Well, I'm running out of things to replace and the steering still feels really difficult to me. I'm finding it difficult to turn the wheel with one hand and shift with the other!

Here is everything replaced, since having the car about a month:
-Power Steering pump (under warranty)
-All four front ball joints
-All four tires (Just a few hours ago)
-Front control arm bushings (Now powerflex bushings)
-Power steering electric fan
-Alignment when the tires were done

Now then, it has improved a lot since my first test drive, but I still find it too difficult. I have not driven a new Mini and can't compare it, but compared to all the other cars in our driveway, it still requires too much force to turn.

How can I make it better? I read about other's changing their camber angles and what not. Can that help me?

 

Subscribed to this one... Always wondered the same. Ours is much stiffer than all the other cars we've had. I'm on stock wheels etc. PS pump replaced a couple of years ago, no difference in steering after switching.

Always just figured this was working as designed...

 

Glad to hear I'm not the only one to think it a problem, exocet.

Here is what I thought about since driving it back from NTB. When I turn on the defroster, the fan blows full speed, but while sitting still and revving makes the fan spin faster and the dash lights light up brighter. Given that these are electric steering, could a weak alternator cause poor steering performance?

I pose this question in the hopes of others chiming in, as my semester starts Monday and don't have time/money for an alternator after those new tires and alignment.

 

So, I may have found the solution. Looks like other's with this issue have found it to be the universal joint in the steering column:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...pump-help.html

Mini part number is: 32306763722

Number 1 in the picture:


Looks like temporary/diagnostic fix is to cover it in lithium grease. If things improve the problem is found!

 

I had to go under the steering column today so I applied some grease to the lower U-joint while I was in there. Five minute drive afterwards and it felt the same, although it may take a couple of drives for the grease to penetrate..

Having said that, I feel my symptoms are different to the thread linked above. My steering is uniformly stiff, rather than being stiff in parts of the turn as referenced in that thread.

Then again my only points of reference are my other/previous cars - VW GLI and Mercedes ML350, both of which are much 'lighter' to turn than the mini... And the ML350 probably weighs 2000lbs more