Optimum Alignment suggestions please

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CheapChic @ Mar 18 2007, 04:05 PM) [snapback]408045[/snapback]</div>

A bunch of people say the BT stiffening plate fixes this problem. I just ordered one, so I don't know yet. I thought it was my lousy driving that was making the car wonder in the lanes. It seems very easy to drift all over the place. Do a search for BT Stiffening plate and read what everyone is saying and order right away if you want one, becuase they may run out and you would have to wait for the next run.

 

All,

The tendency for a Prius to "wander" is well documented. Before trying the brace, try raising the air pressure in your tires (but stay below the sidewall max pressure) to 42(ft)/40(rr). This does help (it also improves MPG and tread wear).

When my Integrity tires started to hydroplane at 44,500 miles (due to worn edges), I replaced them with Michelin MXV4+ tires (at the same size) and the handling (and traction) improved noticeably.

I'm not saying that the brace doesn't help since I haven't tried one. It's just that simpler options are available to improve the handling of your Prius.

JeffD

 

You can find the BT Tech Stiffening plate by going to the Prius Accessories Link at the top of this forum, and then chose Prius Perfomance Accessories on the left, below the green heading. I already increased my tire pressure to 42 psi, and yet the car continues to wander, so I will be ginving the plate a try.

You should be able to install it by just driving the car up on some ramps, without a lift. Need to use a torque wrench to do it correctly.

 

You might also want to take a look at this post by Tumbleweed. He was having rear-end alignment problems after the dealer replaced his rear axle. Adding front toe in will probably help, the spec calls for 0 toe in/toe out. And increasing the tire pressure or replacing the OEM tires will improve the ride.

The BT Tech plate does wonders for handling if the alignment is right and the tires are good. If you just want to track straight down the road and driving is what you do to get from one place to another, you may not need or appreciate it, but it can't hurt either.

 

<_< When I first drove my (now traded in) 2004 Prius, I found the steering very TIGHT... that seems no slack in the linkage at all. I had become accustomed to the 1º to 4º slack in an ordinary car's steering linkage, so I was oversteering the Prius - sort of 'fighting' it. Once I became accustomed to the lack of slack in the Prius linkage, I became comfortable with the Prius' characteristics. About the only 'wandering' I experienced was on grooved pavement or in a crosswind.

As for my 2007 Touring Edition, I haven't noticed any 'wandering' and the 16" wheels with Bridgestone Turanza tires have a bigger 'footprint' on the pavement, that together with the different suspension probably contribute to the firmer road feel.

CheapChic might benefit from putting different tires on her Prius.

My 2¢ - for what it's worth.