Hey guys! I wouldn't neccessarily say that this is a problem but I am feeling like it could potentially be an issue. I am talking about torque steer. I do not have a vast history of driving cars with forced induction but I have driven quite a few FWD cars. One thing that seems very noticeable and almost dangerous at times is the torque steer on this little bugger. If you don't have both hands on the wheel and are focused...I find that you can really get yourself into trouble. Nothing happened to me but I am noticing this more and more as I get on the car a little bit harder.

I am mostly wondering how a TUNE will affect the already bad torque steer. Can I expect this to get a lot worse? I saw a blurb on Motoringfile regarding MINI recognizing torque steer and dealing with it (potentially retrofitting R56 JCW cars) but it's one more thing for me to consider I suppose. Anybody else share this feeling? I don't know...to me it just feels unacceptable at times.

 

"If you don't have both hands on the wheel and are focused...I find that you can really get yourself into trouble."

I should think that would be true even without torque steer. Yes, more torque will mean more torque steer.

 

Agreed. Maybe I am just too used to the M3. I can drive that far more effortlessly at the limit and maybe I am drawing a conclusion that really isn't fair. To clarify...I am not lax, unattentive and/or not serious behind the wheel. Just the opposite. I have just noticed that if you are a little nonchalant with the focus when getting on it a bit...it can get get away from you fairly quickly. It's been a while since I have observed that in other cars.

 

I have no torque steer...

It did a little with the stock suspension, but I lowered it on springs a week after I got the car and I've never had torque steer issues. I can almost take my hands off the wheel and floor it in 2nd and it will go straight. (assuming the road is smooth). This is with a tune also...prob around 240 ft-lbs to the wheels...

I think the LSD helps too....

 

If you get rid of the garbage OEM shocks, you will find what you are talking about will disappear. What you are really seeing is the tires not staying in contact with the road when you hit small bumps under hard acceleration. At that time they are lightly loaded and will grab randomly. Quite a handful I agree.

I can go on a typical road. Hands off the wheel and floor it. It goes dead straight. All I did is put in HD's.

 

I am riding on Bilstein PSS10 coilovers...torque steer is still there.

 

Try smoother inputs for steering, accelerator and brake. Bumps during turns can still be a problem.

Try lowering the tire pressure on the tires slightly, perhaps 1-2 psi.

 

///Mflossin,

Do you have the factory LSD from MY 2007-2009? There are a few issues with this causing symptons like torque steer.

 

Hey Slinger....no. I have the factory LSD but it's a late Feb 2010 build. Good tips regarding TP though. Maybe I drop the pressure a bit. Come to think....in some of these instances, road surface was likely less than great and that may have attributed to quite a bit of that feedback.

 

Lsd present= less torque steer

Lsd not present= more torque steer

Lsd not present with aftermarket goodies and a tune...


Priceless

 

I don't mind the TS so much. It's what makes it a Mini. I keep my hands on the wheel and motor!!

 

I think 2010 LSD may be part of the problem too. Something about the OEM LSD engaging and disengaging too quickly in a turn causing instability.

There is an article about this in motoring file. I cannot find it though. It is one of the reasons why Mini got rid of LSDs in favor of the electronics.

 

cause I just had a BIG cocktail.... (BTW, the Odwalla Pomagranate/limeade with Meyers Run is really tasty!)

Do some reading on torque steer. There is a lot that goes into it, not just FWD and HP. One of the biggest "levers" is what's called the scrub radius. This is the distance from the effective center of the contact patch to the pivot axis of the tire. The larger this is, the larger torque steer is an issue. This is why camber changes couple to percieved torque steer, as does tire pressure and tons of other stuff, like wheel offsets and the like. This also has a lot to do with why some have the "same" car but radically different degrees of torque steer.

The Ford Focus RS (tasty car that we don't get in the US) is a FWD 300 HP car that did TONS with suspension geometry to really, really reduce torque steer. While doing what Ford did isn't really doable with simple mods, the notion that you have to live with it as is just isn't true. Understanding where it comes from and how simple changes can change it is key for those that want to manage it better.

Hope this helps, it's back to the bar for me!

Matt

 

Dr. O you need a couple more than off you go to sleep.

 

OT: Are you the same MFloss from S14.net

 

 

Two hands on the wheel?

 

Also length of the half shafts. Try having a 400whp fwd DSM

 

Eliminating the run flats greatly reduced torque steer on my 2007 S

 

Errr, TORQUE steer is related to the uneven torque applied through the half shafts. Yes, all kinds of geometry can make it look feel worse, like BUMP steer and totally screwing up the scrub radius, but TORQUE steer is a TORQUE related problem. Scrub radius is the same on both sides. it only applies leverage because of DIFFERENT TORQUE applied to the axles. Many techniques, like different length half shafts, different torsional stiffness and even offsetting the wheels have been tried. Some effect with fancy motor mounts, and of course an LDS will affect it. Only "fix" is rear wheel drive. Be careful where you read up on things. Again, broken record, go back to the basics like Fred Punn or Carroll Smith.

The Mini also has an issue with BUMP steer. The only way to prevent that on a strut is if the tie rod was in the same plane as the lower arm. Highly impractical. So, it is set to me minimal around the ride height, but will always be an issue.

Miniemee, I can't for the life of me explain how changing from run flats would reduce torque steer unless you had a defective tire which had more rolling resistance than the other. Now, if you got an alignment at the same time, you may have a difference. Every Mini came way out of whack from the factory.

 

 

I can say that I have never experienced torque steer on a RWD car and only a FWD vehicle. I have also noticed some of the bump steer (more pronounced when on the throttle hard).

bavarian3,
Yes...that is me...

 

I cannot induce torque steer with the DSC on as the engine bogs... Now, with the DSC off it can get interesting... All part of the fun...

 

Top Gear had that RS on their track and the torque steer was shockingly bad at WFO. Made for an entertaining episode! They still loved the car though.

 

Because torque steer is a FWD issue. What I can't answer is what happens on a 4 wheel steer, 4 wheel drive. Only ones I know about are some Chevy trucks.