[Cape Cod MINI]

I've noticed a lot of torque steer in my MCS. It occurred to me the other day as I was spiriting through the gears that I really could feel a lot of pull, primarily to the right (passenger side) in 1st and 2nd gear.
Taking hands off the steering wheel and flooring it in 2nd gear at 40 mph or so the car pretty much wants to take a right hand turn and drive off the road.
With the equal length drive shafts and supposed resulting lack of torque steer I'm wondering what others are feeling.
If anyone cares to do the hands off breifly in 2nd gear and hard acceleration test I would be interested in your results.

*NO, I'm not driving hands free all the time at WOT and/or asking anyone to do anything stupid and crash.

[swamos]

I haven't had a chance to do the test yet, but after 9k I think the MINI is mostly torque steer free. The only time I notice it is when you are accelerating on poor surfaces. IE, where the road surface may differ slightly. This also produces "tramlining".

[friedduck]

I originally thought that the Mini had torque steer, but after owning it for a while realized it's the 17" wheels, which seem to follow every groove or deformity in the road!

Seriously, I've found that there are certain stoplights that I dare not let go of the wheel while slowing lest I take a run at the curb. Ditto accelerating. Smooth pavement = a straight trajectory.

I have literally felt zero torque steer in the last six months. If your tire pressures are equal, and the dealer hasn't accidentally left shipping blocks in the springs on one side, I'd have them take a look at it. (Is it always the same direction?)

Hope this helps, Jeff

[BruceK]

I've not noticed it on my S, but I have on my classic Mini. Even so, I've never found torque steer to be annoying at all when I've encountered on a number of FWD cars.

IMNSHO, the only people that are really sensitive to torque steer are automotive journalists - and that's just so they have something to complain about!

[robbo mcs]

Hey Bruce K

You seem pretty blase about torque steer, and suggest it might be a figment of journalists minds.

Please take yourself to a dealership and drive the SAAB Viggen (especially the convertable).

I rest my case.

This is a prime example of uncontrollable, dangerous torque steer, which results in a terrible, virtually unmanagable and dangerous car! There are many other numerous (but less scary) examples

I agree the mini has very minimal torque steer characteristics. It is a great chassis, well sorted. There are several other excellent FWD cars virtually free of torque steer eg integra type R.

However, just because the mini doesn't have it, doesn't mean it is a figment of journalists imagination.

Robbo

[swamos]

I did the test. I'm sorry, my car doesn't torque steer (at least in the dry anyway). If you are sure it isn't the road surface(ie, can replicate it on a number of surfaces), then get your wheel alignment checked. You may find that you have toe out, which can cause instability.

[chiph]

No torque steer. Plenty of tramlining, which I can live with.

Chip H.

[CurtP]

If I hammer it on launch, I can feel it pull, but it's not torque steer as far as I can tell. It seems to be because it's a one-wheel-wonder (non-locking differential). I find it annoying, but not so much as to make me go out and spend over $1k to replace it!

[GordonD]

I don't think it is as much torque steer as a combination of the wider tires and sensitivity to camber or uneveness on the road. There are a couple of places where I have got out of the gas just because the car felt really squirrly. Guess it just means you got to be driving with both hands on the wheel when you are in a hurry

[dco43054]

No torque steer, and no (wander/groove following) "tramlining" on either the U.S. Interstates, secondary roads, or city streets. I was sort of concerned after reading the "tramlining" thread. I have 17" and performance rubber.

Dave

[sjbartnik]

Never felt torque steer in the S unless I was really nailing it on a poor (i.e. bumpy) surface.

[HarryHBMCC]

My car was pulling left on hard acceleration and the steering wheel was cocked to the right when going straight so I had it aligned on Friday. Now it goes straight from hard starts and the steering wheel is level when going straight just like when new -- I'd get the alignment checked if I were the original poster. With the current pile of potholes and frost heaves, I'm not really surprised about my car's misalignment (it was perfect when new).

Harry

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by robbo mcs
Hey Bruce K

You seem pretty blase about torque steer, and suggest it might be a figment of journalists minds...

Yes, I am blase about it as much of my 30 years of driving experience has been with FWD cars that exhibited some degree of torque steer. So perhaps I have adapted to it -- or the cars were not powerful enough to make it a true problem. My point was only motoring journalists seem to get truely upset by it (you may be the exception to that ) (just kidding).

Then again, my SAAB experience is mostly with the trusty old SAAB 96, I'm not familar with SA(OPEL)AB models from GM. Sounds like a real nightmare.

[Slant]

Definite torque steer when I punch it in 1st & 2nd. When I test drove another S before I bought mine I felt major torque steer as well. I've always owned rear-wheel drive vehicles so I'm really sensitive to this because as you all know you can't get torque steer from RWD. It's not an alignment issue because my MINI tracks perfectly on even roads when I'm not meshing on the throttle. Oh well, guess we should have some self-control over our right feet ;p
I must agree with a previous poster re the Integra R... As a matter of fact, I recently drove (hard I might add) my buddy's new Acura/Honda RSX Type-S & this thing has no torque steer at all, even with it's 200bhp!!

[HarryHBMCC]

Funny thing, my car tracked straight with the alignment problem. If not for the torque steer on acceleration and the cockeyed steering wheel you wouldn't have know it was off. But off it was and would've eaten my tires even more quickly than usual if I'd left it

Harry