So I just replaced all of the struts on my '02 "S" with Monroe OEM struts. Now it pulls the same direction as my last turn. Sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes not at all. Like it has a memory.
I did not change springs or the top strut plate.
Anybody ever experience this type of situation?

 

After you've straightened the wheel out? Or do you mean that the steering doesn't come back to center?

 

It does come back to center, but with the pull.
But if you jerk the wheel quick, but slighty, you can get it track straight. or at least without trying to dive into the ditch....

 

Assuming they were properly installed: Step 1 is to check the tire pressures. Step 2 is to check the alignment (particularly caster).

 

Did "you" replace them, or did you have them replaced somewhere?

 

I did them, nothing out of the ordinary.
Re-grease the bearing in top plates. My suspicion lies in the top plates.....

 

Are you comfortable that everything was torqued to spec? Sounds like something maybe a tad too snug.

 

You sure you got the springs settled in correctly? That could cause what you are feeling.

 

funny, I just put on some FSDs, control arm bushing, IE fixed plates, re aligned and my car does the same thing. I thought maybe it was the way the tires were worn before I did the replacement and they needed time to wear in to the new angles. Been driving for 4 days now and still does it

 

Anybody know any tricks on how to get the control arm back into the bushings after you replace the bushings?

 

I could never get the arm with purple parts on it into the black, so I put the purple tube into the black, doughnut on the arm and pushed it in while wiggling it. You might have to use a pry bar. It helped that my strut was not installed yet also.

 

I had the same thing done to my car, except I used OEM replacement strut tower mounts, with cravenspeed under tower indurators to reinforce the shock towers. My car was still a bit wobbly (but not nearly as bad as before I had the struts and bushings replaced) until I added the M7 strut tower bar last night (though I am still using the OEM shock tower bolts which are WAY too short - so it's temporary)... Now this is a small sample size (one 30 mi drive into work) but I noticed a much tighter steering wheel without the wandering that I was getting before. I wonder if the sheet metal in the shock towers was so damaged that even with the reinforcement from underneath they still weren't solid enough and that's why the car would shift from left to right a bit. Now that both towers are tied together by the strut tower bar I don't feel that wobble anymore. Could be all in my head, but I definitely felt a difference this morning. We'll see.

 

Yea i have powerflex control arm bushings but i still get a little tug.. i even replaced my leaky rack too

 

Yeah the M7 bar did not fix the problem - mine is still doing it. There is now a little bit of a squeal when I turn the wheel to the right in the morning after she sits overnight. It does not do it when I leave work after 9 hours... It's weird. My dad suggested it might be a belt, but I don't even know if Minis have belts? I know the power steering pump goes bad, but I am not having issues turning the wheel - even with the squeal the wheel turns easily.

If anyone has any suggestions keep us posted!

 

now that I have driven the car for a few weeks it has corrected itself. Only thing to say about mine, is that the tires were wearing oddly.

BillyCuth, I can't think of what would make a squeal (no belt on the steering pump) even though the symptoms do sounds like a belt.

 

my tires are less than 5K miles old, but I guess it could be the cause of my trammline type issue... The squeal is odd. Will have to keep monitoring it. Love my car again though, thanks to the Konis and Powerflex!

 

2 simple things NEED to be done if changing struts...

Replace the strut mount(top hat)
Get alignment

Then go back to enjoying your car! :-)

 

yeah, an alignment is always required when you change suspension components because you've essentially changed the geometry of the suspension (if only by even a little)