On my way to Santa Fe last night I hit a bad cross wind that threw me into the other lane. Glad no one was next to me. The canyon winds out here are unreal.
I think that there are just certain places where the wind gusts are extremely severe, e.g. the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon on I-84. There's not much that you can do except hang on and pray! :>) That's where I experienced by camper van literally sliding sideways on all four tires, so I'm certain that in the same type of extreme crosswinds in the smart, I'd probably be needing some fresh underwear! ;>) Driving anywhere when there are extremes between the lulls & the gusts can be a frightening challenge in almost ANY vehicle, regardless of whether it's a semi or a fully loaded F-350.
SmartAzz - It seems that you hit the nail on the head. Just get used to it is the answer.
I appreciate it.
Eric
Kewl, glad if I can help at all. Perhaps a heavy bag of sand on the floor and/or trunk would help under really windy circumstances (i recall how much more grip I used to feel driving another rear wheel drive car I had years ago when the trunk was laden).
Trust me, I understand how unsettling (no pun intended ) the gusts of wind can be, but I did find that I became more accustomed to it - even was grinning like a fool recently when driving on a windy highway trip, felt like a carnival ride. At least it is involving and lively, not dead insulated and boring ;)
On my way to Santa Fe last night I hit a bad cross wind that threw me into the other lane. Glad no one was next to me. The canyon winds out here are unreal.
Yes, I understand. Yesterday I was in strong gusty wind and it did move the car sideways but not into the other lane. If the winds are severe that probably could happen. In those conditions it would be best to slow down radically since speed exacerbates the problem.
Just as SmartAzz mentioned, I too like the feeling that there is an additional skill involved in handling the car - it makes the ride more interesting and in a perverse way, fun, as long as some semblance of control can be maintained, naturally. Floods, hurricanes, tornados might prove to be too much of a challenge though.
I run the front tires lower than the factory recommended pressure, and this reduces twitchiness on the highway. It won't entirely cure wind sensitivity (short wheelbase, rear engine, light weight, tall profile), but it helps with overly-sensitive steering response.
On my way to Santa Fe last night I hit a bad cross wind that threw me into the other lane. Glad no one was next to me. The canyon winds out here are unreal.
I feel for ya'. Years ago we drove an RV from Texas to California. Going through the desert was an experience. At one point we passed a canyon and our RV was suddenly one lane over -- happened so fast! It wasn't one of those monsters, just a 17' cab-over mini RV, but it was still heavy. But... it was also just a bigger cube than the Smart.
I noticed that also...here is what you do:
Stop overcorrecting. Your car has stability control and will correct for wind gusts by itself. Try it, it works.
I run the front tires lower than the factory recommended pressure, and this reduces twitchiness on the highway. It won't entirely cure wind sensitivity (short wheelbase, rear engine, light weight, tall profile), but it helps with overly-sensitive steering response.
See my other posts discussing this....
'08 Pure with steel wheels... I found just the opposite 36psi in the front makes mine way more stable (harsher ride) in the wind and tracks better on the interstate. This is so apparent I can tell when the pressure drops in the fronts down to 33psi. Loe and stock pressure on mine makes for a very unstable ride. Picking up the wife's '09 cabrio next week so I will have a comparison....
'08 Pure with steel wheels... I found just the opposite 36psi in the front makes mine way more stable (harsher ride) in the wind and tracks better on the interstate. This is so apparent I can tell when the pressure drops in the fronts down to 33psi. Loe and stock pressure on mine makes for a very unstable ride. Picking up the wife's '09 cabrio next week so I will have a comparison....
I also have a Pure with steel wheels, and I find just the opposite to be true. The car felt too twitchy & sensitive to steering input at 29 psi, much more forgiving at 22 psi. Cornering and mpg appear unaffected, just slightly firmer steering (non-power).
Be carefull about too little air pressure as sidewalls will heat up and tires will fail. Remember Firestones and Ford Explorer, That is why the Feds mandated TPMS because tires failed due to low pressure.
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) the gusts of wind can be, but I did find that I became more accustomed to it - even was grinning like a fool recently when driving on a windy highway trip, felt like a carnival ride. At least it is involving and lively, not dead insulated and boring ;)
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