The official "my Yaris handles bad on the highway/with crosswinds" thread [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

arcath

05-17-2007, 09:29 PM

Guys I just got my Yaris sedan on monday, but I got a problem and im not sure how to fix it.

when i was driving home from the dealership on the interstate, it seems that when i hit 60-80mph the car is ALL OVER the road. almost uncontrollable.

I love the car to death, it handles awesome if im not on the interstate.

But i have to head back to the dealership tomorrow and on the interstate for 50 miles to get there.

I'm not looking forward to this.

Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

churp

05-17-2007, 09:42 PM

Sidewinds can be a problem.....check the tire pressure on all 4 tires, some of us think a little extra helps (35-40), then have the dealer check alignment. Check some of the other threads on side winds and handling.....may be an alignment problem.

fu_im_from_texas

05-17-2007, 09:43 PM

I felt the same way when I picked up mine...it felt very darty...like any crosswind, bump or groove would send me into a guardrail...

Give it a few weeks, you will get used to it...the yaris has more bodyroll than I was used to...and a very short wheelbase, which gives the illusion of being out of controll...

(Ive had my yaris 3 months and 10k miles)

blacksan

05-17-2007, 09:44 PM

You are not in tune with the steering input yet. Every vehicle has it's own characteristics and the Yaris is unique with the addition of electronic steering. The problem (per say) is the sensitive steering control and you are just administrating too much correction. Have you ever driven a old jeep, or zero turn lawn mower? The reason I ask is that it correlates with my explanation. When you get a few more miles behind the wheel it will become natural.

churp

05-17-2007, 09:50 PM

Arcath....you don't say where you're from but out here in the plains sidewinds are a bitch......after 6,000+ miles I might be more used to it but even after lowering springs I slow down on certain days.....the light weight and high profile are just part of the car.....my only complaint about the car.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 09:53 PM

Chris07LB

05-17-2007, 09:55 PM

churp

05-17-2007, 09:57 PM

I have been meaning to ask this, but always forgot. How does the Yaris handle in the snow?

Only had it 3 months but got thru a couple storms fairly well....winds my only problem. :headbang:

arcath

05-17-2007, 09:58 PM

Im in Nashville.

I thought it might just be the new tires and after couple hundred miles, it might even out. Just got the car on monday, brand new. right now, im sitting at 120ish miles.

This actually has me scared to drive on the interstate now. Your right though, Im not used to driving this yet.

I have been reading though, everything is stock, so im going to add a bit of air in the tires tonight before I leave.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:00 PM

I drive 99% highway at speeds between 65-75mph everyday.

I know exactly what you are talking about, and would suggest checking the tire pressure.

Since keeping mine adjusted, the car is perfect. :smile:

How many PSI are you running, and which tires did yours come with?

Mine came with the Japanese Goodyear's and they work well! it seems like the Bridgestones AKA Flintstones are not as acclimated to the task?

brickhardmeat

05-17-2007, 10:00 PM

barely made it home from the dealer, this car handles like crap on stilts:frown:

I lowered mine and felt a huge difference. Much better.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:03 PM

barely made it home from the dealer, this car handles like crap on stilts:frown:

I lowered mine and felt a huge difference. Much better.

Hmmmm, I really do believe that folks are just not use to the sensitive steering input. I drive for a living and found my Yaris groove after about 50 miles. Yes, I am in the process of upgrading my suspension too, but not as radical as some of the folks here.

arcath

05-17-2007, 10:04 PM

barely made it home from the dealer, this car handles like crap on stilts:frown:

I lowered mine and felt a huge difference. Much better.

being strapped for cash, and this being a family vehicle, im not comfortable with lowering it.

Im considering new tires, but the whole strapped for cash thing.....

Maybe if the insurance money from my "Act of God" car claim comes in. :)

brickhardmeat

05-17-2007, 10:08 PM

oh, your in a sedan :laughabove:

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:10 PM

being strapped for cash, and this being a family vehicle, im not comfortable with lowering it.

Im considering new tires, but the whole strapped for cash thing.....

Maybe if the insurance money from my "Act of God" car claim comes in. :)

Personally I am going with the TRD springs that only dump your ride about 1.5" front & rear. You don't even need new dampers with this setup. As far as new rubber is concerned unless you are doing some serious driving it would not benefit you. On that note let he flaming begin!

arcath

05-17-2007, 10:20 PM

I am very happy with my manual Sedan. :)

well, cept for driving on the interstate.

But Im hoping that inflating to what the sidewall suggests will fix that.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:23 PM

I am very happy with my manual Sedan. :)

well, cept for driving on the interstate.

But Im hoping that inflating to what the sidewall suggests will fix that.

I think that you will find the max sidewall inflation different then what the manual calls for. Does your sidewall inflation say 44 PSI max?

ECHOKnight2000

05-17-2007, 10:24 PM

barely made it home from the dealer, this car handles like crap on stilts:frown:

Yeah, my ECHO is the same although I know the suspension is different but similar attributes as far as what you guys are saying. I hate it personally. Its a floaty, darty design. It sucks going around corners even when its not that bad and crosswinds...don't get me started. I love my car but, man that suspension gets to me. I would love to upgrade the suspension and lower the car but I need $$$ and be smart about my $$$ at the moment. Maybe later or just get another car eventually. I hate slowing so much just when I go on the highway or get off, you know the clover leaf design?? I digress...:rolleyes:

arcath

05-17-2007, 10:25 PM

I think that you will find the max sidewall inflation different then what the manual calls for. Does your sidewall inflation say 44 PSI max?

I am at work and I cant check it for another hour.

But I'm heading to the nearest gas station after work and inflating to max sidewall pressure.

Ninja Edit:

well, the main reason i started this thread was to see if the max tire pressure would improve the stability of my yaris sedan on the highway. I just tried 40 psi (the sidewall of the tire says max is 40) and I noticed a BIG difference in stability at 75 mph...I am beginning to think that the main culprit in the yaris' poor highway stability is the very narrow wheelbase and that this can be compensated for by a strong/max sidewall on the tires - i think i am going to try 44 psi given that the max pressure found at the below link says 44:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=Bridgestone&model=Potenza+RE92

So im guessing 40.....

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:32 PM

I am at work and I cant check it for another hour.

But I'm heading to the nearest gas station after work and inflating to max sidewall pressure.

Ninja Edit:

So im guessing 40.....

Yikes, way to much (IMO). I would stick with 32 PSI cold unless you are loaded down.

arcath

05-17-2007, 10:37 PM

why?

I was under the impression that 32 was stock. Hence my problem.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 10:45 PM

why?

I was under the impression that 32 was stock. Hence my problem.

If you over inflate without the factor of heavy load then you cause the tire to assume a more rounded, or U shaped profile. This causes less of a contact patch/profile in relationship to tire on the road surface. I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination so try to imagine the difference between this ) (over inflation) and this ] (correct inflation) in relation ship to contact patch with road surface. Which would you consider more stable?

deebrown

05-17-2007, 10:53 PM

why?

I was under the impression that 32 was stock. Hence my problem.

My sedan tires do say 40 psi max but i found a link on the tire manufactures website that said 44 psi - i have since (for the last 6 weeks/2000 miles) been at 44 psi - I would say the improvement has been about 50%. I have looked at other message boards (including ones for the prius - which comes with the 185's on them as well) and it seems that upgrading to 195's makes a big difference (not sure if that's really true or not)...apparently, corrolla's also have this problem as well. i'm going to keep my current tires (like you, strapped for cash) until late November and then upgrade to 195's - as the 160 tread on those stock tires doesn't cut it in the wisconsin winters...

arcath

05-17-2007, 10:54 PM

blacksan

05-17-2007, 11:00 PM

Yes, but the general consensus is inflating to the stock tires max sidewall pressure, whats printed on the side, is a good thing.

im not talking bout over inflating to 50-60psi.

In all honesty, the interstate driving is killing me, and I cant spend any money really to fix the problems with new tires or tweaking the suspension.

This just seems like a good no cost solution.

I really feel you just need a few more miles to get the feel for your car. I also had the sensation you described for the first few tanks full of fuel. How many miles have you driven this vehicle?

BTW, I also commute interstate to my job where I drive a company vehicle.

churp

05-17-2007, 11:09 PM

I run 44psi and I agree with blacksan, traction is not as good (stopped fast today and one tire slid on gravel because I had a big load in back) but think the sidewall flex is much less. My springs cost $117 and an afternoon in the garage....firmer than some people would want, but even with the 1.5" drop I think the stock springs would bottom quicker (I bought the LB so I could carry things).....tires are behind cruise control and scangage on my list.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 11:15 PM

Mead

05-17-2007, 11:16 PM

"has me scared to drive on the interstate now"

"60-80mph the car is ALL OVER the road. almost uncontrollable"

"barely made it home from the dealer"

"the interstate driving is killing me"

:laughabove:

C'mon, if the Yaris is such a liability, the DOT would never legalize it, hwy fatalities would be all over the news, Toyota stock would plummet on the bad press...

