We are used to cars that self-correct a bit to keep the wheels pointed straight while driving on the highway, but our new Prius doesn't seem to want to self-correct. It has the 15" wheels and OEM tires, 40psi front, 38 rear. Is this normal, and can it be improved?
2010 Prius II: Poor On-Center Steering
Sep 28, 2010
12 Replies
I've been hearing this complaint since the car came out.
I increased the pressure in my tires (42/40) to improve mileage without seeing any measurable improvement. The ride got rougher and the steering became overly sensitive. I'm going back to the the lower pressure Toyota specifies.
What's the stock caster setting?
My fallback option is to go to 38/36 and see if that helps.
You must be thinking of the Volt. I believe it has casters instead of tires. :-)
A very good question, since the likely problem is insufficient caster for good on-center feel. Wonder if it's usefully adjustable on the Prius?
(I've found it very useful in the past to slightly increase caster settings on the front suspension of a car, to help improve the centering....)
Far more efficient than increasing toe-in scrub and drag.
I don't understand the concern over the caster setting. If you go back in this thread you will see the caster question was posed in response to this:
"I increased the pressure in my tires (42/40) to improve mileage without seeing any measurable improvement. The ride got rougher and the steering became overly sensitive. I'm going back to the the lower pressure Toyota specifies."
I have since gone back to the recommended pressure which, in turn, restored the ride and steering. In other words, the steering issue was solved by simply restoring the tire pressure to Toyota's recommended level.
The original question was posed by 'Leftie', who has not indicated a solution:
Al Falfa wrote: >
My fallback option is to go to 38/36 and see if that helps.
Well, if it's not designed to be adjustable, your necessary use of a large hammer will surely void your warranty.
Perhaps some Prius mechanical expert knows whether caster is adjustable and whether there is a more elegant fix than using said large hammer.
That's right, and the input is generally appreciated. I thought that maybe increasing the caster setting might help, but is there any downside?
Well, if it's not designed to be adjustable, your necessary use of a large hammer will surely void your warranty.
Perhaps some Prius mechanical expert knows whether caster is adjustable and whether there is a more elegant fix than using said large hammer.
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