Cooper S with 17" wheels tramlining

[CHIMV8]

Does anyone else have this issue?

Tyres in good condition,Goodyear run flats,correct pressures etc etc...

When you put your foot down the drive is for want of a better word,scatty and unstable.

Or is it just they are all like that?

Cheers

[si_xsi]

I think its common although not heard of it under acceleration. Does yours have the LSD fitted - if so, it should assist in shirting the power around between the front wheels.

I experenced a siminlar skittish behaviour but more under breaking, most noticeable on cambered roads. For reference I had 18's on run flats - awful ride!

You could try checking the tracking - to see if it helps, relatively cheap option.

[MX-5 Lazza]

Run flats. They are too stiff. My Mrs Cooper S Conv had the 17" Pirelli Euphoria RF and the ride was terrible with atrocious tram-lining and torque steer. Replaced them with Hankook V12 Evo and it's solved it entirely. No tram-lining. No torque steer. Massively improved ride. On top of that the grip, especially in the wet is massively improved.

[Miglia 888]

100% agree with Lazza. Definitely the run flats - fit some regular tyres and you'll be amazed at how the tramlining, torque steer, and skittering all disappears, completely.

We had an almost new Clubman loan car from the dealer on 17's & runflats while our Clubman was being serviced, and it was skittering and tramlining all over the place horribly, plus the ride was awful too. My wife refused to drive it after trying it, as she said it felt like it had a poltergeist in the steering that was trying to kill her...

Needless to say, both our MINI's are on premium quality regular tyres, with no skittering or tramlining, and the ride is as close to a limo as a MINI can get.

Sell the runflats to someone else who wants them, and let us know how you get on.

[nickfrog]

Yes RF needs ditching if possible but could also be poor alignment, that can be done at the same time.

[dandarez]

If it's under acceleration that's more likely to be torque steer (which MINIs do anyway).

Tramlining is when it follows the contours of the road surface. This will virtually disappear with conventional tyres, but then one tyre is different to the next. Torque steer is much reduced but then I'm driving JCWs. Change the tyres, go the a section of road where the car tramlined worst and see if it improves, it should do. If not, then get the geometry etc checked.

I'd still (like many others) change to normal tyres regardless.

There is a plus to having Runflats - there is a good market for Runflats secondhand because they are expensive new, so 'don't' let the tyre-fitters keep them!
Provided they 'are' in good nick, put them on Ebay and get back probably half or more of the money needed to pay for your 4 conventional tyres.
Simples!

Don't forget you'll need a can of goo to carry in the car in case you do get a puncture.

[Miglia 888]

A previous "ditch the runflats" thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[nickfrog]

dandarez said:

If it's under acceleration that's more likely to be torque steer (which MINIs do anyway).

Tramlining is when it follows the contours of the road surface. This will virtually disappear with conventional tyres, but then one tyre is different to the next. Torque steer is much reduced but then I'm driving JCWs. Change the tyres, go the a section of road where the car tramlined worst and see if it improves, it should do. If not, then get the geometry etc checked.

I'd still (like many others) change to normal tyres regardless.

There is a plus to having Runflats - there is a good market for Runflats secondhand because they are expensive new, so 'don't' let the tyre-fitters keep them!
Provided they 'are' in good nick, put them on Ebay and get back probably half or more of the money needed to pay for your 4 conventional tyres.
Simples!

Don't forget you'll need a can of goo to carry in the car in case you do get a puncture.

With a good alignment and non-RF there should be very little torque-steer, whether MCS or JCW. I have virtually eliminated it on my MCS with fine tuning camber and toe and making sure both sides are equal on a ballasted car.

[shipley]

If you replace the ru flats, what happens with the puncture warning system ?

Do you just reset it thought the menu ?

Also, how do you cope without a spare ? Is it just a case of keeping a can of tyre weld in the car ?

[MX-5 Lazza]

All the "puncture warning system" does is monitor the wheels speeds at all wheels using the abs sensors. If one of them starts having to spin faster than the others then it knows it is running a smaller diameter therefore has a puncture. It works exactly the same way regardless of the tyre type.