What exactly is torque steering? I mean how can you feel it while driving?

 

When you apply a considerable amount of throttle and you then feel both the car and steering wheel pull in one direction, in my case the car will pull to the right. That is torque steer.

 

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_steer

I test drove a Cooper S with the JCW last week. I felt the torque steer as understeer whenever I got on the throttle exiting a corner. I've asked about it on the JCW and have been told it can be reduced with adj. camber plates and adjusting tire pressures.

Coming from an M3 it is definitely strange to experience.

 

Thats what happens when LSD is implemented, no?

 

Even though BMW tried to avoid this torque steer by centering the tranny as much as possible and therefore having axles of equal length, you can still feel some. Not much in mine. Check tire pressure, alignment, etc.

 

With LSD and WOT my MCS will swerve like a drunken sailor. I believe that the LSD is transferring power back and forth as first one wheel starts to spin, then the other.

 

Follow-up question: The broad discussion in the forums leads one to believe that torque steer is more prevalent in the R56 (w/turbo) than in the R53. Is this true, and if so, what specific design change exacerbated its effect?

 

I think the opposite. To my knowledge, the difference length between right and left axle is less in the new mini than the old one. Power is very similar. Other things to take into consideration between different trims of same generation is the suspension type. Something that helped the first generation Mini is that the suspension was stiffer.

 

+1 mine does this too, any correction at the steering wheel results in over correction

 

down shift a couple and activate the lovely overboost feature.

 

According to Motoringfile's source at MINI torque steer was the reason for LSD not being available on the factory JCW. Apparently the EDLC system actually all but eliminates torque steer. I'll report back next week with the proof, or lack of it, in the pudding!

 

I've not driven an R53 MCS, so I don't know if it has more or less torque steer, but doesn't the R56 MCS have considerably more low-end torque?

 

So are you saying that LSD contributes to torque steer? I am in the process of figuring out which options to put on an 08 MCS, and I was going to add the LSD. I am probably never going to track it, is it then a waste of money to add it?

 

Hmm. I've never noticed ANY Torque Steer in my R53 no matter how hard I launch. I will try without touching the steering wheel to see if it turns .. Will keep you posted.

 

RC pinned it down: R53s have much less TS than R56s because of the (old) engine's narrower torque curve. the supercharged tritec gains its maximum torque from about 3k to 5k rpm, while the turbocharged prince's peak torque curve is much broader, from barely above idle to 5K--thus more torque at lower launch rpms. I own a R53, and have rarely felt the kind of TS that'll slap U in the *** to hang on in R56, at least the manual models, having LSD didnt seem to make a dif really. The manual Clubman S I drove with the LSD had it real bad, to the point of annoyance. I though I was driving a SRX or Golf GTI!

But with the MCSa I didnt feel the TS as much as the manual from launch, and rarely on the highway when I stomped down. maybe the torque convertor tames it down some. To me the difference was enough to go with the automatic (that, and other reasons. I love paddles, and my left knee is shot.)

 

i only feel it when i'm in a low gear 1st or 2nd and get on the throttle really aggressively exiting a corner. in a straight line it's barely felt if at all.

 

does your mini have limited slip?
mine does and i hardly feel any torque steer with mine, ever.

 

mine has lsd. i actually tried adjusting tire pressure so maybe that helped. one front tire was about 3psi lower than the other. i reset all to 33psi

 

amazing what a few psi can do to a cars handling!

 

How can you tell if your car does or not?

I have no idea if mine does.

 

one way is if you launch the car at a dead stop the wheel will want to jerk to one direction. the other way is to give it enough throttle to let the wheels spin. if you have one line of rubber you dont have limited slip

 

Hmm. I guess there isn't another way of telling for sure? Without having to go too crazy of course.

 

I have LSD and one time I turned off the DSC and did a jackrabbit start, both tires just squealed with no torque steer.

 

I don't know how much a non-LSD equipped MCS has, so can't say one is more than the other. The torque steer on my MCS alternates from one side to the other. It can be a little disconcerting if you aren't expecting it.

One night at about 11:00 PM I was coming home from an evening class about 100 miles from home. I was tired. There was a car a little ahead of me on the freeway in the lane to the right. He exited at an off ramp and I made a sympathetic move to the right. About half of the car crossed into the next lane and I moved back. A CHP behind me stopped me to see if I was drunk. I wasn't and he let me go and said get upto speed before getting back on the freeway, so I punched it. The car pulled one way then the other. I was sure he was going to stop me again.

I assumed the back and forth torque steer was the LSD transferring power from one wheel to the other, then back. My assumption may be wrong. It may be the electronic ASC that causes the problem. I'll have to try it sometime with ASC turned off.

LSD should delay the interference from ASC. So I think it is worthwhile.

 

I have LSD on mine, and I really feel it under WOT conditions above 3500 RPM

if the road surface has any imperfections or gravel, watch out

I never feel it going around corners fast, in fact sometimes I can feel my inside tire spinning

really the only time I feel it is on straightline WOT 1st and 2nd gear