Poor Handling at 65mph plus

[silverbrabus]

Originally Posted by John_H

There are no oscillations with properly balanced wheels on stock smarts. None!

OK... I guess that settles that.

Mods you can lock this thread now.

[Duckhunter]

Originally Posted by silverbrabus

OK... I guess that settles that.

Mods you can lock this thread now.

I just know on mine I have no issues at any speed with my properly balanced and inflated stock suspension and wheels. Rock solid at all speeds. l

[Wdhitch]

Originally Posted by silverbrabus

OK... I guess that settles that.

Mods you can lock this thread now.

I won't lock it ...... But he's right. If your wheels are balanced properly there's no problems. Mine weren't balanced at delivery and as soon as we got them balanced the handling was great.

[canon1753]

Last winter, when I put the blizzaks on (145/65s on Front), I think the car did much better in crosswinds. It may be just that my steelies (with snowies) are better balanced than the stock alloys. I'll probably do the 175/195 swap when the contis wear out.

[Dan1776]

Recently make a 2,000 mile trip in our '08 Passion without any problems at all. Grooved pavement sections do cause the Smart to float from side to side but is nothing that attentive driving can't handle.
Dan Hall

[CMPVEGAS]

Originally Posted by MikeinVA

I took it to the dealership to check it over. They adjusted the tire pressure and it still moves around a bit.

Mike

it is just like my 74 VW Beatle, do not worry just keep your hands on the wheel. Poorly balanced tires will cause a vibration, I had a B "O" Tire shop screw mine up and had another place fix them.

[Jeanclaude]

Originally Posted by JPaul

It's a somewhat subjective issue: don't forget where we are coming from. Some of us have driven big cruisers, some are/were bikers. The latter do know what grooved pavement can do... A minibus driver knows what a burst of wind can feel like.
So, for some, the smart maybe a bit disconcerting at first. And for some, it's just a shoe-in.
The bottom line is that it's not fundamentally unsafe, but it requires to be driven, with all due attention. As all driving should be.

What am I standing on? A soap box? Nah!

That's true, it is subjective. If you're expecting it to lumber down the road like a Range Rover, you're shy a couple thousand pounds. Remember that you're driving a car that weighs around 1600 pounds soaking wet, and has a miniscule wheelbase to boot.... It will handle differently than a bigger car; get used to it.

The faster you go, the more likely that you'll find fault with its inherent squirrelyness (is that a word?). Like most owners, I'm satisfied with its character on the road. Sometimes I wish I were driving my Range Rover, but the Range Rover never put a smile on my face quite like my smart does.