There is nothing wrong with this car and NO you don't have to TRD it to make it track straight. Did you guys come from a Lexus LS or Bentley? making the Yaris so hard to get used to? Sure the Yaris is buzzy but it's damn smooth for a sub 2300lb car. Short wheel base? same as the Fit.

I also have a Jeep wrangler with 93" wheelbase and high CG, I've passed semis doing 85mph in Texas crosswinds :eek: Quite frankly y'all don't know how good you have it. :laugh:

ON a serious note, if you're really scared to drive the Yaris on the hwy you need a new car. Dont' mess with tire pressure or feel you have to lower it 2" to feel stable. Get a 3300 lb Camry with 110 in wheel base :burnrubber:

uncleyaris

05-17-2007, 11:19 PM

I thought all North America YAris came with Potenza(bridgestone)

blacksan

05-17-2007, 11:21 PM

"has me scared to drive on the interstate now"

"barely made it home from the dealer"

"the interstate driving is killing me"

:laughabove:

C'mon, if the Yaris is such a liability, the DOT would never legalize it, hwy fatalities would be all over the news, Toyota stock would plummet on the bad press...

There is nothing wrong with this car and NO you don't have to TRD it to make it track straight. Did you guys come from a Lexus LS or Bentley? making the Yaris so hard to get used to? Sure the Yaris is buzzy but it's damn smooth for a sub 2300lb car. Short wheel base? same as the Fit.

I also have a Jeep wrangler with 93" wheelbase and high CG, I've passed semis doing 85mph in Texas crosswinds :eek: Quite frankly y'all don't know how good you have it. :laugh:

ON a serious note, if you're really scared to drive the Yaris on the hwy you need a new car. Dont' mess with tire pressure or feel you have to lower it 2" to feel stable. Get a 3300 lb Camry with 110 in wheel base :burnrubber:

Dude, my old CJ 5 would take about half turn port-n-starboard just to keep her straight on the interstate!:biggrin: It's kind of hard to explain to folks that have never driven short wheelbase/high center of gravity vehicles before.

blacksan

05-17-2007, 11:22 PM

I thought all North America YAris came with Potenza(bridgestone)

Nope, I have the Goodyear skins on mine! The funny part is that they are made in Japan?

arcath

05-18-2007, 12:00 AM

Okie a update, I checked, max PSI for the tire is 44, and when i checked at the gas station 1/2 mile from work all four tires are at 48-50psi.

I really feel you just need a few more miles to get the feel for your car. I also had the sensation you described for the first few tanks full of fuel. How many miles have you driven this vehicle?

BTW, I also commute interstate to my job where I drive a company vehicle.

i got about 140 miles on the car so far this week. Picked her up monday morning.

"has me scared to drive on the interstate now"

"60-80mph the car is ALL OVER the road. almost uncontrollable"

"barely made it home from the dealer"

"the interstate driving is killing me"

:laughabove:

C'mon, if the Yaris is such a liability, the DOT would never legalize it, hwy fatalities would be all over the news, Toyota stock would plummet on the bad press...

There is nothing wrong with this car and NO you don't have to TRD it to make it track straight. Did you guys come from a Lexus LS or Bentley? making the Yaris so hard to get used to? Sure the Yaris is buzzy but it's damn smooth for a sub 2300lb car. Short wheel base? same as the Fit.

I also have a Jeep wrangler with 93" wheelbase and high CG, I've passed semis doing 85mph in Texas crosswinds :eek: Quite frankly y'all don't know how good you have it. :laugh:

ON a serious note, if you're really scared to drive the Yaris on the hwy you need a new car. Dont' mess with tire pressure or feel you have to lower it 2" to feel stable. Get a 3300 lb Camry with 110 in wheel base :burnrubber:

Yeah, I have no problem with the car what so ever going under 60mph. Its a great car.

But since I am carrying a 2 year old in the back seat, the car should not feel like im driving drunk if I take the interstate. Say what you will about me, i dont care too much.

I have driven a 86 626, suburu loyale, taurus, f150, small japanese box cars when i was there, and a ranger. Small cars, big cars, none of them have handled like this at interstate speeds before for me.

Sorry if I'm a bit concerned for the safety of my family. :rolleyes:

foober

05-18-2007, 12:04 AM

My yaris seems to hit a sweet spot when it hits 80 and drives as smooth as silk. Don't know why you'd be having problems. Sometimes when the wind picks up over 20 miles an hour I can feel a pull.

Mines a stock yaris hatchback. My tires are at 36psi.

blacksan

05-18-2007, 12:07 AM

arcath, the high PSI you where reading was most likely from warm tires. You need to check them cold to get proper PSI reading.

You have every right, and obligation to keep you family safe. I was not trying to slam you in the least. I drive for a living and am very sensitive to all matters concerning vehicle performance. My observation/reply was based on professional experience going back too 1983. I am not the keeper of all knowledge, but just trying to pass on some observations.

HTM Yaris

05-18-2007, 12:20 AM

If you are concerned with your family's safety , take driving lessons...... The yaris is fine
The next time it rains , and you have to apply the brakes in a hurry , you won't like whats gonna happen . GO BACK TO STOCK PRESSURE , for your family ........

PetersRedYaris

05-18-2007, 12:26 AM

Forget about all the tire pressure BS... Even with stock tires, tire pressures, and suspension, it should track straight and consistent at 80 MPH. If your car is as squirlly on the interstate as you say than there is somthing wrong with it. Take it to the dealer and make them fix it. I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's their problem, not yours.

blacksan

05-18-2007, 12:28 AM

Forget about all the tire pressure BS...

You don't think that tire pressure matters?

Mead

05-18-2007, 08:43 AM

Okie a update, I checked, max PSI for the tire is 44, and when i checked at the gas station 1/2 mile from work all four tires are at 48-50psi.

i got about 140 miles on the car so far this week. Picked her up monday morning.

Yeah, I have no problem with the car what so ever going under 60mph. Its a great car.

But since I am carrying a 2 year old in the back seat, the car should not feel like im driving drunk if I take the interstate. Say what you will about me, i dont care too much.

I have driven a 86 626, suburu loyale, taurus, f150, small japanese box cars when i was there, and a ranger. Small cars, big cars, none of them have handled like this at interstate speeds before for me.

Sorry if I'm a bit concerned for the safety of my family. :rolleyes:

Hey no sweat, I'm not attacking anyone sorry for the misunderstanding... however bumping up beyond the recommended or even hitting max tire pressure is unsafe. It reduces contact patch and it'll be more dicey on the hwy, your stopping distance also suffers. Sorry againg for the misunderstanding. :smoking:

Mead

05-18-2007, 08:53 AM

Dude, my old CJ 5 would take about half turn port-n-starboard just to keep her straight on the interstate!:biggrin: It's kind of hard to explain to folks that have never driven short wheelbase/high center of gravity vehicles before.

yep I love the CJs... too rough around the edges for me to own one, guess I'm too old :frown: but yeah, SWB, high CG, and going doorless really teaches a you about physics :laugh:

arcath

05-18-2007, 08:58 AM

Hey no sweat, I'm not attacking anyone sorry for the misunderstanding... however bumping up beyond the recommended or even hitting max tire pressure is unsafe. It reduces contact patch and it'll be more dicey on the hwy, your stopping distance also suffers. Sorry againg for the misunderstanding. :smoking:

thats the thing. I didnt do it. It came stock from the dealership this way.

I was actually surprised when I checked and it was over the max.

::shrugs::

PetersRedYaris

05-18-2007, 10:38 AM

You don't think that tire pressure matters?

What I'm saying is that the recommended 32 PSI is fine. I purchased my Yaris in Colorado, drove it 350 miles home on interstate and highway, and it handled absolutley fine; no mods of course, it was brand new. His car should not be "all over the place".

Regarding your high tire pressures- Check the pressures first thing in the morning. Tires sitting in the sun can get very hot and raise pressures significantly.

ceres

05-18-2007, 10:51 AM

blacksan

05-18-2007, 10:52 AM

thats the thing. I didnt do it. It came stock from the dealership this way.

I was actually surprised when I checked and it was over the max.

