Ok here is my problem. Maybe 2000 miles ago while taking part in MTTS my steering wheel would start to vibrate and the car would pull to the right. This would last for a few mins and then everything would return to normal.
I also noticed that I could get a click sound from the right front suspension if I made a sharp turn to the left, but only one or two clicks.
This happened 3 or 4 times over the course of the day so I brought my car to Mini of Murray in Salt Lake City. They diagnosed it as torn front control arm bushings and a failing motor mount. I had both of them replaced. They also rebalanced all 4 wheels (factory Mini wheels).

So 1000 or so miles later the shake has returned, but this time much more severe and it is pulling quite hard to the right. I had my car towed to a repair shop, but I am stuck in North Dakota right now, and the nearest dealership is a solid 10 to 12 hours away. Any suggestions as to what I should get the reapir shop to look for? I also noticed that when I pulled to a stop on the highway shoulder that I could hear what sounded like a scraping sound evenknow I was going straight. Three hours later after getting my Mini flatbedded, I pulled it 30 odd feet to park it and the sound was gone.

The shutter and pull seem worse under constant speed or acceleration, but doesn't disappear if I depress the clutch so I don't think its tranny related.

Over the past two months I replaced all four shocks/struts and now the bushings.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

 

CV joints/axles?

 

Are your wheels torqued?

Have you had the front suspension or steering looked at by an indy shop?

Control arm bushings would need to be WAAAYYYYYY blown out to cause a vibration bad enough.


** Don't buy parts based on internet bias, have the problem properly diagnosed. Otherwise you're going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars throwing parts at it.**

 

Get new axles. How many miles on the car?

 

Any decent shop can troubleshoot this. Nothing special about a MINI's geometry. Should be obvious up on a lift.

 

I have seen the same symptoms turn out to be a sticky caliper.

 

If caliper suspect is there any change when applying brakes ? Check rotors after driving down road, shoot both front with laser temp sensor check for varying temps between sides. Hotter on one side could be a sticking caliper.

Could be axle too. How have the axle boots been / looked, any torn/cracked or replaced recently ?

 

Usually a pulsation in the pedal, but I have had that be intermittent. You can pull over when it's doing it and feel the wheels on both sides. One will be very hot and that's the side that the caliper is sticking on.

 

Caliper would be my guess as well, but I'd say when you take it to the shop, tell them your symptoms, but don't give them any ideas on what you think it is. They may focus on your suggestion and miss the real problem.

My buddy came to me a few years back to help him find a clunk in his rear suspension. We messed with it for like 2 days, turned out his suspension was perfect, he was missing a caliper bolt on the rear driver side. I just assumed he was right about it being suspension.

 

Turns out it was a messed up right front axle. Its been flat bedded to Motorwerks Mini for repair. An independent shop diagnosed it, but was unable to get parts for close to a week. Mini corporate stepped up and towed it for free as I was on my return trip from MTTS 2016 and had some corporate friends vouch for me. Thank you Mini!

 

Jeez, I need some corporate friends!

Best of luck!