20 replies to this topic

[Dan]

The steering arm is the lever bolted to the top of the hub which connects to the track rod end, standard Mini items bend easily especially on the track. Mini Coper S and 1275GT were fitted with much stronger ones. If you left the steering arm on the hub you fitted it could easily be the culprit. Also the steering arm could simply be loose. It's supposed to be doweled and bolted in place but from time to time you find them missing the dowels or with loose bolts. This would give it the scary driving habits. Try to pull the road wheel around to see if you can move it independant of the steering, if you can then the arm is loose.

[Bristolmini]

no movement in the wheel, I can put it lock to lock and the difference is still there. I think the scary driving habits were just because the two front wheels were wanting to go two different directions. depending on which one had the most grip you might turn or you might not.

I will try and have a look at the steering arms tomorrow and see if it looks any different to the other side (the one I haven't changed). if it does then the steering arm will come off the old hub easy enough

[sirmarky]

the other thing could be a bent arm on the hub itself or the hub you took off had a bent arm , that way the tracking would have been set to it....
just set the tracking roughly using a tape measure then take it to get set up correctly...


mark

[Bristolmini]

not sure if there is enough adjustment in the track rod end to allow it to be corrected as it is, would probably need to wind it out well over 1cm at a guess. wouldn't be happy knowing there was that much less thread holding the track rod end on.

[topcat]

I Changed my Hub and the tracking was way off, I just re-aligned the wheel so it was roughly straight with the other one, then got the tracking done a few days later. Its hard to tell whether its the new hub you have put on that has a bent arm or the old hub that you took off or both in opposite directions! (If the old hub had a bent arm, the tracking would have been altered to compensate for it). They are very prone to bending, they are the weak link in the steering.

[silvermini]

bit off topic but just wondered where abouts in bristol you live? because i also live in bristol which could be very handy for buying/selling parts