I'm just curious if anyone knows what I'm talking about, and its not the "shimmy" either in my car. Usually when im doing higher speeds of about 90-100 or better and the road has slight dips and hills in it, nothing major what so ever, the front wheels feel very unplanted. You almost feel like the steering wheel losens because of how unsettled the front wheels become. Im wondering is the front strut bar will help this problem, or does the suspension need lowering. Ive had plenty of other cars, alot of which were front drive as well, never really had this problem.

 

I think the steering just feels light to you at high speed.. my guess..

unless you are actually leaving the ground when you hit those bumps... lol

 

i say get your suspension done and report back to us. And no a strut bar will not help with that. it will however help to strengthen the chassis which will make your car feel flater in the twisties. did you get the sl or the se?

 

I have the SE, and tell you the truth I'm really not looking to do the suspension. Honestly the car feels a little unsafe when this happens and I'm very suprised that it does this. I had a 91 acura legend a while back and I don't know if its just me, but I coulda swore that it felt much more poised at high speeds. Unless I just got to used to my last car which was an eldorado and it had speed sensitive steering which got tighter as the speed increased. So far only downside I have with the max, Still love it.

 

I had no problem at that speed w/ stock suspension and tires. Unless the tires are catching between the grooves, tramlining. Don't we have speed-sensitive steering??? I think we do.

 

i was going to post that we did, but i wasn't sure either.... if we do, the steering gets lighter as you speed up..

 

which is the total opposite of what it should do...

 

I think i'm talking out my @ss, I don't know for sure how that works..

 

I've been to Brooklyn and lived in the City, exactly where are you able to achieve such speeds??? Honestly, I think it's only in your mind, however I agree that if you do want to feel more planted, get an EiBach Pro lowering kit. Lowers 2" in the front and .08 rear, that should do the trick. You may also want to consider a rear spoiler because at higher speeds it will also keep your rear planted nicely. I suspect at the speeds you where going (bad boy) on the crest of the hill you basically were flying. Just rent a old Clint Eastwood movie of Dirty Harry and see what happens to his ride all over the San Francisco Streets during high speed pursuits. If you truly want to rid yourself of the problem, try doing the speed limit...

 

well for starters, belt parkway everyday to work, especially at night when its open, the springs I dont really wanna do, and as for doing the speed limit....womp womp womppppp.

 

On the way back from the Connecticut meet, Ramberg (Warren) and I were doing around 120 and I have stock everything and there were no problems. The car felt planted and it didn't even felt like we were even going that fast. lol!

Great car, great ride and great handling!

 

indeed, on nice smooth flat road it does, but belt parkway has alot of small dips and bumps here and there and you feel those, especially when changin lanes. Really not bad car handles great, just was a little suprised it reacted like this.

 

I know exactly what your talking about. This car to me just doesn't feel grounded and surefooted as I would like. My girlfriend even commented that it feels too light and unstable in the steering compared to her 2000 Acura TL. My guess is that it's just a characteristic of the car that you'll have to live with, and that most Maxima owners don't even realize. Don't get me wrong, I love my Max, but my stock 87 Jetta with 13 inch wheels felt a little more stable at high speeds and in corners.

 

And, oh yes, I drove the Belt recently onto the Van Wyke, and it was brutal.

 

Exactly! Thank You!

 

While I do agree with you about the bad roads on the Belt. I am not sure if I agree with you about the car's stability at high speeds, I was on the Belt on Saturday and got up to about 90 and it felt ok.

 

Uhhh, yeah... We don't realize... You could be right. I live in SoCal, where all the roads are smooth as glass. Uhh, about the 87 Jetta w/ 13's being more stable... Thanks for the laugh...

 

You need to keep those numbers off the Org. And don't name names or you could look forward to a

 

I'm serious about the Jetta. I'm not saying that it handled like it was on rails (until I lowered it and installed 15x7 wheels) but it never felt uncertain as a stock vehicle. I also think the jetta was made out of heavier materials back then as opposed to the lighter materials that some vehicles are made out of today. Put me down as Maxima owner number two who does realize that this is a characteristic of the car. Like I said I love the car, no need to be sarcastic.

 

i had this problem for a little while. i took it to the gas station and put some air in the tires, 35 PSI.. hopefully that will resolve it..

*EDIT* but.. i have the SL so i might be wrong..

 

I did not have that feeling the few times I have driven in the 100 mph area.

Not many places east of the Great Plains where I would risk that speed for more than a mile or so. The only reason I even 'went there' was to check the handling at high speed. I much prefer speeds at which the man with the radar gun ignores me as I drive by.

Of course, I have owned nothing but Maximas for over 20 years, so it may be I am just used to the way they handle.

Are you sure there was no grooving on the pavement where you were driving? Grooving can make a car sort of scary at high speed, actually sort of jerking from side-to-side even with the driver not moving the steering wheel.

Some sorts of misalignment (especially incorrect toe-in or caster) can make the car feel sort of 'airy' or even 'uncertain' at speed.

Be absolutely sure the air pressure is exactly the same for both tires on any axle.

I'm one who loves the fact steering is very light at speed in the Maxima. I am constantly making very tiny steering adjustments; sometimes several a second. That is because I try to keep the car EXACTLY centered in my lane. I do not enjoy riding in a vehicle where the driver is constantly 'bouncing' off the lane lines.