Hey there fellow Clubby owners… I have found that my 2008 S Clubman has a tendency to peel out really easily starting from a dead stop in first gear. I'm not popping the clutch nor am I over revving the engine but I do have to slip it in a little bit to avoid wheelspin. I am currently running on a set of almost new Yokohama YK 580s. They have proper inflation and plenty of tread but have done this from the beginning. It is worth noting that my previous set of tires were very worn Walmart purchased Goodrides which also spun equally as easily but generally rode a little stiffer than these Yokohama's.

I guess what I am wondering is whether the Clubman is more prone to front wheel spin on acceleration due to having more weight in the rear than the R 56 which the suspension would have been normally designed for or is this indicative of some weak point in my suspension? I do believe I need to replace my rear struts which may be contributing to a little tail squat ( unconfirmed ) although it is not noticeable when driving.

 

Can’t find much information n those tires, but what I could find shows a high treadwear rating. This usually equates to a harder compound. A harder compound will give slightly less traction, and a greater tendency to slip. The Mini engines have a high amount of torque at lower engine rpms. Add all this up, and you have a greater tendency to “peel out.”

 

That's a good point! I got these with my wheels and figured "They're Yoko street tires with a pretty aggressive tread, so... But yeah, maybe they are a little too hard of a compound for the torque of the engine. My suspension is totally stock and could probably do with a little help anyway. Its all saving up the money to change it out afterall. :p

 

my r56 spun out easy too, it's the nature of front wheel drive

 

Seems like tire compound to me. You might take a peek at Tirerack and see what the ratings are for your version. Load rating and whether its H or V rated? They might be over inflated as well. Check your door jam and compare the inflation sticker to your actual readings. Best result when your tires are cold and than compare to heated tires after highway driving. Your PSI will change between the two. That range will be helpful when deciding what you like.

 

Good ideas... I actually wanted a set of Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's but Firestone wouldn't give me any credit for the old (practically new) tires like Discount Tire might and Discount didn't seem to offer anything very different from the Yoko that I had, so I'm running them.

 

the problem is not your tires it's your foot, it's a front wheel drive car

 

Ha, ha...

You should have seen me drift a '69 Town & Country station wagon and a Lincoln Mark IV as a teen.

 

Tires - I have difficulty breaking my fresh RE71's but my older HTRZIII's will get loose pretty easily.

 

yeah those will fix his problem lol, the most sticky street legal tires you can get, they also only last me a couple thousand miles

 

I believe you said you have replaced the tires. If you are not running the same brand and model of tires that it came with then the air pressure guide on the door jam will most likely be inaccurate. Always go with the Cold PSI rating on the sidewall of your tire. You may be running the same size as what came on it from the factory but running a different brand might require a different PSI. The factory PSI label required by the DOT is for stock applications and as long as you are running the original size, brand, and style of tire that came on it when purchased new. ALWAYS go with what is on the sidewall of the tire for PSI info.

 

Thank you Bugeye and Black Label for your comments. Those are some useful ideas to follow up on.