'09 Clubman S, 30K miles.

New tires (Kumho ASX 215/45-17 on stock S Lites) and alignment done last July at 18K miles, when I rotated the tires last week I noticed the rears were really feathered badly on the inside edges, the fronts were almost down to the wearbars! I usually rotate every 5K but I got a little lazy on this set I guess. The last set of these Kumhos I ran went 30K....

Took it to a good alignment shop this time instead of the local NTB and they can't get the rear to come into spec on toe - it's toed in .37 and it's supposed to be no more than .20.

I did change the rear swaybar at about 5K, and the shop tried shifting the rear subframe around to see if they could get closer to spec, but no joy there. ( got it to go from .37 to .34)

Any ideas?

Why is it out of spec? No curbs have been hit - no curb rash on the wheels.

Potholes? Yes certainly, but how could it be bent that it only affects the toe from a pothole?

Will adjustable lower controls arms alllow me to get it back to spec? I know those are mostly for camber adjustments, especially on lowered cars, but on the Gen II cars it looks like it could have an impact on the toe also....

I prefer to keep the suspension as it is - stock, but are there other parts I should consider adding/changing at only 30K miles?

 

I had simialr problems with camber on the rear from one alignment to the next at the same shop. they are a pro shop and do race cars as well as street cars on the same equipment.

Yes the contorl arms in the MINI are week the are stamped steel and thus can bend and not look it. I would bet that one of them is bent just the slightest and thus causing your problem.

Most control arms that you can buy for a 2nd gen MINI will give you way more adjsutment than needed. The ones I put in (cant remeber brand off the top of my head) allow for about 4 degrees of adjustment.

I would suggest changing all 4 if you can afford it.

I still get some feathering on the rear due to the soft side wall of the NON RUN FLAT tires I run.

I just make sure I rotate them about every 3k miles.

 

Hm..this worries me a tad. I haven't noticed any alignment issues but I took my car to FireStone just recently and had the alignment done. They said for the most part it was good. The front were off a tad and the right rear was off some but it was corrected. Iono if I made a good choice with this shop or not...I don't know many places around that can do the alignment but FireStone has lifetime alignment for 170 dollars.

The Yokos Envigor tires look fine...well actually like new and it's been about 12K since I put them on.

 

Go back and ask them how much weight they put in the MINI when they do the alginment. If they say they do not put any in then they did not do the alignment properly.

When doing it properly they MUST add weight to the car in the front seat area and in the rear. Dont remember the exact amount but I think it is 150 lbs for each front seat area and 150 in the rear. Then they have to measure the distance from the alignment deck to the highest point on each wheel arch. It must be with in a certian range and not vary from side to side by more than X amount.

If this is not done then the alignment will deffinately be incorrect.

To the OP I put in H-Sport control arms in all four locations.

 

I have had issues too since I put on my new NM springs and sway bar. They got the rears back to spec, but they could not get the front back. Also, my steering wheel is a bit off. I carried it back to get checked and they said there was nothing else they could do. Ugh. I had bad cupping on my old tires, so I am really watching it since I put on my new DWSs.