I have a GXE on 18" rims that gets pushed and pulled pretty hard by crosswinds... I am wondering how to lessen the effects of crosswinds that are pulling me out of my lane without adding weight. I am lowered on H&Rs and Illuminas.

 

my car gets thrown around too, not like the passat i had, but it would help to see if there is a way to lessen that effect

 

go under 15 mph and then you wont have to contend lol. no i have the same problem, also i have a CF hood and it bounces around quiet a bit more than stock. the best way ive dealt with it is just be ready for it and have a tight grip on the wheel.

 

Instead of windows, use nets.

 

no offence but this sound slike a question that you would ask about your house in the even of a hurricane.... thats the first thing that came to mind....lol.. i get it to but i never really thought of preventing it..... i just go with the flow..lol

 

Cut everything off above the door handles to surface area

 

Wider tires will help a bit, I just got back from a trip and the wind out here is pretty bad, and as bad as the Max is in the wind, at least it's a whole lot better than the Jeep I was in a little earlier.

 

Worn out ball joints and front LCA bushings will exacerbate the condition, as will the front end out of alignment.

 

my advice, don't move to Kansas. The wind sheer here is badddd.

 

Theres your 2 problems right there!

haha just playin.. theres no way to really get around it other than some sticky tires and some suspension mods to stiffen up the chassis. Our cars are just sloppy, they were born that way lol.

 

dude, it's wind....you can't beat mother nature. plus, our cars aren't built like german cars, heavy and solid. The max is a relative lightweight. Just hold onto that steering wheel tight. I don't know what other kind of response you were expecting

 

how about u just steer the care, unless ur unable to turn against the wind current.... if so, that is a defeciency u have to get checked out...

 

Well, first, I want to make sure I am not the only one with this particular issue. Second, it seems a design flaw... and many design flaws are correctable. There has to be some way to counteract the effects of wind shear...

 

dude its wind.....a maxima doesnt slip thru wind like a vette......but u could *** a rear diffuser...or front lip so when the wind hits it it pushes it to the ground

 

Simple solution: drive in the same direction the wind's blowing. It's called a tail-wind (which is not the same as passing gas).

 

The Maxima has a .32 drag coefficient, That is pretty good.

Ever driven a Civic/Integ/Corolla/200SX? They get blown off the map.

 

hah funny this thread comes up. I almost got blown off the highway yesterday. I was doing around 70-75 and with 40mph+ gusts. I felt i couldn't go any faster without losing control, but I found it funny the guys in the dodge rams and lexus gx470s felt they could pass me at 80+ without getting blown off.

 

This is EXACTLY why I posted this thread. Anyone else get the feeling that for some reason, our cars aren't as stable in these kinds of conditions? Of course, most of the cars I have seen plow through crosswinds that shift the car LATERALLY are heavier... But most of them have a lot more surface area, and some of them are friggin SUV's!!! WTF?!?!?!

By the way, I thought about driving sideways on I-95... but decided against it.

 

No, I've never thought the maxima was overly prone to being affected by crosswinds. Anyhow, you could lower it and that'd have some very minute effect on it, but probably wouldn't even be noticeable. Other than that, work on changing the shape of your car so that the side of it is more aerodynamic... good luck on that.

 

I think my max does pretty good in crosswinds... Of course before this I was driving a Jeep Cherokee with 6 inches of lift and 35 inch tires...

 

Seconded. It's worse on a motorcycle

 

Other than the hood flexing now and then (which I probably cured with a latch adjustment) I cruise at 73-82 with no problems. Buy a new car?

 

You live in Deptford, which leads me to believe you are traveling on Rt.55, 42 or the AC Expressway. The geographical condition of those three roads literally leaves you in a pseudo wind-tunnel, I see ever heavier cars get tossed around on those roads. I doubt there will be little you can do to mitigate the winds on those stretches.

 

Do you have an FSTB? I think it helps overall stability, since it helps to stiffen things up, but there's not much you can do about it, especially if the wind speed is high. As far as wider wheels and tires go, I wouldn't think so. It's all a compromise, and remember that in low traction conditions, a wider tire is no help. Also a wider tire may exacerbate "tramlining", where the car will want to follow indentations in the road (like those made by trucks). So just make sure your suspension stuff is tight, check tire pressures, get an FSTB if you don't have one, and go drive.