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From: News on 3 Jul 2007 15:58


Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <468A989B.2030904(a)Groups.com>, News <News(a)Groups.com> wrote:
>
>
>>>>- I found the TCH quieter on the highway, and more stable in windy
>>>>conditions.
>>>
>>>
>>>Aha. I forgot about that. Not too surprising; that seeems to be an
>>>issue with the Prius.
>>>
>>
>>
>>Is this the issue addressed by the various aftermarket chassis
>>stiffeners and suspension upgrades? (e.g. "Tom's", etc.)
>
>
> So they say. BT Stiffening Plate for $165 seems expensive, but some
> people swear by it.


Does the Prius wander in crosswinds or near big rigs, on the highway?
From: News on 3 Jul 2007 17:33


Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

> In article <468AAA7C.3040807(a)Groups.com>, News <News(a)Groups.com> wrote:
>
>
>>>>>>- I found the TCH quieter on the highway, and more stable in windy
>>>>>>conditions.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Aha. I forgot about that. Not too surprising; that seeems to be an
>>>>>issue with the Prius.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Is this the issue addressed by the various aftermarket chassis
>>>>stiffeners and suspension upgrades? (e.g. "Tom's", etc.)
>>>
>>>
>>>So they say. BT Stiffening Plate for $165 seems expensive, but some
>>>people swear by it.
>>
>>
>>Does the Prius wander in crosswinds or near big rigs, on the highway?
>
>
> Somewhat. It's very lightweight compared to other cars its size. They
> used a lot of aluminum in the car and kept the weight down.
>

OK, so is there a "fix" for this?

Such as aero to plant the car better, or the above track stiffening
approaches?
From: Ike on 3 Jul 2007 19:38
The Prius handles on par with a Miata 3, Corolla, Sentra, etc.
and is superior to the Kia, Hyundai equivalent. In the early
days, someone told the Prius community that mileage would
improve by adding 10# air pressure to the tires to reduce
rolling resistance. Well, perhaps that's good for 0.1mpg, but
those complaining about handling or wandering forgot what they
had done, and blamed the problem on the car's design.

With Goodyear Comfortred tires on my car filled to spec, it's
quiet, handles very well, doesn't "wander", and my lifetime
average since October '03 is 45mpg. Aftermarket leather, 132db
horns, upgraded audio, a CANBUS monitor, 120# of *EAR* sound
absorption in critical areas, and it is absolutely, positively,
the best car decision I've ever made.
From: Ike on 3 Jul 2007 20:56
Ike wrote:
> The Prius handles on par with a Miata 3, Corolla, Sentra, etc. and is
> superior to the Kia, Hyundai equivalent. In the early days, someone told
> the Prius community that mileage would improve by adding 10# air
> pressure to the tires to reduce rolling resistance. Well, perhaps that's
> good for 0.1mpg, but those complaining about handling or wandering
> forgot what they had done, and blamed the problem on the car's design.
>
> With Goodyear Comfortred tires on my car filled to spec, it's quiet,
> handles very well, doesn't "wander", and my lifetime average since
> October '03 is 45mpg. Aftermarket leather, 132db horns, upgraded audio,
> a CANBUS monitor, 120# of *EAR* sound absorption in critical areas, and
> it is absolutely, positively, the best car decision I've ever made.


I will also endorse the previous comment regarding placebo
effect. I will bet $10,000 that no one can drive Prius cars and
reliably tell whether the car is fitted with that $165
machined-aluminum stiffener or THE STOCK PLATE IN HEAVY STAMPED
STEEL (identical geometry and mounting bolts!). I have done the
swap on my car, and as an old (~70) race driver am sensitive to
differences -- there were none!

Noise is an issue for me, so I used a GI Sound Pressure Meter
before and after installing new tires, driving on the same
stretches at the same speed. I measured almost 6dB, and my
daughter heard the difference without prompting, but I couldn't
hear any improvement except for a $350 placebo effect, so I was
satisfied.

Placebo!
From: Marc Gerges on 4 Jul 2007 02:11
Ike <binarydotike(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> The Prius handles on par with a Miata 3, Corolla, Sentra, etc.
> and is superior to the Kia, Hyundai equivalent.

I like my Prius a lot and am happy to have it. But it sits next to my
Miata in my garage, and Prius' handling is definitely not on par with
the Miata. Far from it.

If there's one thing I could change on the Prius it's the suspension.
Not making it sit lower or harder, but make it more balanced, more
supple. A bit more like the small Alfas or Subarus.

cu
.\\arc
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