::shrugs::

Don't be shocked at anything. My dealership actually used fine thread fasteners in the rear license plate even though the Yaris uses self taping front and rear. When I pointed this out they basically told me I was an idiot until I pulled the tag and demonstrated that there was no clip arrangement on the rear that would dictate the use of fine thread fastener. There response was that they really did not care and still wanted to argue with me when I demanded to mount the tag myself with the proper fasteners. The service writer and shop manager stood over my shoulder and kept telling me that if I striped the screw holes it was my problem and not theres. Mind you I was using my Leatherman Tool with screw driver bit and they wanted to use there 24V cordless drill with screw driver bit.:eek:

blacksan

05-18-2007, 10:55 AM

My car also blows all over the place if the wind is hitting it right. The worst is coming around a bend and having it go right under the front corner. You do get used to it, but if a strong enough gust comes along out of no where (like if you were protected by trees just beforehand), you need to react fast but also be careful to not overreact on the adjustment.

Believe, or not you even end up wrestling a tractor trailer in heavy wind gusts. Even more so if you are pulling a self contained trailer vs flat bed trailer.

nsmitchell

05-18-2007, 11:30 AM

I drive 99% highway at speeds between 65-75mph everyday.

I know exactly what you are talking about, and would suggest checking the tire pressure.

Since keeping mine adjusted, the car is perfect. :smile:

I must have missed something... Didn't you get a Fit? What ever happened with that? I'm glad you are still here though!:biggrin:

brickhardmeat

05-18-2007, 01:04 PM

:rolleyes: My dealer put an extra goddamn hole in my rear bumper for the license plate, you would think they could have accomplished this task correctly. Luckily they didn't touch the front.

I would agree the LB does feel "unstable" on the highway with totally stock suspension going 80 in high winds. Nothing totally crazy but it felt like a bit too much work to drive the car before I simply put lowering springs on it. I think giving the car any drop will help. I don't understand how lowering the car puts your children in danger.:tongue:

Springs would cost you as little as 115. bucks and I think the car would feel great. No one should be over inflating their tires, this is dangerous, 30-32 pounds is perfect and tires aren't your problem

DorytheYaris

05-18-2007, 01:09 PM

I have been meaning to ask this, but always forgot. How does the Yaris handle in the snow?

Personally, I think it handles better than my xA did. Way better in fact. It's amazing how versatile these little cars can be.

blacksan

05-18-2007, 01:35 PM

Personally, I think it handles better than my xA did. Way better in fact. It's amazing how versatile these little cars can be.

This is the first FWD drive car I have had in years and always had good luck with them in the snow, but was not shore about the super light Yaris. We really don't get that much snow around here, (thank god) and am glad that I have the FWD advantage during the winter.

grampi

05-18-2007, 01:59 PM

If you over inflate without the factor of heavy load then you cause the tire to assume a more rounded, or U shaped profile. This causes less of a contact patch/profile in relationship to tire on the road surface. I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination so try to imagine the difference between this ) (over inflation) and this ] (correct inflation) in relation ship to contact patch with road surface. Which would you consider more stable?

Not true. As long as you stay under the max pressure listed on the sidewall, you'll suffer no ill-effects (with the exception of a stiffer ride, of course). Tires are made to hold their shape up to the max pressure regardless of vehicle weight. According to every tire expert I've talked to, running with the pressure listed on the driver's door plus 5 PSI is optimum for traction, handling, max tread life, and lowest road noise. The only benefit to running right at the recommended pressure is a smoother ride, but then everything else suffers.

blacksan

05-18-2007, 02:08 PM

Not true. As long as you stay under the max pressure listed on the sidewall, you'll suffer no ill-effects (with the exception of a stiffer ride, of course). Tires are made to hold their shape up to the max pressure regardless of vehicle weight. According to every tire expert I've talked to, running with the pressure listed on the driver's door plus 5 PSI is optimum for traction, handling, max tread life, and lowest road noise. The only benefit to running right at the recommended pressure is a smoother ride, but then everything else suffers.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?Proper%20Tire%20Inflation

nsmitchell

05-18-2007, 02:38 PM

http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?Proper%20Tire%20Inflation (http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?Proper%20Tire%20Inflation)
Great article!

blacksan

05-18-2007, 02:43 PM

Great article!

I didn't want to argue the fact, but I grew up in the heavy industry business and often pilot a vehicle up to and beyond 80K GVW. If I followed some of the advice given here I would have blown tires and killed myself, and or other innocent folks on the road.

deebrown

05-18-2007, 02:49 PM

http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?Proper%20Tire%20Inflation

no offense, but "the diesel stop" website looks pretty cheesy - like it was put together by some guy with Frontpage in his basement. Plus, and more importantly, the person who wrote the article doesn't list outside sources or detailed studies - seems like he's pretty much just giving his opinion...

grampi

05-18-2007, 02:51 PM

sdmf

05-18-2007, 02:53 PM

well i do alot of highway driving on the weekends, usually around 80mph, i dont really feel the crosswind anymore, im running on trd springs, trd struts, trd rear antisway bar, 205/50/15 tires, i try to whip it around on turns. me likey alot

blacksan

05-18-2007, 03:08 PM

Good article, but it doesn't specify exactly what is considered overinflated. If you ask around, I think you'll find most tire experts will say a tire isn't overinflated unless the max pressure listed on the tire's sidewall is exceeded. As long as you stay under that, you're fine. BTW, for what it's worth, driving on underinflated tires posses a much higher risk of a blowout than does driving on overinflated tires. Remember the Ford/Firestone debacle a few years back? Almost all of those accidents were attributed to underinflated tires.

Unless the tire is specifically made for the car it is mounted on then the max printed sidewall inflation holds no relevance what so ever. Open your vehicle manual, or study the info plate that gives you a recommended inflation based on GVW for that particular vehicle. "Tire Experts" did not design the vehicle. The engineers that are employed by the manufacture do, and know the correct operating perimeters for said vehicle.

grampi

05-18-2007, 03:49 PM

Unless the tire is specifically made for the car it is mounted on then the max printed sidewall inflation holds no relevance what so ever. Open your vehicle manual, or study the info plate that gives you a recommended inflation based on GVW for that particular vehicle. "Tire Experts" did not design the vehicle. The engineers that are employed by the manufacture do, and know the correct operating perimeters for said vehicle.

Both tire and auto experts are above my knowledge level. I'm just repeating what I've been told and obviously somebody's wrong. The tire guys say one thing while the car guys say another. I can verify one thing from my own personal experience though. My tires definitely last longer running them on recommended pressure +5 PSI. That's tire guys 1, car guys zip.

blacksan

05-18-2007, 03:52 PM

Both tire and auto experts are above my knowledge level. I'm just repeating what I've been told and obviously somebody's wrong. The tire guys say one thing while the car guys say another. I can verify one thing from my own personal experience though. My tires definitely last longer running them on recommended pressure +5 PSI. That's tire guys 1, car guys zip.

Are you my X wife impersonating a Yaris pilot with the screen name grampi???:biggrin:

grampi

05-19-2007, 08:25 AM

Are you my X wife impersonating a Yaris pilot with the screen name grampi???:biggrin:

I didn't know you still cared.:wink:

Pavel Olavich

05-19-2007, 12:19 PM

Hmmmm, I really do believe that folks are just not use to the sensitive steering input. I drive for a living and found my Yaris groove after about 50 miles. Yes, I am in the process of upgrading my suspension too, but not as radical as some of the folks here.

The Yaris steering is no more or less sensitive then most other cars. The only difference is that it uses an electric motor for assistence. That aside, it's functionality and performance is the same as 90% of all cars Japanese or domestic. I air travel and rent too many different cars to think otherwise.

I think part of the problem is that the newness of the coil sprints, suspension and tires conspire to make a new Yaris jumpy and twitchy, all of which will go away as everything seats in.

Jerkratt

05-19-2007, 01:45 PM

i agree with that i have almost 3k miles and it seems to take corners and highway drafts a little better now acually.. im only 154lb so it cant be me helping it. the car does have a noticable body roll and i do notice getting slitghtly pushed on the highway during strong winds nothing major but im also going like 70-85mph. tire pressure a must but i am going to spring and sway it when the extra money comes in so i can get rid of that nasty body roll over tight corners. i have a new born myself and i feel comfortable having him in the car with me.

hystria

05-20-2007, 09:43 AM

try inflate the tires to 34-36psi (do not inflate over this value)

on this car, bad handling comes first from the soft wall tires. when doing hard cornering - like on a emergency situation - there comes in equation the rear suspension which is too soft (springs) on this car. stiffer springs will offer much improvement for such situations

my yaris hb runs on 185-60-R15 inflate to 36psi and feels very tight on highway with stock suspension. the same car was much more instable and the steering was less precise with a tire pressure of 30-32psi

Rabbit

05-20-2007, 10:48 AM

i also had the same problem. changing rims and tires helped my problem . i put 17s

gm830

05-20-2007, 06:20 PM

blacksan

05-20-2007, 07:29 PM

I'm really hoping you're right about all of this because after reading all these posts I'm scared to buy my yaris liftback lol

You will find it enjoyable after getting use to the car. I only notice heavy cross winds, but they are even worse in truck which has a lot more metal and a higher center of gravity.

