I have noticed this a number of times. When I drive in highways at 65 mph or more, my '07 max sways if the wind is strong. By "strong", I do not mean anything like a storm. Just some wind and free space (as opposed to buildings or lots of big trees) around the highway. I feel the sway quite vigorosly if a semi passes by in the opposite direction in a two-lane (opposite directions) highway.

Is this normal? I did not have similar experience in my '97 Altima.

Can I do any mod to improve this condition?

 

May be tires..?

Might also be diamond cut road surfaces.

 

Mine does not sway at all. If the car is lower and has stiffer suspension, it will sway less. Im sure my splitter helps too

 

Maybe some Progress or Eibach springs. I know my car is not floaty at all on the highway at any speeds or winds since I put them on back in 2005.

 

My car sways a little in the wind also. But thats if the wind is hard enough.

I have Eibachs on her and can still fell the wind. Thats normal though. If wind is really up it will sway most cars driving.

Has wind been heavy recently in your area?

 

You guys just aren't going fast enough... JK

 

Yeah I guess you havent seen my Lone Pine Video

 

Mines pretty rock solid now...

 

What's the air pressure in the tires?

 

Wheel alignment? tire pressure? Bad bushing on front or rear sway bar?
My SE was pretty stable before my suspension mods. Even better now.

 

The tire pressure is 35 psi in all four. I do not think its a problem of tires or wheel alignment or bad bushings. Other than the swaying, I never have any problem, no sound at all, and the drive is extremely smooth.

Yesterday I was driving on a two lane (opposite directions) highway. The speed limit was 60 mph. I was driving around 62 mph. A semi was coming from the other direction. I moved a little bit towards my right to give it space. As it passed me, I felt for a moment as if I would be thrown out of the road by the passing wind.

If I assume it wasn't speeding, still the effective velocity of its passing was more than 120 mph. That is pretty good speed. But still the feeling of almost being thrown away from the road was terrifying. Why would such a heavy car like the Maxima have that?

How does stiffer suspension and springs help the car from swaying in windy conditions? Any reference that discusses this would be very helpful.

Will sway bars help the situation?

 

oh but I did!

hey now!

 

It could be the SL suspenion because the struts are more gear towards comfort, and i think the 07 SL also comes with smaller tires, not as wide as the SE model

 

Yes, the suspension is very comfortable. But then, as far as I know, Lexus' suspension is very comfortable too. Do the Lexus sedans sway like that?

Regarding smaller tires, the 07'SL comes with P225/55HR17 H-rated all-season tires. My '97 Altima had P205/60-15 tires. I never had such vigorous swaying.

 

No, Lexus' can defy the law of physics.

 

Sway bars and stiffer suspension help reduce SWAY whether its wind induced or speed induced around a turn. Lowering prevents air from getting under the car. And, of course, my splitter creates downforce on the front.

 

bb700092 - I have always encountered sway when meeting semis at close range (like within 6 or 8 feet). And by always, I mean since I began driving in 1949. Of course I have never felt my Maxima was about to leave the road.

Someone mentioned tire size. Neither the 6th gen SE nor the SL have changed their tire sizes since they were introduced.

I ran the recommended 33 psi the first year I had my SL (32 psi for SEs), and when I changed to 36 in front and 34 in rear, it seemed the sway was somewhat reduced.

But when you are meeting a very big object (like a semi) with a closing speed of 120 MPH, and you pass within eight feet or less, I would expect there will be some sway in almost any stock vehicle. But not uncontrollable sway.

Of course upgrading almost any part of the undercarriage might improve this situation. I will leave it for the suspension experts here to advise you.

 

Deus answered most of that. I have the RSB and Progress but I cannot say I remember having that problem (semi truck wind) pushing me so hard. If you think it is way of of the norm, take it back to the dealer. You should be under warranty right?

 

Speedricer is correct but please no more splitters, it's a maxima guys... yes, a 4-door wrong wheel drive semi-luxury sedan.

 

And yet it is still able to perform with the right mods. It's a new day man.

 

Thanks all of you guys for responding.

It seems even Lexus can't defy physics I searched online and happened to find this Lexus IS forum (http://my.is/forums/f87/highway-driving-209037/) that discusses the same problem of swaying. One of the guys there even wrote: "this is the only car i've felt do this...you think because its rear wheel drive because i have low profile tires on my maxima too and it doesn't do this at all" Nice to know a Maxima can defy more physics than a Lexus IS

BTW, here is something I noticed. Though our forum and the Lexus forum were discussing the same problem, the responses from the respective forum members showed a very different trend. While the Lexus forum members tried to explain the sway in different ways, such as design of rear bumper, etc., our forum members instantly suggested a number of mods and how their already modded cars do not face the problem. That shows the 6th gen Maxima owners are not the most afraid of modding their cars, they are at least second to Lexus IS which is somewhat a sports car. Hope Deus is taking note

The 6th gen Maxima manual states the following: "Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly causing vehicle sway. When being passed by larger vehicles, be prepared for possible changes in crosswinds that could affect vehicle handling. If swaying does occur, firmly grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead, and immediately (but gradually) reduce vehicle speed. This combination will help stabilize the vehicle. Never increase speed."

So it is expected that the Maxima will sway. Now it is very difficult to ascertain whether my max sways more than it should or not because I can't put another max in the exact same situation.


Deus, I would like to know HOW sway bars and stiffer suspension help reduce sway whether its wind induced or speed induced around a turn.

 

Well without getting too much into the physics of sway bars, the sway bar connects each side of the suspension to the frame of the car. The area from the suspension to the frame is like a spring that resists swaying. Sway bars are made of spring steel, so its like a spring but not a coiled spring. As wind pushes on the car, the sway bar resists the cars desire to sway from the wind. The thicker the bar, the more resistant it is to swaying. Even 2mm diameter increase can have a big difference is resistance. Hope that helps.

 

The SL has the same struts/shocks as the SE, but it has different SPRINGS than the SE

As to tires...the thicker the sidewall, the more comfortable the ride.

But if they make a car that parks itself, then why can't they defy the laws of physics?

 

Huh? What does technology has to do w/ physics?

And what if another car came after and parked too close?

 

It was a joke, as in !

If cars park too close all the time then I'm sure that they'll get some cameras in the bumpers that take a picture of the plates upon impact!

 

A lot of different variations involve besides tires and suspension, like car shape, speed & direction, wind speed & direction, etc. My Suburban gets swayed when a small car drives by close and fast, so size doesn't really matter much either.

 

Thanks Deus. That was plain and simple and very helpful for me. As far as I understand, I should go for the largest diameter sway bar. Does it have any side-effect? Where do I get sway bars for 6th gen max?

I think you are right. An important factor that comes to my mind is the total body surface area being impacted by the wind. My '97 Altima had a smaller side surface area than my '07 Maxima. Maybe that is why I feel it more in my max. Your Suburban has even more. And if I am correct, a 350z would feel much less sway due to the same reason.

 

550
Suburban
Maxima

What else do you have in your garage?!

 

Tools, seasonal items, sport equipment, garden supplies, shoe racks, among other things.

 

Naice! Air-lift by chance?