Do any of you have a bad case of torque steer or is my alignment off. I never drive on straight roads so little to no chance right now to check using classic methods.

On aggressive acceleration I am pulling strongly to the right. If it is torque steer it is the worst case I have ever seen, not that I have seen many.

Thanks for your input.

 

From MINI sales literature:

"The MINI has "Equal-Length" drive shafts. Most car companies don't put in enough time and effort to solve the problem of torque steer in their front wheel drive cars. This occurs when a car's steering pulls to one side because of the engine torque during rapid acceleration. That was unacceptable for us. The MC and MCS are designed with equal-length drive shafts to eliminate torque steer. So while accelerating away from a toll booth, you don't have to worry about your MINI steering in any direction but straight."

I think you have a problem related to aligment, but before coming to that conclusion, find an open and straight stretch of road, accelerate to around 60MPH (If have enough room) and let go of the steering wheel. It should track straight and true for about 1/4 of a mile before needing correction again.

If you can do the classic testing method, then your other best bet is to take the car to a tire shop (Or back to the dealer under warranty) and have them check your suspension, tires and aligment to ensure that these are within factory specs.

Try it and let us know.

 

hey winechic, I think your pushing to hard. You say it pulls to the right? Is this while your making a Right turn?

 

Probably tweaked alignment, and I say this because when I had a 4-wheel alignment done recently, my fronts were NOT equal - I have about -1 to -1.25 on the passenger side and about -.5 to -.75 on the driver side. Keep in mind that this is with lowering springs, but still, the struts aren't bent - the fella who did it figured it might have just been one of those per-assembly events.


So I went and bought RDR camber plates and will see how well I can dial OUT the steering issue. That big of a difference will certainly make the car feel like it's torque steering, but with the MINI's equal-length halfshafts there shouldn't be any issue.

Marty

 

Hey Winechic, Hows the LY/B doing?

I've had our MCS under full throttle on straight roads in low gears and the torque steer is minimal. Ours barely feels like a front driver. Bring it to one of our friendly dealers to see what their opinion are.

 

Thanks all.

I drive a VERY twisty road to work every day and that is all the driving I have done in the three weeks I have had the car. I have been noticing a slight pull to the right while acc. a few time so yesterday while pulling out of the winery I punched it to see how sevre of a pull it was and man oh man! Was pretty certain that is was allignment but wanted to confirm.
This really makes me mad b/c my car arrived to me with 40 mystery miles and if damage occured which caused disalignment in that time who know what else happened. Dealer blames the trucking company and claims that the car had 13 miles on it when it left the dealer. It had 55 when I turned the key after it was rolled of the truck.
Anyhow, alignment is one of the few things that is not covered under standard maintnce will I have to pay for this fix?

 

Maybe, your tires are slipping and you need a Quaife LSD! Yeah, that's it..you need a Quafie.

 

Funny, funny meanboy-

Is the weather grey and depressing in in SF today too. The fog is just not burning off. Very rare in Calistoga/Knights Valley. This darn fruit is never gonna ripen without sun!! How the city looking today?

Sorry off topic but it is my thread anyway well I started it.

 

Actually meanboy is correct. What your describing is exactly what happens when you slap a 200HP engine on a FWD car with little weight.

LSD!!

 

I'm not pushing it that hard, still in break in, I am staying under 4000RPM. It is much too excessive of a pull, and definately not a slippage situation.

 

Torque steer on my car is almost non-existent, I suspect alignment... The dealer will do an alignment on a car less than a month old...You might have to "help them understand" that it was like this from day 1.

 

sounds like the dif to me too. If you push the pedal to hard making any kind of turn from a stop, your dif unloads power to the wheel with less traction (weight). I think its normal. SPEEDSTER!! coming out of a winery parking lot too. Pull up to a stop sign somewhere(all you need is 50 feet) make sure theres no one in front of you, then launch from 3000rpm. You should pull nice and straight. If you don't then you could have a prob.


