Previa sways on highway when windy or truck passes... fixes?

The all wheel drive version is heavier and more sure-footed than the rear wheel drive version and has a lower center of gravity so it is not affected as much by wind. That said, I drove about a dozen rear wheel drive Previas and don't recall them being that bad, so there may be some things you can check.

First, make sure that the tires are inflated to 5 PSI over the recommended cold tire inflation pressures as indicated on the driver's door jamb or glove box lid.

While you are looking at the label, make sure that the tire size mounted on the van is the recommended size and that all four tires are the same brand, model, and have at least 2/32" inches of tread depth remaining.

Check the rear shock absorbers and front struts to make sure there is no fluid leaking and that they are not worn.

Have the wheel alignment checked.

It can be tires. Some "Passenger Car" tires (tire sizes start with P) are spongy squishy soft to ride better, but they don't grip the road worth a darn.

On the next windy scary day when you are being tossed all over the road, pull off and fill the tires up to the max on the sidewall (32 or

If you are due for new tires, consider going to a stiffer passenger car tire that handles better, the tie shop can help you choose something more appropriate to the kind of driving you do.

Or go to "Light Truck" (LT prefix) tires that are a lot stiffer, so the ride will be very harsh compared to passenger tires. They won't corner quite as well because it's a harder rubber compound, but when lightly loaded they should handle better and last a lot longer.

After that, check the shocks/struts. Jump on the bumper at each end (one at a time) and get that corner bouncing hard at least 6" per jump, then stop - the car should settle down after one, maybe two oscillations. Worn shocks or way out-of-balance tires will let the wheels bounce up and down while driving, and all the time the tires are bouncing in the air they can't grip the road.

Then it starts getting more esoteric - like front wheel or four- wheel alignment. There are usually a range of "acceptable" alignment settings, but they need to be closer to one end or the other of that window to handle best. A good front-end alignment man adjusts for the proper end of the settings to get the best handling.

-->--

Thanks to you both. I was wondering about tires. I am going to need to replace the tires.... 3 of the 4 are badly worn, so I'd hoped to just get 4 new and keep the one good one as a spare, so I suppose I will look into this issue considerably. I have only ever bought car tires or "cheap" tires so I have no clue what's good and what's not.

Since I have to buy tires this will be the first try at reducing this sway/windblown thing. I just bought the van yesterday and am going to have it checked out overall by my mechanic but it's good to have some ideas of what to ask him to investigate. Thanks! :)

Badly worn tires could be the cause. Start with the new tires and go from there.

And since it weighs about 4200 lbs empty, light truck tires or stiff passenger tires might not be a bad idea. You're driving something that weighs and behaves more like a cargo van than a passenger car. And get them to check suspension/alignment. We had problems with the rear shocks being worn out and making the back end hard to handle.

Charles

Please! Don't even think about buying 'cheap' tires. Buy the best tires you can afford or even better than you can afford. They are the only things between you and the road, and outside of steering, brakes and suspension, the only things on a car that can kill you in a matter of seconds with no warning. Take it from one who had a blowout at highway speeds while hauling a trailer, and just luckily lived to tell about it. No cheap tires (unless you intend to always drive under 35 mph on a dry street.)

Very bad idea, pumping tires above the rated max. There are too many unknown variables to make such a statement.

Hello!!! Did you see the: (Don't leave it like this for too long.)

Pumping them up hard and leaving them there permanently would be very bad, no argument. Doing it for a half hour and 20 miles to see if the handling improves is not going to hurt anything.

Why is Common Sense so uncommon?

-->--

I could ask you the same question. Without knowing the condition and quality of the tires, how much of a load the vehicle is carrying, and how observant and attentive the driver is, your recommendation is dangerous.