The official "my Yaris handles bad on the highway/with crosswinds" thread

[SailDesign]

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.

[supmet]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by blacksan

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]

Originally Posted by CompanyXPaladin

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.

[tomato]

Originally Posted by supmet

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

[Yawesh]

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

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.

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.

[tomato]

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

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.

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

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 ) and help delay having to trade-in, I don't know, it just might be worth it!

[SIPNGAS]

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/sho...&postcount=131

[SIPNGAS]

Originally Posted by Yawesh

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.

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]

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]

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

[tomato]

Originally Posted by SailDesign

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! )

[tomato]

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

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/sho...&postcount=131

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

[tomato]

Originally Posted by SIPNGAS

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!

NOt trying to highjack the thread or anything

[SailDesign]

Originally Posted by tomato

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! )

Nope! Only thing I've changed om the car are the wheels/tires, and the shift knob.
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]

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]

Originally Posted by SailDesign

Nope! Only thing I've changed om the car are the wheels/tires, and the shift knob.
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 Thanks for the feedback!