Jerkratt

05-21-2007, 12:31 AM

ive noticed driveing on teh parkway today that doing 80 with the windows down.. the car was more stable then with the windowa up. i felt like i had to "correct" the car more then. compaired to the windows being down.... i guess the wind acts as a natural stabilizer? sorta

Mead

05-21-2007, 08:31 AM

I'm really hoping you're right about all of this because after reading all these posts I'm scared to buy my yaris liftback lol

my only complaint about high speed driving in the Yaris is it gets a little noisy, mainly due to the lack of insulation but it keeps the car light. Other than that the car handles great on the hwy, it's very peppy. I'm confident next to semis.

Sure, the steering is probably a little light but it's not a danger to society. IMO if anyone thinks the Yaris is uncontrollable at speed, then they either don't have enough expereince with other cars or just don't know how to drive. (assuming there's no mechanical issues and the tire pressure is correct)

nsmitchell

05-21-2007, 09:42 AM

no offense, but "the diesel stop" website looks pretty cheesy - like it was put together by some guy with Frontpage in his basement. Plus, and more importantly, the person who wrote the article doesn't list outside sources or detailed studies - seems like he's pretty much just giving his opinion...
He does seem like he's giving just his knowledge, but it also jives with my understanding as well. My brother, who was a mechanic for 20+ years explained this stuff to me more than once. The chalk test is a surefire method to make sure your tires are correctly inflated. You can't really argue with his article. His website may look cheesy because this guy may primarily be a mechanic or an engineer.

blacksan

05-21-2007, 11:15 AM

He does seem like he's giving just his knowledge, but it also jives with my understanding as well. My brother, who was a mechanic for 20+ years explained this stuff to me more than once. The chalk test is a surefire method to make sure your tires are correctly inflated. You can't really argue with his article. His website may look cheesy because this guy may primarily be a mechanic or an engineer.

+1 I have an engineering background and the article does a real good job of explaining things in a layman's terms. If he would have presented his thesis then no one would have been interested in reading it. I still get a kick out of folks that want to argue away things that they themselves are noy really shore about.

BTW, Have you ever been to the Harbour Freight store? I want to slip down there sometime soon and pick up a floor jack.

Thirty-Nine

05-21-2007, 12:44 PM

I had a Yaris sedan for a rental car for over a week. I loved it, but the handling did seem twitchy, especially at highway speeds. I did get used to it, but I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only person who thought this.

nsmitchell

05-21-2007, 01:29 PM

+1 I have an engineering background and the article does a real good job of explaining things in a layman's terms. If he would have presented his thesis then no one would have been interested in reading it. I still get a kick out of folks that want to argue away things that they themselves are noy really shore about.

BTW, Have you ever been to the Harbour Freight store? I want to slip down there sometime soon and pick up a floor jack.

I will pick mine up at Costco. I've seen them about every time I visit. It's a lot closer to me. Right now I'm still licking my wounds after that speeding ticket. I have a very heavy Craftsman jack right now so no rush, and it gives me a good workout too.

Jerkratt

05-22-2007, 03:40 AM

i got aharbour hreight like 5-10 mins from me... lol maybe we can work something out and i can get it and ship it or osmething

blacksan

05-22-2007, 09:41 AM

i got aharbour hreight like 5-10 mins from me... lol maybe we can work something out and i can get it and ship it or osmething

Thanks for the offer! I am going to call my local HF today and see if pricing in the store is same as web price. If it is cheaper to send my heavy crap vs driving down then that is how I am going to do it. stay tuned.

nsmitchell

05-22-2007, 10:09 AM

Check this one out. I think we have hi"jacked" this thread.

http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/200313500.htm

blacksan

05-22-2007, 10:15 AM

Check this one out. I think we have hi"jacked" this thread.

http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/200313500.htm

Good find! No, this is all about making my Yaris handle better over 60 through wheel rotation.:biggrin:

H2XcapePod

05-22-2007, 10:55 AM

This is just my two cents but it seems to be a large disparity between the handling on the LB and Sedan( LB for me). With heavy crosswinds I do get tossed a bit and when I first got the car I thought the handling wasn't quite right for a car this size. A few months ago I started over inflating the Potenza RE 92's to 40 psi. She definietly feels tighter, and a lot more fun. Even under emergency braking and breaking traction she's stable and predictable...(too bad some poor schmuck had to soil his trousers for me to find out:redface: Sorry!)

Lillydot

05-23-2007, 12:15 AM

my car gets blown around too. i think its part tires, and part getting used to the car. inflate the tires up too 36 psi and just get used to the way the car handles. after about 4 months of driving, i've got the body roll almost completely under control. i can do 60mph, maybe push it to 70, but i know the car can't handle anything over that on a windy day or going over a bridge over a lake (thats when the wind gets me the worst!:mad: ). so i stay at 60. its better for your gas mileage, anyways!

Creeper

05-26-2007, 01:35 AM

just my 2 cents checked my tire pressure today and it was at 40 so i droped it down to 35 and it handles alot better then it did on the highway, no more moving sidways in the crosswind or anything, drives like a charm :) had it sense october 06 and have 4286 miles on it

thomasward00

05-27-2007, 09:17 PM

Thats why i've ordered 16x7 rims and tires for my sedan, it does get blown around a bit on the interstate, hopefully with the wider rims and more high performance tires it will help some with stability.

spkrman

05-27-2007, 09:41 PM

Rims and tires basically eliminate this problem.

Its a highway machine with the dubs on... but I never had issues before... just grab hold of the wheel.

I've never been in a car that kept going straight when there was 40mph gusts... as a matter of fact, the only time I get "blown around" is when every other car on the road gets blown around. The only time its ever been sqiurrely at all due to wind was winter on the highway in storms around curves... now of course all you have to do is slow down, and snow tires help alot... I should also add that for every day my stock tired yaris made it though, there were 10-20 of something larger on the side of the road.

The car itself isn't so unstable, it just takes a tighter grip on the wheel... an abnormally tight grip for such a small car. I suppose chalk it up to electric steering.

eTiMaGo

05-28-2007, 02:32 AM

The car itself isn't so unstable, it just takes a tighter grip on the wheel... an abnormally tight grip for such a small car. I suppose chalk it up to electric steering.

That, and the very short lock-to-lock ratio... I think some people might be used to older cars where you can spin the wheel 3-4 times lock to lock, ours is about 2 and a half turns I think? So a "normal" steering input causes a bigger than anticipated response from the wheels, which can make the car feel squirelly at high speed...

Mead

05-28-2007, 08:17 PM

I just racked up 1500 miles on my 5 sp liftback.:wink: I started with 350 miles on the odometer, 36 psi front, 34 rear.

I avg 85 mph... I topped 95 mph, day and night time driving, even drove thru a heavy thunderstorm (slowed to 25mph, 1/4 mile visibiltiy)

Bad handling? I didn't notice any. The car rides steady and smooth. It was pretty noisy and rear visibility over my right shoulder was awful. There was also a blind spot over my left shoulder. Though I don't have side curtains, I think the b-pillar trim protects for it so the trim is quite bulky = bad visibility. Also the rear middle seat belt buckle eats up some rear view mirror visibility.

In 5th gear the Yaris feels 'settled in' between 85 - 90 mph JMHO

ponieswhee

05-28-2007, 08:24 PM

There was an Automobile magazine article about the Ford Fiesta RS, a diesel Skoda and the Renault Clio Sport which put it this way: A car that feels light, nimble and tossable on small windy backroads often feels darty, nervous and unstable on the interstate.

I think this is part of the reason small cars never caught on in a big way in the US. Personally, I'll take nervous and darty any day over numb and overweight. I love the way my Yaris handles. I can toss it around tight corners at speeds that would scare the pants off me in my camry or old taurus. I can't wait for the day gas hits $5 a gallon and Ford et al finally wake up to the fact that some of us actually want to see these cars here in the US.

