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Chin Spoilers-Stability issues solved. Thanks for nothing Toyota

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ivorz, May 19, 2010.

  1. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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    Ever since I purchased my car (08 package 2) I have been plagued with stability and wandering on the freeway. So much so that it got the point where I was seriously considering taking the hit and selling the car at a huge loss.

    I drive 80 miles a day and doing this many miles it eventually wore me down trying to keep my car centered in the lane.

    I had tried everything mentioned here on priuschat:
    1. Alignment (7 times)
    2. BT Plate
    3. Replaced tires with bigger, better ones
    4. Trying to relax on the wheel
    5. Pretending the problem was me and not the car.

    After many months of digging and searching, I came across an article that spoke about the " chin spoilers " that sit just in front of the front wheels. I was also pointed in this direction in another post I had going about my alignment issues.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/79263-who-can-figure-out-me-i-am-begging.html

    Having nothing more to lose, I decided to try and move them to the front of the car as described in a post on this forum.

    The result. PROBLEM SOLVED.

    I cannot believe that Toyota can design a car with such bad handling issues at freeway speeds (65-75mph), and that we as the consumer have to spend so much of the little free time we have trying to come up with a fix for it.
    I am glad that what I did worked, but this still leaves me with a thought that something is not right with the car. It also has convinced me that I will not be purchasing Toyota anymore (after having had many of them).
    To spend so much money on a car that has issues like this is insane.

    Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. For now, I am stuck with it until it dies.

    For those of you that have these issues, here are some links to help you out.

    Autospeed article: adding a chin undertray to a 1st gen Prius - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com


    http://autospeed.com.au/cms/article.html?&A=2456
     
  2. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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  3. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    Glad to know that you solved the problem but it is not clear to me what exactly you did. Did you moved the plastic pieces in front of the front wheels or did you add under-tray as in the links? Could you post some photos? Thanks!
     
  4. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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    I moved the chin spoilers to the front of the car. I will take pics and post them. I did not do the tray thing.
     
  5. chuckknight

    chuckknight New Member

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    I have no clue what a chin spoiler is. Maybe you could post a photo?
     
  6. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    ivorz, did you adjusted the chin spoilers on both sides?

    [​IMG]

    The pic from the other thread posted by Prius Pete.
     
  7. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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  8. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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    yes. I moved both of them from the original position up to the front of the car where the black plastic moulding is on the bottom of the bumper/fender

    From what I have experienced, they are too close to the wheels and have an opposite effect. Basically, it seems that the airflow makes the car lighter and thus causes the wandering effect on the freeway.

    After moving them to the front, all this has gone and the car now drives like a normal car (almost).
     
  9. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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    ok, here are some quick pics
     

    Attached Files:

    1 person likes this.
  10. blueumbrella

    blueumbrella Member of Prius Regeneration

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    I recently installed a front 2 point Sustec under brace from Tanabe for my 2009 and have seen a very noticeably improvement in stability at highway speeds and even in crosswinds. I also have a BT brace. See the information below that HI MPG shared with me. It was a breeze to install. The price was $105 before taxes and I picked it up at a local shop in Seattle. See below to find a dealer near you.

    Originally Posted by HI MPG [​IMG]
    Here's a link to the Tanabe website, scroll all the way down the page for the Toyota section.
    Tanabe USA Inc. - Sustec Under Brace

    As for locations around the Seattle area, check out these vendors:
    Tanabe USA Inc. - Dealer Search
     
  11. ivorz

    ivorz Junior Member

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    I would love to see some images of how you mounted yours. I would consider getting it if it has helped you as much as you say.
    I have been plagued with this issue and am willing to try.
     
  12. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    You can also switch to high-grip performance tires (not cheap) if you are willing to trade MPG for handling and stopping performance. The instability in my car was completely eliminated when I switched tires.
     
  13. freo-1

    freo-1 New Member

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    Agreed.


    I'll insert my plug here for Nokian WR-G2 Tyres. They make a HUGE difference in overall performace. They really hold the road in bad weather, and even better in good weather.
     
  14. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I think Prius Chat is great. BUT...too often-"5. Pretending the problem was me and not the car." is a common approach.

    Glad you found resolution.