drifting when driving, its catchin the wind Options

[bd1308]

so If i'm driving at highway speeds (55-75mph) I can sometimes feel the car track a little on the port-starboard side...its not something that could cause a wreck, just pretty annoying.

I dont hear any howling (road noise from tyres is all that can be heard) maybe the rubber thingies on the whatchamacallits are out. Suspension is something that I havent quite got the hang of yet, but i'm working on it. I wanna say ball joint? There's a little rubber boot that if F'd up might cause trouble?

I'm thinking abotu wheel bearings being last resort, as i destroy them all taking the hubs off....

what do you all think?


b

[Leo Imperial]

Which side or both. Port and Stbd ? Need more info.

[bd1308]

okay...

let me think.

If i'm driving it will most likely tend to drift to the right side....yeah

I think its the right, but maybe both?

I'm goign to go with both.

b

[Joe Ricard]

It could be the roads up in your neck of the woods. They got grooves in them? some cars will track in the grooves ground in the surface. I know in Milwaukee some of the sections of I-94 have worn so had from studded tires that the lanes have ruts in them. Atleast when I grew up there they did. 25 years ago (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

other things that can cause this is loose wheel bearings. or just plain funked up alignment. What kinda toe are you running front and back?

[rhodyguy]

you asked this same question in another thread britt (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif) . i'm confused. so again...it happens only on the highway? starboard? to the right? it's either the road surface or your car needs an alignment. go find a big parking lot, get your car up to speed, and see if it still happens.

k

[bd1308]

to the right mostly, but sometimes to the left as well...

I'll try the parking lot thing. I dont think it happens on good fresh sections of the expressways.

b

[Demick]

Like others have said, it may be the roadway. But it can also be your alignment. If your rear wheels don't have any toe-in, or even a little toe-out, then your car can drift like you are talking about. Not good on the freeway, but makes the car super responsive on the autocross course. A street car should have a small amount of toe-in on the rear wheels so that it tracks well.

Demick

[rhodyguy]

when driving in the far right lane (the one the semis use the most) i experience a "wander' due to the rutting. change to the far left and it pretty much goes away. dependant on the road of course.

k

[Tobra]

I had some Kumho tires that wore funny on my honda, must have been all that sliding around turns in four wheel drifts, started to pull to the left. Alignment was fine, tires were worn on lateral shoulders, yes they were rotated often.

[Aaron Cox]

throw your car on an alignment rack and lets see what we arelooking at (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[dralf]

How's your tire pressure ?

I improved my wandering at higher speeds by just a few more PSI.

Britt, also did you get my PM regarding get-togethers this spring and summer. I should have mine on the road in about 4 weeks.

[rjames]

Mine seems to drift a little at speeds over 60ish too. I know that I need to replace my front wheel bearrings as they are pretty bad. Hoping the two are related. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

[turboman808]

If your not out of control your not in control!!!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[gregrobbins]

In his book on High Performance Porsche Driving, Vic Elford writes that the 914 with its mid engine is "a well balanced, neutral handling car. However .... it has a very low polar moment of inertia, which has two significant effects on its handling. It tends to be susceptible to crosswinds, and on slippery surfaces it rotates extremely quickly." He further states that this can make for "nervous" handling.

For those who don't know who Vic Elford. He was a Porsche factory driver.

[Rand]

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 29 2006, 07:09 AM)

okay... let me think. If i'm driving it will most likely tend to drift to the right side....yeah I think its the right, but maybe both? I'm goign to go with both. b

Britt, you crack me up. You reminded me of Douglas Adams there. Now I think I'm going to go have a drink of "a substance that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea!"