Pars

05-28-2007, 11:35 PM

I'm really hoping you're right about all of this because after reading all these posts I'm scared to buy my yaris liftback lol

Did I miss something? I don't recall anyone saying that the liftback was more susceptible to cross-wind then the Yaris sedan. btw, the original post was a sedan owner, not a liftback.

I drive a 5dr liftback and the only time my trance-like stupor is interrupted by cross-wind is when half of the other cars on the road are also getting tossed around in their lane. Usually when I'm wakened from the cross-wind, I'll jack up the speed since the car seems to cut through the wind better at higher speeds (but not too high, like above 90mph).

I recently changed my tires from the stock potenza to Toyo Spectrum. The new Spectrum are more quiet (but old tires tend to get noisy), seem to be a bit more stable at extreme speeds (above 90mph) and does a better job at handling the g-force. Hopefully it's just as good as the Potenza in the braking department. If so, win-win.

Anyways, the tires are going to play a significant factor in the cross-wind. My old car (which was also a hatchback and weighted as much as the Yaris) were running on Toyo Proxies FZ4 (I hope to get these tires when I finally move up in wheel size) and the Proxies have an amazing centred feel and I suspect would be significantly better against the cross-wind. The only problem, is that they're directional tires and tend to need frequent rotating (to keep them from getting noisy).

YAR1S

11-04-2008, 04:23 PM

wondering if anyone else has experienced this before.

I usually drive mostly highway miles. (65 mph - 70mph)
Lately I'll get into patches where the yaris will quite literally pull from side to side like its rocking back and forth. Would it be a mechanical problem.
Or does anyone experience this as a normal thing.

My best bet is that lately its been getting colder and dreery and the wind is picking up a bit. Maybe the winds hit the yaris just right to give it a weird rocking back and forth sensation.

I thought the yaris was pretty aerodynamic???
:iono:

bobby

11-04-2008, 04:29 PM

Trade it in for a Phit...it's safer!

33OH

11-04-2008, 04:31 PM

My Yaris has picked up alot of wind resistance side-to-side. Other than that it doesn't rock on the highway at all. And I drive on the highway about 100 miles every day to work.

It has been better since I've lowered it too. I used DF210's.

lita_g

11-04-2008, 04:49 PM

Mine does that sometimes on I-4 when I'm going 75-80, it does it also sometimes on my way home going 70, but usually when it happens I think it is when it's somewhat windy, it's not happening all the time, so I'm not worried.

Bob_VT

11-04-2008, 04:55 PM

About 50% of that is road surface which changes constantly when heavy trucks travel on them and the other half could be wind.

Road surfaces have alot of effect.

Mikeb Yaris

11-04-2008, 05:19 PM

Try ridge riding...

YarisSedan

11-04-2008, 07:36 PM

Mine used to do that. But wheni put on the trd swaybar it seemed to go away. Once i put the trd springs on it i never had this problem anymore no matter how fast im going

Ryu

11-04-2008, 09:28 PM

Try to fill up your windshield washer fluid and gas to full on windy day and see if it happens again.

Windshield fluid add weight to the front and gas add weight to the rear.
Combined = stable ride on cross windy day.

I feel my car is quite heavy after I top up those 2 to full. Try it and you will feel the difference!!

By the way, our yaris is very aerodynamic from the front side but not for those cross wind.

Phaeton

11-04-2008, 10:31 PM

How about slowing down lol.

Stargate YARlantIS

11-04-2008, 10:34 PM

How about slowing down lol.

lol....or speed up! jk

Ryu

11-04-2008, 10:36 PM

lol....or speed up! jk

Haha, that would be another subject :biggrin:

YAR1S

11-05-2008, 12:17 AM

haha slowing down would result in a semi rear ending my poor yaris, its a two lane highway and if your that one slow person your more than likely gonna cause trouble for everyone else. Although I dont mind going slower, I often take the business route which is 5-10 mph slower than the normal highway, just to save gas.

and my tank and washer fluid (not much weight?) were both full.
It may very well be the road I travel the crappiest part of I-40 in the state twice a day, what do i expect. glad they voted for the road improvement bond in my state, hopefully I wont have to worry about it much longer.

drbilal

11-05-2008, 06:25 AM

swaybar and/or drop is ur answer :cool:

MUSKOKA800

11-05-2008, 06:47 AM

Mine used to do that. But wheni put on the trd swaybar it seemed to go away. Once i put the trd springs on it i never had this problem anymore no matter how fast im going

My experience exactly. Add a TRD swaybar and most of your shifty cross-wind issues will be resolved. And your general handling will be vastly improved as well. I've said it before on this forum, the TRD swaybar should be factory installed on every Yaris (the sedan for sure), for safety sake.

YAR1S

11-05-2008, 05:57 PM

Im starting to think its the ridges in the road from the big rigs. Maybe cause the yaris isnt that wide, and its falling into the ridges kinda funny, so when I move slightly from left to right it tugs? maybe? no?

Latka

11-05-2008, 11:41 PM

Sounds like "tramlining" to me. Certain vehicles / wheel & tire combos seem more prone to it - but you got it. Following the traction grooves in the highway.

TheRealEnth

11-05-2008, 11:48 PM

its the wind.. has happened to me forever... when hurricanes come... It sucks to drive on the highway... its like... i go above 55 and i gotta hold the steering wheel like its about to explode if i loosen slightly.. i almost crashed the 1st time it ever happened to me.. caught me off guard and threw me a lane over fast.. But yeah.. Sway bar and dropping it will definitely solve your problem!

helphelp911

02-01-2009, 05:02 AM

My experience exactly. Add a TRD swaybar and most of your shifty cross-wind issues will be resolved. And your general handling will be vastly improved as well. I've said it before on this forum, the TRD swaybar should be factory installed on every Yaris (the sedan for sure), for safety sake.

For the swaybar, should i need to install the TRD shocks/spring in order to see its effect?

Will stock + swaybar keep the car stable on highway with some wind?

NJBob

02-01-2009, 07:21 AM

Sounds like "tramlining" to me. Certain vehicles / wheel & tire combos seem more prone to it - but you got it. Following the traction grooves in the highway.

+1 Our Route 295 is deeply rutted from so many tractor trailers over the years and will pull you from side to side. It's a 3 lane hwy and the middle lane is the worst. My '98 Neon had the same problem.
If it's the wind than there's not much you can do but slow down and hold on with both hands. I mean do you have the problem when it's NOT windy? :iono:

Cutie Pie #2

02-01-2009, 07:56 AM

Sway bar and wider tires, like I just did.

SilverBack

02-01-2009, 08:01 AM

TheSilkySmooth

02-01-2009, 10:40 AM

Know how you guys feel. Most fwys here are unevenly surfaced. Sometimes I feel like I have to white-knuckle the wheel while doing 80, especially on windy days. The short wheel-base and track of the LB isn't well-suited for these conditions. Someday I'll get my TRD suspension upgrade to handle this... The car has a crappy, rubbery strut front end that doesnt hold alignment too well. So that alignment has to be good. That said, make sure you dont have TOO MUCH air in the rear tires as this makes this car REALLY twitchy - I run no more than 26-28 psi on the stockers out back. And no more than 29 -31 in the fronts. IN the Operating range, the less air in the tire, the slower the steering response will be - Sport Motorcycle riders might know this. OTW, MORE aerodynamic shape means MORE response to wind directional changes - not less. My old Fiat 128 3dr (weighed 700lb less than yaris) was a box-on-box brick and was NOT affected by wind at all. Went 100mph all day - Just one hand on the tiller. In the Yar 3dr, I just pretend we are flying a PiperCub and go with the flow as they say:smile: - the bro

TheSilkySmooth

02-01-2009, 10:46 AM

a Wide tyre is NOT good on a lite car. The stock are too big as it is. Car needs 165-70R 14's MAX - the rest of the rubber is wasted - and can cause nasty hydroplaning and increased rolling resistance. Big tyres are a joke, all looks and NO function on a stock rubbery suspension. I know you all want that hot-wheels look. Looks supercede function in this silly USA. -Papa

MUSKOKA800

02-01-2009, 11:06 AM

For the swaybar, should i need to install the TRD shocks/spring in order to see its effect?

Will stock + swaybar keep the car stable on highway with some wind?

