Steering Wanders at Speed

[zkerikso]

So I've noticed recently on some longer highway drives that the steering wants to wander. Feels almost like the car is getting blown around by wind, but on fairly calm days.

Took it in to get the alignment checked, I'll attach the printout, but it's a little toed in which should be giving me the opposite of what I'm feeling if I understand correctly. Tires are at 34 front and 38-40 rear. Any ideas of what to check?

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[Tnort]

I have noticed the same thing, but only on parts of the highway with grooves cut into it. (See below).
Pay attention to see if it is the same for you. This is a symptom of low profile tires, and there really isn't a whole that can be done about it.

 

[FJ16]

Mine does the same even after an alignment; on stock wheels and tires. The steering in this car is much lighter than I'm used to, and the tires are lower profile (at least that's what I'm blaming it on so far). I'm swapping to 205/45/16 this week, I'll see if it gets any better.

 

[SrsBsns]

I have noticed the same thing, but only on parts of the highway with grooves cut into it. (See below).
Pay attention to see if it is the same for you. This is a symptom of low profile tires, and there really isn't a whole that can be done about it.

There are a few patches of road that I travel on frequently that do this. The first few times it freaked me out until I realized that it only happens on certain parts of the road... which is grooved like that. It's worse on the bike...

 

[green_henry]

Your tire inflations seem backwards to me -- should be higher in front and lower in the rear; I'm guessing they were rotated and not adjusted. I'm not sure if that will fix your issue, but I haven't noticed any problems

 

[Dpro]

So I've noticed recently on some longer highway drives that the steering wants to wander. Feels almost like the car is getting blown around by wind, but on fairly calm days.

Took it in to get the alignment checked, I'll attach the printout, but it's a little toed in which should be giving me the opposite of what I'm feeling if I understand correctly. Tires are at 34 front and 38-40 rear. Any ideas of what to check?

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Is your passenger side engine mount stock? If so do yourself a favor and get a Powerflex insert it will help a lot with the tramlining ( yes thats what its called) . You will notice a difference immediately after install and be so happy.

 

[FJ16]

Is your passenger side engine mount stock? If so do yourself a favor and get a Powerflex insert it will help a lot with the tramlining ( yes thats what its called) . You will notice a difference immediately after install and be so happy.

Would you recommend the Driver side as well? Not just in general, but specifically for this issue?

 

[Dpro]

Would you recommend the Driver side as well? Not just in general, but specifically for this issue?

I have the drivers side I have not done it yet. I do plan on doing it. Though after I did the passenger side It was like night and day.

 

[zkerikso]

Is your passenger side engine mount stock? If so do yourself a favor and get a Powerflex insert it will help a lot with the tramlining ( yes thats what its called) . You will notice a difference immediately after install and be so happy.

How's the install? After the night and day difference with the RMM I can see how this would help. Will definitely look into it, thanks

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[zkerikso]

Your tire inflations seem backwards to me -- should be higher in front and lower in the rear; I'm guessing they were rotated and not adjusted. I'm not sure if that will fix your issue, but I haven't noticed any problems

Yeah its backwards from the recommendation. Set it up like that to make it a little more tail happy, especially for autox. I don't think I noticed the "tramlining" get any worse when I lowered the fronts, but I will go back for the 39/36 for a bit to see if I feel any difference.

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[zkerikso]

I have noticed the same thing, but only on parts of the highway with grooves cut into it. (See below).
Pay attention to see if it is the same for you. This is a symptom of low profile tires, and there really isn't a whole that can be done about it.

Yeah it's absolutely way worse on grooved sections of road. All the bridges around me look like this and I freaked out the first time I went over one. Thought I was about to get blown off the bridge!

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[TyphoonFiST]

Most roads are also crowned to help with Water runoff. Get in left lane and while driving release he steering wheel and coast if it pulls left its normal...the same goes with the right hand lane also except it will pull right towards the shoulder of the road .

 

[kivnul]

My car seems sensitive to the front cambers not being exactly equal. With them off like the OP and that much toe in my car tramlined quite a bit (sticky tires also make the problem much worse). Getting the fronts to both 2.0 +- 0.1 degrees and running 0 toe my car no longer tramlines much at all.

 

[zkerikso]

My car seems sensitive to the front cambers not being exactly equal. With them off like the OP and that much toe in my car tramlined quite a bit (sticky tires also make the problem much worse). Getting the fronts to both 2.0 +- 0.1 degrees and running 0 toe my car no longer tramlines much at all.

I have been considering getting camber bolts anyway so I may just pull the trigger and then get the toe zeroed and the camber even. Toe in should be helping with stability at speed though, right?

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[kivnul]

A skilled alignment guy, using an air wedge, can get quite a bit of camber adjustment out of the 2 lower bolts on your front struts. There is no reason to get camber bolts unless you want more camber overall. As to Toe in, I believe it adds in a touch of understeer which is safer for most folks. Too much Toe in is unstable. I am not a suspension expert so hopefully someone else chimes in here.

 

[green_henry]

I have been considering getting camber bolts anyway so I may just pull the trigger and then get the toe zeroed and the camber even. Toe in should be helping with stability at speed though, right?
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The camber bolts work very well and are a good, inexpensive upgrade. Need to be careful with toe, however, because that's what eats the tread; I kept the toe at factory spec after installing the camber bolts

 

[zkerikso]

The camber bolts work very well and are a good, inexpensive upgrade. Need to be careful with toe, however, because that's what eats the tread; I kept the toe at factory spec after installing the camber bolts

If I were to use the camber bolts it would mainly be to even out camber at 1.5-2 degrees. Is .3 degrees total toe considered a lot? It looks to be within factory specs.

 

[green_henry]

If I were to use the camber bolts it would mainly be to even out camber at 1.5-2 degrees. Is .3 degrees total toe considered a lot? It looks to be within factory specs.

I think toe is measured in inches rather than degrees; according to the data sheet I got, it's supposed to be between 0 and 3/16 in. total in front

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

Im sorry I did not read all the post in this thread but I read the title and let me give you some experience. Ive aligned this car plenty of times and I noticed I was fighting the car to steer straight at speeds. I was constantly having to move the wheel side to side. I plugged into the computers at work and there is a EPS reprograming. move the wheel lock to lock, center it blah blah. It basically finds the center point of the steering .I did that and omg what a change.

 

[Business6]

Some tires are really bad at tramlining which is what gives the floaty feeling on grooved surfaces. The Indy Firehawks, for example, are by far the worst tramlining tires I've ever had.