[wow]

Hi MINIers,

i have had my R56 S for 3 weeks now and i have put 3500kms on it.

Now that i am pushing the car all the way up the REV range i am noticing alot of torque steer that results in me struggling to keep the car straight when accelerating from standstill or in corners.


1) Can someone tell me how to handle a car in this situation?
2) Would the Limited Slip Dif eliminate the torque steer?
3) The R56 S is boarderline maniac in terms of torque steer what will it be like with the JCW performance kit on?
4) i do not have the sport button but if i did would it help?
5) Am i the only one noticing it?

Thanks all

[Richard Korby]

I think all R56S have sport button it does tighten steering.

[picard]

i found this on the test drive i had i think you have to be gentler on the accelerator or gradually increase the power and not stamp on the pedal. mind you im no expert hopefully some one will have a better answer

Torque steering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

bit of info there

[GTT 280]

i run 260bhp and have no torque steer, i don't even have the quaife diff fitted yet.

[goodingm]

Surprising as the old S was excellent re torque steer. I have an 04 with GTT conversion and there is absolutely no torque steer whatsoever, unlike my SAAB which has only 195BHP but
if you floor it th ewheels try to go allover the place.
Does the R56 have that much more torque than the old S.

[AndyParker]

i read a review of the cooper s against the new clio 192 on msn cars and they commented on how much torque steer there was on the cooper s First Drives | Reviews | MSN Cars UK - Mini Cooper S test

[MarkW19]

I've got an R53 S Works, and find torque steer to often be a problem. But I've learnt when to floor it, and when to gently accelerate, according to the road conditions.

[Robboc]

I have an R53 with quite a few mods and push it very hard. I have never found torque steer to be a problem.

I did however meet an old friend who is a mini salesman when I was in Cooper Croydon (havent seen the lad for years). He whispered that he found this to be one of the worsat problems with the R56.

[tiger333888]

Sport button makes the steering heavier, so can afford more stability when you are putting down the power. It won't eliminate the torque steer completely, however. I understand the SA versions make not have this feature as standard.

This issue does demonstrate how much torque the new R56 MCS has for such a small car - that's what makes it lairy, and a bit hairy-chested as a hot-hatch, at times.

What I would recommend is to respect this power and try put the power down progressively - if you turn ASC&T off the front wheels will spin and smoke at will (I've even experienced wheel spin at 30-40mph).

It's a matter of respecting (and accepting) the laws of physics. You have a small, light car with a lot of power, driven through the front wheels. If you try apply too much power too soon, you will reach the grip limits before you know it. You could try putting wider tyres on the car (for more grip) but you will affect the handling and feedback - it won't feel as direct and nimble.

My last words: respect the power ,and accept the issue of torque steer as a small price to pay for such a nimble and fast front wheel drive car.

[scone]

I've only had my Cooper S for 2 days and i already think it has more torque steer than my last 3 cars which were a Focus ST, Golf GTI and Works S, but i always thought the steering on these cars was massively over assisted and the steering felt wooly and provided very little feedback to the driver. The new S Steering feels very positive and has great turn in and offers lots of feedback especially when the sport button is pressed. Steering on a powerful FWD car is always going to be a bit of a compromise, but i think the new is just about spot on.

[medilloni]

As those above have commented, torque steer is always evident to some extent in 'pocket rockets' and, even though it can seem quite alarming to some, it's always going to be there to some degree.

The Sport button livens-up the steering and throttle response - you may find it more to your style to leave it off and use the (comparitive) damping effect the 'off' position gives.

If it really bothers you, you might ask a local wheel/tyre/accessory company to check your suspension geometry - it is possible that even small changes to castor and camber can have a disastrous effect if not set up properly - likewise I'm sure the guys at Lohen and other trusted tuners can offer advice on how to cut it down.

Other contributing stuff: Are your tyre pressures even on both sides? What about tyre wear - if that's uneven or low you'll find this can effect it too.

I would have thought an LSD would help, but I'm pretty sure stiffer or/and lower suspension would help too (if you're that desperate!) - the less suspension travel, the smaller the angle the driveshafts and steering arms go through.......

In the meantime you could try:
Lighter shoes
Faster arms
Quicker reactions

Only kidding

Why not try a track day to really get the feel for it? Once you've gained confidence, most of the 'squirming' under acceleration becomes normal every day stuff.

Sorry. Just read through that and realised it was quite a waffle

[caesar]

Torque steer is quite normal in FWD cars. It tends to manifest itself in vehicles with engines which have high torque/bhp i.e. the R56 'S'.

It has been said that FWD car engines should not exceed 200BHP otherwise the car becomes unstable! If you experience torque steer then it's just a matter of easing off the throttle.

It is most likely to appear when accelerating hard when turning. The other cause can be due to incorrect tyre pressures and/or wheel tracking.

[Goonery]

Equal length drive shafts = No Torque steer unless grip is comprimised on one wheel in which case the traction control will kick in.
Unequal length Drive shafts = Torque steer + the grip issues

R50,2,3 have equal length drive shafts, so its the tyres and traction control you can feel

R56 has unequal length drive shafts , so no matter what the electronics are doing the shaft length is important as to what you feel

[Queb]

Quote: Originally Posted by Goonery (original)

R56 has unequal length drive shafts , so no matter what the electronics are doing the shaft length is important as to what you feel

Says they are equal length in the sales brochure ?!

[lertulo]

Quote:

R56 has unequal length drive shafts...

Check your facts. MINI is still making big noise about how their drive shafts are equal length.

[loomx]

Hold the steering wheel... lol. I dont think the torque steer is bad at all in the R56 S all the ones iv driven, if it pulls at all is very slight, and like I said, just hold the wheel. Dont expect to be able to floor it hands free... thats not going to happen.

[pimbeche]

hello fellows , just test drove the cooper S mini, but damn too much torque steer, why?

especially from 1 to 2 ... any expert? the older one felt just stiffer and sportier , maybe I have to get used to it , but at the end its a great car.

[GTT 280]

I think there are a number of reasons...

different length drive shafts
different traction for the left and right tyres
suspension quality

i believe that to alleviate yourself of excessive torque steer then you need to start with a car that has centralised power drive, quaife diff / good tyres, sporting suspension.

of course, i may be completely wrong

Cheers,
K.

[JohnWB]

The main reason is because the R56 MCS has so much low down toruqe compared to the R53 MCS

[edzmini]

time to lift some weights.