Yes, just the swaybar makes a world of difference. Much more confident feel at highway speeds.

cfiimei

02-02-2009, 07:21 PM

Try riding a motorcycle on a windy day! My little Ninja 500 has a mind of it's own at 80 with a stiff crosswind.

tk-421

02-02-2009, 08:43 PM

My experience is that getting slightly wider tires (205/50R15 in my case) and lowering the car with NFs made a world of difference in that area. I am pretty sure that it will get even better once I get a rear sway bar and an underpanel.

darkmoon87

02-02-2009, 08:47 PM

I thought the yaris was pretty aerodynamic???
:iono:

NOT

/thread

YAR1S

02-02-2009, 09:46 PM

tk-421

02-02-2009, 10:35 PM

anyone selling a front sway bar? You attach it to the pre-drilled holes, right? I would really like to settle my car's unstable swaying during highway driving but I cant afford to mess with the suspension right now till I stop the rough driving on the highway.
A front swaybar is not the best way to fix this issue AFAIK. You should spend roughly the same amount of cash in a rear sway bar when you're willing to fiddle with the suspension a bit more. $.02

helphelp911

02-02-2009, 10:44 PM

A front swaybar is not the best way to fix this issue AFAIK. You should spend roughly the same amount of cash in a rear sway bar when you're willing to fiddle with the suspension a bit more. $.02

with rear sway bar, will the ride become more rough? :confused::confused:

tk-421

02-02-2009, 10:48 PM

with rear sway bar, will the ride become more rough? :confused::confused:
It will become stiffer, yes... But with more stiffness comes more control as well. :thumbsup:

mikenacarato

02-02-2009, 10:57 PM

i have the car lowered on df210s and have the trd rear anti-sway bar and i do notice sway occasionally. i know its not the roads because this is the only car i have that does this. its like it dances around the lane...its annoying. o well, i can put the wind smackage aside...i love my yaris! :)

TheSilkySmooth

02-03-2009, 09:36 AM

NOT

/thread DARK: How bout some numbers not your uninformed, worthless opinion? Numbers like "cD x frontal area" - should be pretty good - except car is a bit too short ... I find the car hunkers down at 80MPH+

ok if found this in 10 seconds

EDMUNDS semiquote: "With a coefficient of drag of just 0.29, both the sedan and Liftback slip through the air ...
www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=108501 - the bro

JetfireK

02-03-2009, 10:31 AM

The car has a crappy, rubbery strut front end that doesnt hold alignment too well. So that alignment has to be good. That said, make sure you dont have TOO MUCH air in the rear tires as this makes this car REALLY twitchy - I run no more than 26-28 psi on the stockers out back. And no more than 29 -31 in the fronts. IN the Operating range, the less air in the tire, the slower the steering response will be - Sport Motorcycle riders might know this. OTW, MORE aerodynamic shape means MORE response to wind directional changes - not less. My old Fiat 128 3dr (weighed 700lb less than yaris) was a box-on-box brick and was NOT affected by wind at all. Went 100mph all day - Just one hand on the tiller. In the Yar 3dr, I just pretend we are flying a PiperCub and go with the flow as they say:smile: - the bro

I noted on the highway the little car does "catch the wind" but when there is no wind the 18 wheels really give the little car a toss....Do you think sway bars are the answer?

barry6386

03-20-2009, 10:23 PM

I'm having the same problems with cross winds. It's not the highway/road surface so much cus I'm driving the same route back and forth to work. (106 miles RT). I put the TRD rear swaybar under it and it's worth the money. But... I'm still not happy with the handling. I just had the tires rotated and it didn't seem to be so bad for a while. I'm wondering if it could be the stock tires. I have the package that comes with 15" wheels. I'd like to get the best bang for the buck so I'm wondering if getting tires or shocks/struts would be the best value.

YAR1S

03-20-2009, 10:31 PM

I noted on the highway the little car does "catch the wind" but when there is no wind the 18 wheels really give the little car a toss....Do you think sway bars are the answer?

Yes! I notice this a lot, when a truck goes by me, my poor yaris gets sucked into it....
and once the truck is in front of me, the turbulance it creates will hot my yaris at a particular time and the whole car will shudder and rock terribly... I usually change lanes or slow down to let it pass:thumbdown:

Although... I still love my yaris and i've become used to its unsteadyness at high speeds.

tomato

03-20-2009, 10:46 PM

First time I caught a bit of wind, I was on the !$!@$@# Bay Bridge (long, suspended bridge) and it was raining!!! :eyebulge: Enuff said.

The only thing you can do, I guess is slow down and hang on tight to the steering wheel! You're right, though, you can't always slow down, I know what you mean. :frown:

Funny, I was just sitting here wondering if I should get that sway bar and how it would affect the ride, and now that thread pops up, pretty cool. The weather is pretty good in California, but there is quite a bit of wind on the bridge and driving the Yaris through that scares me sh..tless to be honest. :eek:

supmet

03-20-2009, 11:33 PM

The sway bar helps with wind - a LOT. It also makes driving 80 on the freeway feel like 60. The general ride comfort is barely stiffer, and I wouldn't say rougher at all.

YAR1S

03-20-2009, 11:45 PM

;[ Im always torn on the sway bar debate. Do you have the front or rear bar? I was told that the front would help... but I always hear bad things too....

eh.... If it doesnt work... I'll be spending $80 on a metal bar that wont ever be seen except by me and my mechanic.

tomato

03-21-2009, 12:22 AM

$80 so my Yaris won't fall off the bridge? Sounds like a deal to me!:biggrin:

barry6386

03-21-2009, 01:04 AM

Hey everyone. After reading through this thread I see there are others having some issues with the handling of the Yaris. It's the reason why I'm here. All I can say is there IS SOMETHING different with the way it handles. Whether it's normal or not is subjective. I feel like it gets blown around excessively. I have a '08 sedan with 11K miles. I drive it around 100 miles a day to work and back. It's the same route every day so I know the reason I'm getting tossed around is because of the wind and not the road surface. I travel mostly on interstate and some on flat 2 lane. I put a TRD rear sway bar (wow was that easy) under it and it's worth the money I spent on it. I had the tires rotated and the handling seemed better for a while but I think It could be a lot better. With all that said, I'd like to know if getting tires would be a better bang for the buck or getting shocks/struts.

One other thing.. Does anyone else notice something going on transmission wise when going downhill? I have an automatic transmission..... It seems like some sort of engine breaking or the transmission not releasing when just beginning to coast down a hill. If I slightly let off the gas pedal it doesn't release. If I completely let off the gas it releases and coast normally (like I would expect it to)... Anyone?

Fishbulb

03-21-2009, 01:19 AM

I drive my Yaris 150 to 300 miles per day, I find myself often averaging 83 mph on Intestates, beltways, tunnels, toll roads, parkways, bridges, etc. Once you get used to the handling, you can really control the car quite well.

I have a LB though, and I broke it in hard (so mine is fast and runs perfect).

meh

Fishbulb

03-21-2009, 01:21 AM

In fact, I have noticed that my Yaris handles forward driving forces with no crosswind perfectly, the "blow around" happens with any crosswind over 7 mph.

I will try cracking all the windows next time I encounter sidewinds to try to see if venting some of the force thru the cab might settle the dart factor.

For you, not for me. Im actually fine with the dart factor.

SailDesign

03-21-2009, 09:23 AM

Lower profile tires. The soggy,tall sidewalls on the OEM shoes were horrible on the Newport Bridge (RI), but switching out to 16-inch wheels and lower sidewalls cured it right up. 70+ on the bridge i na cross-wind now is pretty good - you feel the wind, but don't get tossed.

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 09:25 AM

the yaris is not meant for windy places

is japan windy?

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 10:04 AM

for those who have horrendous experiences driving ur yaris against the wind(mostly from the sides)

for NON modded Yaris(no suspsension,etc upgrades)

Bob_VT

03-21-2009, 10:39 AM

horrendous experiences equal shit NY roads..... move away from that nightmare or learn to live with it

m911gt

03-21-2009, 10:47 AM

lol...i was surprised it took that long ;)

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 10:51 AM

horrendous experiences equal shit NY roads..... move away from that nightmare or learn to live with it

it has nothing to do with the nyc roads. actually it is on the highway(should have mentioned at certain speeds in the post)

i'm glad your yaris is perfect

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 10:51 AM

im fighting my urges here:mad:

well this is what the poll is for.

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 10:53 AM

horrendous experiences equal shit NY roads..... move away from that nightmare or learn to live with it

DUDE your yaris has a rear sway bar. how was it b4? just curious if it improved

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 10:55 AM

lol...i was surprised it took that long ;)

your yaris should be straight like an arrow with all those suspension mods

eTiMaGo

03-21-2009, 10:59 AM

there's need for 15,000 threads about this same topic, so for everyone's convenience and sanity, I have grouped them here. :thumbsup:

m911gt

03-21-2009, 10:59 AM

it's pretty good, yes

m911gt

03-21-2009, 10:59 AM

there's need for 15,000 threads about this same topic, so for everyone's convenience and sanity, I have grouped them here. :thumbsup:

i was wondering what happened, ha, thanks Thomas

SailDesign

03-21-2009, 12:04 PM

thats the dumbest statement ever
:thumbdown:

+1

roxy1

03-21-2009, 01:15 PM

is japan windy?

ive lived there. it is windy, but only when the wind blows.

