Hi all, I'm wondering if this is just me and the roads around my area (A14 & A11 with loads of ruts left from all the lovely lorries) but when driving my MINI, the handling gets very twitchy and quite unsettling when going over uneven ground such as ruts in the roads from lorries - is this normal? It otherwise drives fine.

Also, when cold, the steering feels like it's very course, sometime it feels like it's clunking and the dreaded steering column issue but, once the car is has been driven a mile or two, it seems fine. The car is rarely used more than once in two weeks - could this be dry steering joints? Cooper Colchester did (apparantly) put some special grease on the joints about a year and a half ago and that seemed to cure the issue but I can't recollect if this the same issued as that i have now - any thoughts anyone?

__________________

Have Got ~ PlayMINI Exhaust, Dave.F Hybrid Air Filter, Custom BBR I/C Intake, Paul Martin & AndyH Detail, JCW AeroKit Front Bumper and Side Skirts, JCW GP Rear Bumper Trims, Aero Grill, 15% KAVS Pulley
To Get ~ Janspeed Manifold & GP Intercooler

I can't comment on the second part, but the A14 in parts is terrible for the ruts in places, if I get it just wrong my current (and the previous) MINI twitches from the left to right rut. There is something to be said for concrete surfaces, it is noisy, but never did rut like tarmac.

I know it's not great practice, but if it's late at night and there is nothing about I'll hog the outside lane to avoid the ruts and get a smoother drive.

yeh the a14 is bad but my tracking is out 3mm total so i cant say anything really lol

i do the same with country roads and stuff, its the racing line :P hahahaha

ive had both these probs on my current S ,it feels very tramliney and makes me nervous when changing lane because all of a sudden the car will launch across the road when the car was lowered that problem went away but soon as i put it back to standard it all started again , the second i think is the slip ring behind the steering wheel but once ive done a few miles it goes ,get ya shaft lubed up that'll stop it lol

I've been surprised how inclined my Mini is to follow ruts. I've been blaming the run-flats, which run very firm.

As for the stirring, I think power-steering hydraulics have to 'warm-up', and I've noticed a similar symptom on other cars (though not particularly on my Mini).