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Prius drifting badly in the wind

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Greta2009, Jun 15, 2009.

  1. Greta2009

    Greta2009 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2009
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    Location:
    NM
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. I couldn't find a section for 1st Gen Prius'. I'm about to take a really long roadtrip and have some serious questions before starting.

    My 2003 Prius drifts really badly in the wind. It's frightening to drive it past 60-65 mph. Somebody told me that this is a problem common to all Prius' and that I should have it aligned as follows:
    0.05 Degrees of toe IN each side, for a total of 0.10 Degrees
    Would any of you agree with this advice?

    Also, I'm looking for a national car service/repair center that actually knows what they're doing when working with Prius'. I can't afford Toyota's prices and Firestone doesn't listen to me when I have concerns. Who would you recommend as a knowledgeable service that is nationwide, in case I need to stop in during my roadtrip?

    Finally, just as a bit of information that may or may not prove helpful re: the drifting problem, I have a self-installed rack on my car. I've had it for 2 years and didn't have problems with wind drift in the last state. Still, I'm wondering if it could be contributing to the wind drift now.

    Thanks so much for answering all my questions. Any and all advice is much appreciated.
     
    #1 Greta2009, Jun 15, 2009
  2. Blackbird

    Blackbird Huge member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2008
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    Location:
    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Toe in will enhance straight line stability.
    Can't comment about the accuracy of actual values, but they seem pretty reasonable.

    Moti
     
    #2 Blackbird, Jun 15, 2009
  3. MPG > HP

    MPG > HP Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2006
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    I just took my Mazda RX-8 in for an alignment for a track day (it's retired from DD, due to my '06 Prius) and they mentioned that rear toe (can't remember if in or out) is how to get cars to track straighter or be more predictable on high speed turns. They said it was a common adjustment on Hi-way Patrol cars to get them to track better in +130MPH pursuits.

    Anyway, I just bought a set of Dunlop Driezza's and couldn't be happier with the handling, including in cross winds. They are 205-55s, but I suppose even 195-55 or 60 would do the job for you. Now with the 205's I can easily take a corner at 85 where the OEM 185s would loudly protest at 60. Probably knock 5-10 MPH off from the 205s using 195s which may be better suited for 1st gens. Got them at TireRack which coincidentally was offerring a (now expired) $50 off coupon from Dunlop. It seems like I may be paying a 5% MPG penalty for the improved handling, but the increased safety (and fun!) is worth it, plus it's a bit of a wash since I've also improved my hyper-MPG driving, since owning the car, by more than that.

    So, ask about the rear toe adjustment (not sure if it's adjustable on Prius) and definitely go +1 or +2 on tread width (remember to reduce cross section, accordingly - TireRack gives you tire heights and rotations per mile, in addition to weights and other detailed specs for whatever matches your driving style and weather conditions). Just get the tires drop shipped to your favorite tire outlet who should be happy to mount and balance them for you at about $20 each. I always get the road hazard insurance, but make sure you plan on mounting them right away, as they are prorated annually out to three years from date of delivery.
     
    #3 MPG > HP, Jun 16, 2009
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