Bob_VT

03-21-2009, 03:34 PM

Looking back on it even with my "Toyota Racing Development" rear anti sway bar I just take turns even faster now. I consider myself a spirited driver.

The most significant problems happen at 88 mph :eyebulge:...... if I am not paying attention and hit a cross wind I go Back to the Future and leave flaming tire tracks on the road:burnrubber:

Yawesh

03-21-2009, 06:12 PM

first its not dude is Mr.Bob and second i have no suspension mods and have no problems with the wind unless wind are above 70km/h , but then all cars will get buffeted not only the Yaris. if you have trouble controlling the car when windy stay home during those days.

DUDE i'm not talking to you

SailDesign

03-21-2009, 06:23 PM

m911gt

03-22-2009, 01:08 AM

dont call me dude

no worries dude :wink:

m911gt

03-22-2009, 01:11 AM

dude

:laugh:

you're alright, you know that dude?

m911gt

03-22-2009, 01:14 AM

thanks dude! well, i'm off to bed for real, talk to you later!

(dude)

SilverBack

03-22-2009, 01:30 AM

Been hearing that lowering springs is all you need to fight crosswinds. Strut bars help further

nemelek

03-22-2009, 04:49 AM

Although the Yaris is the worst car that I have owned driving through cross winds, pullling our trailer through cross winds can be a lot more demanding.

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 07:40 AM

Stop obsessing - drive the car and learn to deal with it. Dudes.

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 08:29 AM

listen to the old dude:respekt:

Don't call me Dude, Dood... :biggrin:

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 08:55 AM

but you look like a dude:biggrin:

Oh, alright then! :smile:

Bob_VT

03-22-2009, 09:37 AM

Bob,
At YOUR age? Heaven forfend! :biggrin:

Hey you and I are still younger then Christopher Lloyd!! :biggrin:

And Yabitch whatever your name is stop calling people dude .....

eTiMaGo

03-22-2009, 09:51 AM

chill out, dude... :biggrin:

m911gt

03-22-2009, 10:17 AM

good morning dudes ;)

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:26 AM

OMG..I stopped reading this thread a few days ago because it just seemed silly to me. But, Dude, now it's just hilarious!

m911gt

03-22-2009, 10:27 AM

^^hey dudette, good to hear from you. i don't know if i'll even drive my yaris today...there's a bit of a gust building up out there

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:30 AM

^^hey dudette, good to hear from you. i don't know if i'll even drive my yaris today...there's a bit of a gust building up out there

Dude, it's just better to be safe than sorry. However, with your super-modded Yaris, you're all good. It IS why you don't belong in this thread...don't you know. :bellyroll:

m911gt

03-22-2009, 10:33 AM

Dude, it's just better to be safe than sorry. However, with your super-modded Yaris, you're all good. It IS why you don't belong in this thread...don't you know. :bellyroll:

:biggrin:

dudes a windy day is perfect for the Yaris with wings, it can hop along to save gas

DUDE

:laugh::laugh:

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:33 AM

Yes, just make sure you always travel WITH the wind. Problem solved, Dude.

jclo3313

03-22-2009, 10:42 AM

I don't drive on any straight roads for long enough to notice.

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:43 AM

Or how about harnessing the power? I small windmill and a generator? Who needs a Prius...DUDE! We have engineers...somebody work on that.

m911gt

03-22-2009, 10:44 AM

lol...maybe i'll whip something up this afternoon

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:44 AM

DUDE! I don't drive on any straight roads for long enough to notice.

Sorry...you forgot to add DUDE somewhere in your response. Come on, John...follow the rules...

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:45 AM

lol...DUDE! maybe i'll whip something up this afternoon

Again...we DO have rules here, DUDE. :bellyroll:

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 10:54 AM

Again...we DO have rules here, DUDE. :bellyroll:

Typical dudette - always telling dudes what to do. :biggrin:

Not that we don't enjoy it.....

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 10:55 AM

Typical dudette - always telling dudes what to do. :biggrin:

Not that we don't enjoy it.....

Dude..that's HOT....:thumbup:

m911gt

03-22-2009, 11:06 AM

wow, seriously you two dudes are funny

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 11:09 AM

Dude, this has to be the best way to hijack a thread.

Forrest

03-22-2009, 01:06 PM

They should make a new thread..."The Yaris Dudes vs the yaris Dudettes"

eTiMaGo

03-22-2009, 01:10 PM

and maybe bring in some chumps, chump? :biggrin:

It started with good intentions but this thread should probably be moved to off-topic now...

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 04:07 PM

Dude, this has to be the best way to hijack a thread.

Dudette, EVERY way to hijack a thread is the best :biggrin:

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 04:21 PM

Dudette, EVERY way to hijack a thread is the best :biggrin:

Yes, but this way is particularly FUNNY. :bellyroll:

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 06:09 PM

Yes, but this way is particularly FUNNY. :bellyroll:

Word, dudette!

supmet

03-22-2009, 07:35 PM

there was a topic to this?:iono: a valuable topic...:iono:

There was definitely a valuable topic. I've seen close to 100 people complaining about the yaris being unstable in high winds, in this thread, and lots of other threads. In fact, I first came to YW to figure out how to deal with high winds, and this thread(minus the last 5-6 pages) would have been a ton of help. There's lots of good suggestions on how to fix it in here, and just because a few regulars don't live in particularly windy places, doesn't mean 50 people are wrong, and this thread is useless.

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 07:42 PM

ChinoCharles

03-22-2009, 07:45 PM

Dude, WTF is going on in here... dude.

(Just had to)

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 07:47 PM

Dude, WTF is going on in here... dude.

(Just had to)

LOL

Dude...at least I'm off the hook now. :thumbup:

supmet

03-22-2009, 08:04 PM

I think what happened was the original poster about 3 or 4 pages back insisted only non-modded Yaris owners should contribute...however, it's those of us with modifications that were offering suggestions as to how to make the car more stable in high winds. That's when it took off in a totally different directon. But that's just my opinion.

I can understand that, but 5 pages of spam didn't fix it :laugh:

I'm just saying for a first time visitor having trouble with driving in the wind, the first 5 pages ARE helpful - the last 5, not so much.

Dude.

SIPNGAS

03-22-2009, 08:11 PM

I can understand that, but 5 pages of spam didn't fix it :laugh:

I'm just saying for a first time visitor having trouble with driving in the wind, the first 5 pages ARE helpful - the last 5, not so much.

Dude.

LOL!! :bellyroll:

SailDesign

03-22-2009, 09:14 PM

While I wouldn't go as far as PK, at least with the Dood thang, I will say that the OPs, and some later joiners, just wouldn't accept that some of us do not have trouble in the wind. I live on a small island with only the Atlntic Ocena to the south, and drive over a 2-mile long bridge, tall enough to let aircraft carriers through, every day (well, I did for the last 5 years when I had a job) at all times of day, and at all seasons. Yes, we have hurricanes and Yes we have strong winds in the winter. The bridge is occasionally closed due to that, and the only way home is to go up and around Narragansett Bay and over the OTHER bridge to the island (a mere 1.25 miles long).
I have only put on wider, lower-profile tires, 204/45-16 vs the OEM 185/65-15. No suspension work.
I have no trouble with cross-winds. Yes, I sometimes have to work a bit harder to keep the car in a straight line when it blows, but folks, that is the nature of wind. If you don't want to have to do that, then hire a chauffeur and let HIM do it. You will not escape it, but you can reduce it.
I hope the point has now been made, and if us "reg'lars" here have turned on a little humour, don't take it personally. We would have done this somewhere, anyway. :biggrin:

supmet

03-22-2009, 11:29 PM

Its all good. I got a good laugh. I don't wanna be a party pooper - Just wanted to remind everyone that there are people out there who are still wondering how to help the wind challenged yaris.

CompanyXPaladin

03-22-2009, 11:46 PM

FWIW, I just added a front strut bar and a rear torsion bar - world of difference. Drove it around after the install, and it was particularly windy today. No problems at all, now.

parce1992

03-22-2009, 11:50 PM

I have been meaning to ask this, but always forgot. How does the Yaris handle in the snow?

snow driving is really good. the anti locking breaks are great and if you have gears you can down shift and the car slows down like a beauty. I am 17 and i drive crazy here in NJ...never had a problem with the last few 4 to 6 inches of snow.

