[onredmin]

Have had my sidewalk for 2 weeks now and I hate it. reason being that it wanders all over the road and if I go across a white line at any speed then the car just goes across the road at will. I have to drive at 30-40 mph max to feel safe in it. Have taken car back to be checked and have been told that because the wheels/tyres are different to the one convertable that i had previously then the driving feel is different. being non technical i have no idea why this should make any difference. can anyone throw some light on this please

thanks

[I love MINI, Laura]

Sounds like its tram lining very badly. Bigger alloys get worse as they go up. I had my 15" alloys swapped to 17" ones and I thought something was very badly wrong as it was steering itself and vering of to the side on rough roads. I would get the dealer to test drive it and get the laser tracking done maybe the wheels allignment is messed up? Really sad it is driving badly, thats normally the thinkg that MINI excells at! And the Sidewalk is beautiful.

Good luck with it I hope its fixed soon and you can get on and bond with it again.

[humph]

As Laura says sounds like tramlining. This is where the car follows the contours of the road (ruts worn into the road surface). It is usually particularly bad under braking if the road you are travelling on is heavily trafficed and worn. Again as Laura says it usually gets worse with bigger/heavier/wider wheels and tyres. If your ONE had 15" wheels with non run flats, and the sidewalk has heavier 17" wheels and runflats then there will be some (minor) tramlining. That said yours sounds particularly bad. Get the service guys at your dealer to give it a test drive, see if they think there is a problem. Don't forget if you think they are fobbing you off you can always take it to another MINI dealer.

[Richard Crofts]

Usually happens rather dramatically on the inside lane of the motrway or a dual carriageway. often there is not "rut" to see but you soon realise that its where the wheels of the trucks would normally sit that it just drags you in and out of!

Thats why I use the outside lane

or thats the excuse I use with the popo LOL

[bubblegoose]

Quote: Originally Posted by Richard Crofts (original)

or thats the excuse I use with the popo LOL

pmsl

[onredmin]

went back today and had wheels tested - needed "slight" adjustment . running better but still pulls to the right. Have been told that if still not happy within a week then a new set of wheels cabn be put on to see if that makes any difference.

keep fingers crossed

[ScoobyDoo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Richard Crofts (original)

Usually happens rather dramatically on the inside lane of the motrway or a dual carriageway. often there is not "rut" to see but you soon realise that its where the wheels of the trucks would normally sit that it just drags you in and out of!

I had to pull over onto the hard shoulder of the M5 last week - and the tramlining when pulling back onto the inside lane was terrible..............