JCampos, Lagston and I were just up there tearing thru Calistoga, Lake Sanoma all the way to the coast, you should join us next time.
take care

 

If the car is brand new, it could be a lot of things besides alignment. You could have a sticky brake caliper on the right wheel, or a bad bearing, or lots of other things. Could even be a defective tire -it happens. Let the dealer look at everything after you make them test drive it and reproduce the problem.

 

I would love to join you next time you are up this way.

As for the issue of the pull to the right.

First off, I work at said winery so the fact that I was wearing a few bottles worth of wine was not the problem. I have found that alcohol fumes, though anoying, do not cause driving issues, unless pulled over . Secondly, I made a left turn to the one bit of straight road (~1/4 mile) then punched it once I had staightened out and gone over the little narrow bridge. So....we have a problem it seems. Hope the dealer takes care of it, probably won't be able to get there for a few weeks yet.

Norcal folks, what have your expeinces been with the dealers around here? I purchased out of state.

 

Although unequal drive shift lengths is the leading cause of torque steering, there are other factors.

One cannot say the the Mini never exhibit torque steering. Road surface and weight distribution under the right (wrong) condition can bring about torque steering even in a perfect Mini.

Please see the two following link which discuss the steering geometry compromise call scrub radius.

http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/...r03/ask_sarah/

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/ed..._technobabble/

 

SF MINI, is always packed and you'll have to wait all day. Parking in there tight lot is kinda nerve racking too.

Concord MINI has been good as far as getting us outta there in a couple of hours whenever we go. Have had them pull a couple of bonehead moves on us before, but there alright now and have been since.

Ebay MINI is just to damn far from SF.

Mountain View, I've never been to before.

good luck lady, we'll be seeing ya:smile:

 

Only 4k? I felt a little torque steer but I had rev'd it to 6k and shifted. It was probably me jerking the steering wheel while shifting..

 

Hey Winechic, are you OK? I just read in CNN.com that a 6.0 magnitude earthquake was felt today from Los Angeles to San Francisco, also affecting wine country. A total of 350 miles!

 

ah it's only earthquake season around here. I myself did not even feel it. Usually when they register a 6, we can feel them. Theres all kind of weird things going on this side of the rock though, Mt St. Helens in Washington might be getting ready to blow her top, earthquakes here and there. I think we're in for a ride, we'll see. Hope all gets better in your neck of the swamps soon. take care

 

I'm just a little north of San Jose and even I couldn't feel the supposed earthquake we had today.

-mike

 

WOW 6.0!!!!! That is quite a ride!!! We didn't feel it here, good for us we have been doing barrel work all afternoon.
I really fear earthquakes while at work, all the barrels , I sure hope everyone in ok in the central coast. I bet Clo felt it down there in So. Cal.

Thanks for thinking of me How are you all holding up on your side. a 6.0 is nothing compared to the storms you all have been dealing with.

SFjames- I'm with you. we haven't had a good shake on the Rodger's or St. andres faults for quite some time. Maybe 20 years or more (wait, more for sure, I think '67 or '68 was the last good shake from the Rodger's fault.) The Rodgers fault, very near here and can shake the heck out of santa rosa should it adjust. Mt. St. Helena is on the virge of blowing...... ....really!?

 

Now I don't have the power of a MCS,but on our laser straight prairie hyws.
I can cruise at 60 mph,get into the throttle with my hands off the wheel and go straight down the road.The crown of the road my take me to the right abit,but the car will even start to follow slow sweeping curves to the left,hands free.
Now like I say,I have a MC not a MCS,but even if I really get into the throttle,I don't feel any pull,either way.

 

Glad to hear everyone is OK

After 4 major hurricanes beating Florida from every angle (Except South Florida by miracle) in less than 33 days (Last time something like this had happened was in Texas in 1886) and now Eartquakes in the West Coast and the likehood of Mt. St Helens blowing up once again in 24 years in Washington State, nothing really surprises me anymore!

Everyone, please stay safe.

 

I felt it and I am in a 22 story building. I felt my car rocking and thought I must be getting sick and it's time to go home. Then my coworkers yells "did feel the earthquake". There goes my grand plans!

 

BMW/MINI will perform a computerized alignment at no cost to the owner on brand new cars with 1200 miles or less if they determine that the alignment is off after they test drive it. :smile: