new tires on yesterday. Hankook Ventus V12 Evo's in the 215/45-17 variety.
ZERO pull in any direction. I can literally take my hands off the wheel and acclerate briskly without pulling to either side.

 

Congrats on the new tires and finally having a car that is nice to drive.

 

I'm having exactly the same problems that you described... and it can be downright scary. I've observed that it always happens while accelerating right around 3500-4000 rpm, and while the car jerks to the right the steering wheel actually turns counter-clockwise. As soon as you let off the throttle it jerks back to the left, and the steering wheel turns to the right.

I had A LOT of damage to the front end of the car when I hit a 3" slab of fresh pavement (on the highway, approx. 70mph) with no transition at all... apparently the crew just stopped work and walked away during the previous night. I can list all the repairs & replaced parts if needed, but rest assured that capable mechanics have done everything that could logically be the cause. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be very grateful... this happened back in June, and I'd really like to finally get things back to normal.