Side wind handling

[churp]

I'm a newbee here but didn't find any threads on this.....can someone suggest the best path to follow to improve sidewind handling ....springs/shocks/swaybars? and in which order for most effect as the wallet allows. I've got my MR2 for fun the Yaris is for practical 1st then fun, so lowering may not be best for Minnesota winters. Main problem at 75-80 on I-90 in South Dakota and Minnesota the side winds are almost dangerous!!!!!

[spkrman]

rims and tires!

I can't imagine anything else helping as much across the board.

[sdmf]

get low, less wind resistance and keep a firm grip on the wheel

[PetersRedYaris]

#1-Tires, Tire width helps dramatically so wheels may be needed depending how wide you go. #2-Springs, Springs will keep you car more level when a huge gust wants to push you off the road.

You come into South Dakota? I'm in Rapid City.

[eijikikimaru]

rims and tires!

I can't imagine anything else helping as much across the board.

Agreed! That's what I bought first and I noticed a dramatic improvement. Only on hard winds would I have to fight.

Afterwards I lowered my car and now I don't recall every having to fight with the wind.

Then again I live in sunny California, where heavy winds are rare occassions

[ChinoCharles]

Lower car, stiffer shocks, wider tires. That is pretty much all you can do.

I've got two of the three and I still get blown around, and I'd bet money even with wider tires I'd still blow around on the freeway. It is just something you have to get used to. 2300 pounds and the car sits relatively tall... lots of surface area for wind to put some force on you.

[Spades]

If you dont want to lower the car due to obstacles in heavy snow ect, you can still wait for companies like KYB to make a shock for the Yaris. I have runs those on my cars before without lowering and they still help with handling and crosswinds.

You can also use a swaybar and strut tower braces to help stiffen the car up, it helps a little in crasswinds without lowering.

Last but not least, wider tires are where its at! more grip on the road, less bouncing around. When I had oversized turck tires on my 17 rims, my yaris had no problem with the crosswinds everyone on this forum talks about...then I recently got the appropriate sized tires (1.5" less width and about the same less hieght, much less contact patch) and now my car gets thrown about alot,lol.

Lowering is the best way to control this issue, but keep in mind that lowered the car is much more succeptable to damage during those winter months.

[ChinoCharles]

Also, keep in mind your car sits higher depending on the rim and profile. If the wind issue really bothers you, get some 15's and 225/40 tires and some springs. That will bring you way down and put a whole lot of rubber on the road.

[churp]

Thanks for the ideas...think I'll try the springs 1st (lower the better just have to watch out for snow), then rear sway bar. Tires will probably be my last change because of snow, ice, and rolling resistance for mileage. Any thoughts on both front and rear bars or is rear enough.

[ChinoCharles]

Sway bars. :rolleyes:

You could buy a set of shocks with your springs and see way more improvement in suspension rigidity than you would buying a couple sway bars, and the price for TRD shocks or front and rear sway bars is pretty much a wash.

[Black Yaris]

If she is a daily driver, but you still beat on her, I would go with some tein s-techs (2inch drop) and get yourself some 225/50R15 tires, go with a wheel with a +42 to +45 offset because if you are going that low you will buzz your fenders if you do not tuck that wheel in a bit, drawback being wheel will rub on the inside only on full lock turns.... and the normal stuff upper front and rear way bars, they do make bady stiffeners all the way back for our cars to if you were ever intersted but those are $$$

[Razr]

The stock tires have *huge* amounts of sidewall flex, which is probably the #1 culprit. Be midful about just going wider - wider does not always mean a stiffer sidewall. I changed mine to 215/45R17's and the improvement in handling and stability is night and day.

I don't know about US Yarii, but the Thai LB I've got came with a ~1" front swaybar, but nothing on the rear. The front swaybar is actually pretty beefy - it's probably as thick as you'd ever need on sugh a light car.

[eTiMaGo]

The stock tires have *huge* amounts of sidewall flex, which is probably the #1 culprit. Be midful about just going wider - wider does not always mean a stiffer sidewall. I changed mine to 215/45R17's and the improvement in handling and stability is night and day.

I don't know about US Yarii, but the Thai LB I've got came with a ~1" front swaybar, but nothing on the rear. The front swaybar is actually pretty beefy - it's probably as thick as you'd ever need on sugh a light car.

huh... time to take a look under my car...

[Razr]

Well, you'll need to look under, then up..

Turn your front wheels to full lock and you'll be able to spot the linkages going upward to the struts - at the bottom of the linkage you'll see the swaybar..

[Black Yaris]

rims and tires!

I can't imagine anything else helping as much across the board.

does not help I have the widest tires you can cram under our cars and don't help one bit, I hope it will get better when I lower it

[Razr]

You have 225/50R15 which means 112.5 mm high sidewalls.

The OEM fitments are:
175/65R14 which has 113.75mm sidewalls, and
185/60R15 which has 111mm sidewalls.

I have 215/45R17 which translates to 96.75mm high sidewalls.

All I can tell you from this is that I don't have a problem :wink:

[Razr]

BTW, spkrman has shiny new 225/30R20's - with 67.5mm high sidewalls, I can't imagine him having too many problems with sidewall flex either :P

[eijikikimaru]

Just my luck! After mentioning that it doesn't get so windy here in So. CAL today was a windy day. Gust up to...what does weather.com say...up to 28 mph.

Is that a lot??? Anyways my car didn't get pushed around. Unlike before when the car was stock, I'd probably look a flipped turtle if I was still stock :tongue:

[07typeS]

Just my luck! After mentioning that it doesn't get so windy here in So. CAL today was a windy day. Gust up to...what does weather.com say...up to 28 mph.

Is that a lot??? Anyways my car didn't get pushed around. Unlike before when the car was stock, I'd probably look a flipped turtle if I was still stock :tongue:


HA! I was just about to comment your other post until I saw this one. Yea it was super windy today, I work next to/at LAX and it was so windy and with all the dirt from the construction I almost thought they were going to stop flights til it calmed down.

[redyaris]

Crosswind buffeting in open spaces (i.e. highways) is unsettling at the least in this car!!!!!! I thought eggshaped cars were supposed to be aerodynamic!

[eco]

Churp,I have just about everything you can get to help with this problem,rolling,and wind resitence,and I can truley say I do not have this problem any more.I would first get wider tires,I use a too wide for my car 7.5" wide tire(I sometimes scrub,also very rare),and then I would get the sway bars.Ohya,dont worry about the effect of rolling resistence on a wider tire,it has minimal effect on this car,beleive me,Ive done the trial and error,Ive changed my tires several times now,and I ve measured with scangauge2,I found minimal to no effect at all,still averaged 38-39,and could get to 43mpg on either tire,hit 45mpg on stock tires 35psi on the tire,and half tank,so thats no fluke.
And if you use a wider tire,just add 2-3 PSI this will also help to stabilize your car from side to side movment,stiffer sidewall = less body movment/roll,but that means you could break the ass end loss faster and go into a skid,but you must be aware of these things you do to make your car handle better.I use 38 PSI when using my 7.5" wide tires(50# max tire) and 35PSI on stock tires(44#max).