SIPNGAS

03-23-2009, 06:37 AM

FWIW, I just added a front strut bar and a rear torsion bar - world of difference. Drove it around after the install, and it was particularly windy today. No problems at all, now.

But see, that's modding the car.

They don't want to know those things could help. That's where this all went wrong in the first place. :cool:

tomato

03-23-2009, 01:57 PM

There was definitely a valuable topic. I've seen close to 100 people complaining about the yaris being unstable in high winds, in this thread, and lots of other threads. In fact, I first came to YW to figure out how to deal with high winds, and this thread(minus the last 5-6 pages) would have been a ton of help. There's lots of good suggestions on how to fix it in here, and just because a few regulars don't live in particularly windy places, doesn't mean 50 people are wrong, and this thread is useless.

+1 :thumbsup:

Yawesh

03-23-2009, 04:51 PM

But see, that's modding the car.

They don't want to know those things could help. That's where this all went wrong in the first place. :cool:

not everyone has the money to get the suspension upgrades yet. Some people could be stubborn not to get it. but i did get the gtspec front strut bar, and plan to get the rear sway bar next.

i just wanted to start a poll, where users can see who thinks so or not, without reading tons of post. Of course, having modded parts defeats the point. :drool:

tomato

03-23-2009, 05:17 PM

But see, that's modding the car.

They don't want to know those things could help. That's where this all went wrong in the first place. :cool:

I must have missed a post or a page or something, 'cuz I didn't notice someone was refusing advice. :confused:

Personally I'd rather drive stock and save my money towards trading in for a "better car" when the time is right rather than spend a fortune doing modifications, but if small budget mods can make a world of difference (like keeping you from getting blown in the next lane :wink: ) and help delay having to trade-in, I don't know, it just might be worth it! :biggrin:

:burnrubber:

SIPNGAS

03-23-2009, 05:23 PM

SIPNGAS

03-23-2009, 05:26 PM

not everyone has the money to get the suspension upgrades yet. Some people could be stubborn not to get it. but i did get the gtspec front strut bar, and plan to get the rear sway bar next.

i just wanted to start a poll, where users can see who thinks so or not, without reading tons of post. Of course, having modded parts defeats the point. :drool:

Why does having modded parts defeat the point? Some do it to autocross..some do it to IMPROVE everyday HANDLING....

sheesh...

It's just a suggested fix to the wind problem.

Altitude

03-23-2009, 05:30 PM

I vote for no more dude-itude. I think the thread has some relevance but went way off course. Any chance it could be de-duded?

Thas' right Altitude says no more dude!

supmet

03-23-2009, 05:34 PM

The dude obviously has no problems with the way his car handles. He's got one hand free to smoke a doobie.

http://www.puppiesandflowers.com/blogimages/july07/theDude.jpg

tomato

03-23-2009, 05:37 PM

The bridge is occasionally closed due to that, and the only way home is to go up and around Narragansett Bay and over the OTHER bridge to the island (a mere 1.25 miles long).
I have only put on wider, lower-profile tires, 204/45-16 vs the OEM 185/65-15. No suspension work.
I have no trouble with cross-winds. Yes, I sometimes have to work a bit harder to keep the car in a straight line when it blows, but folks, that is the nature of wind

So you got no rear bar either? (sorry if my questions seem repetitive or stupid, I'm trying to learn. I've never had to work so hard to understand a car before!! But the 20 + year old cars I' used to driving handle quite a bit differently! :iono: )

tomato

03-23-2009, 05:55 PM

There was a reference made to those with modded Yarii really didn't need to include themselves...that this question was posed to non-modded cars...

Some were trying to make a point that with some simple mods, the cars handled better in windy conditions.

Not toing to argue with you Tomato...Really.

Edited to add the link to the comment made by the original poster.

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=270638&postcount=131

OH, yeah, that one, I missed it the first time around. Duh. Thanks. :biggrin: Now I get it.:redface:
Well, don't mind me, I'm still lurking around to see what solutions people have come up with.

:burnrubber:

tomato

03-23-2009, 06:00 PM

Why having does having modded parts defeat the point? Some do it to autocross..some do it to IMPROVE everyday HANDLING....

sheesh...

It's just a suggested fix to the wind problem.

I guess he (?) just wanted to know who else (driving stock) has the same problem.

I, on the other hand, am VERY interested in the solutions! :biggrin:

NOt trying to highjack the thread or anything :wink:

SailDesign

03-23-2009, 06:02 PM

So you got no rear bar either? (sorry if my questions seem repetitive or stupid, I'm trying to learn. I've never had to work so hard to understand a car before!! But the 20 + year old cars I' used to driving handle quite a bit differently! :iono: )

Nope! Only thing I've changed om the car are the wheels/tires, and the shift knob. :smile:
But - and it's a BIG "but" (only one "T") - my expectations from this car were "cheap-to-run daily driver with no frills".
Performance in a side-wind is something I deal with most days, and having to think abuot driving in wind is second nature. I hated the sidewall-flex with the stock tires, but it was WAY better than on the 155/80-13s that my VW Fox had (before I changed those out) Yes, that was "one-FIFTY-five". Razor-blades. With an 80-series wall, they could be flexed about an inch just by leaning on the car.
It is all to do with attitude towards the car, and realising that some things just ARE. You learn to deal with them, or find ways around them. The Yaris has always been better in the wind than any SUV ever built - with +1 wheels/tires it is great. With rear sway bars, etc, it is apparently even better.

neo1985

03-23-2009, 06:20 PM

mine is lowered with sway and strut bar.. still moves. but i'd say move within lane.. but scary.. yes...i travel on highway everyday..my yaris is almost 40 k miles after 1 year and 3 month Now.. hehe

tomato

03-23-2009, 07:40 PM

Nope! Only thing I've changed om the car are the wheels/tires, and the shift knob. :smile:
But - and it's a BIG "but" (only one "T") - my expectations from this car were "cheap-to-run daily driver with no frills".
...

...It is all to do with attitude towards the car, and realising that some things just ARE. You learn to deal with them, or find ways around them. The Yaris has always been better in the wind than any SUV ever built - with +1 wheels/tires it is great. With rear sway bars, etc, it is apparently even better.

Roger that :thumbsup: Thanks for the feedback!

Kal-El

03-23-2009, 11:25 PM

I can't believe people are complaining that the Yaris get's tossed a bit by the wind. Of course it does. Every small car does. Every SUV does. And in very heavy wind, all the rest do. My last car was a Lexus SC400. The thing was a beast - heavy, wide, and low and on a very windy day, I'd still have to hold that wheel really tight too.

The Yaris is a LIGHT car which is why it is efficient and affordable and why we bought this car. You want a big, heavy, inefficient car that's more stable, then spend $30K.

The only way to help the situation is to drop it, buy bigger/wider rims and tires and throw in some anti-sway bars.

supmet

03-23-2009, 11:37 PM

I can't believe people are complaining that the Yaris get's tossed a bit by the wind.

Blah - unsubscribed from thread.

Couture85

03-24-2009, 04:01 PM

My only complaint is that it doesn't have to be a very windy day and my car feels like driving during an earthquake. I only wish I had driven a little bit longer on my test drive instead of one exit on the interstate to the next. I have to say, I'm pretty dissatisfied with the way the car handles in general.

tomato

03-24-2009, 04:44 PM

SailDesign

03-24-2009, 05:15 PM

I have to say, I'm pretty dissatisfied with the way the car handles in general.

Define "handle". The Yaris is actually a great handling car by most definitions. Talk to Loren (or read it here http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=272074&postcount=5) about how well it does in AutoCross competition against cars more expensive and/or more powerful. THAT is a handling test....

YarisSedan

03-24-2009, 07:29 PM

Hmm. after i installed my trd bar it handled much better at higher speeds. After it was lower it handled substantially. Now i can cruise at 80 like its nothing. I think cause the car has such a rediculiouse ride hight. Once lowerd on trd springs it sits like a honda normally would with stock springs. Dosnt even look lowerd with trd springs you would need teins or something before it starts to look aggresive. So what happens the center of gravity is so high it feels like its going to topple over. The wind goes undernight the car and trys to pull it up. If you ever seen the bottom of a BMW they sit very low to the ground and plus they coat the entire bottom of the car is a plastic skidplate so its extremly smooth. There is onlya small channel for the exhaust pipe to fit so it has very low wind resistance and hugs the ground.

Also our cars have a very narrow wheel base. If you want a car more stable you would need a much wider wheelbase.