Fit Suspension & Brake Modifications Threads discussing suspension and brake related modifications for the Honda Fit

noticeable drifting at high speed?

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Old Mar 17, 2008 | 03:25 AM
  #1  
gts1985's Avatar
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noticeable drifting at high speed?

i've put on about 3500 miles on the car since i first got it in december. i wasn't sure at first, but i thought the car tends to drift when i let go of the steering wheel driving straight at about 65mph on the fwy. i'm thinking it's wind resistance. does anyone else notice this when you're driving on the fwy? i know the car is kinda high, but i just wanted to be sure. this doesn't happen when i drive in the city. only on the fwy....
 
Old Mar 17, 2008 | 03:48 AM
  #2  
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I'm with you on the wind resistance I tend to notice a drift/pull sometimes even when its a light gust of wind.
 
Old Mar 17, 2008 | 04:04 AM
  #3  
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The Fit is a short wheelbase, light weight, kinda boxy shape car.
On windy days it tends to push the car around a little on the highways.

Lowering and a alignment will reduce it greatly.
 
Old Mar 17, 2008 | 04:38 AM
  #4  
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It's more fun when the wind is behind you. I was pressing softly on the gas on side street and wonder why my car felt so light. Turns out that I was going the same direction as the wind. I was quite surprise on how much faster I accelerated below 3000 RPM. I just pretty much laughed afterwards. From this very day, I still wonder how fast I would've gone if I gunned it, but it's just too scary to try. I don't want to run over random objects flying though the roads. Well, if anyone has guts to try it, let me know how it goes. Good luck!
 
Old Mar 17, 2008 | 08:43 AM
  #5  
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progress swaybar or higher spring linear rate springs will help remedy that...

or coilovers.
 
Old Mar 17, 2008 | 01:01 PM
  #6  
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It's normal.
 
Old Apr 1, 2008 | 08:27 AM
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[quote=gts1985;259399]i've put on about 3500 miles on the car since i first got it in december. i wasn't sure at first, but i thought the car tends to drift when i let go of the steering wheel driving straight at about 65mph on the fwy. i'm thinking it's wind resistance. does anyone else notice this when you're driving on the fwy? i know the car is kinda high, but i just wanted to be sure. this doesn't happen when i drive in the city. only on the fwy....

There may be 2 things at work.
First if the road is crowned (higher in middle as most are for drainage) so the slope is down to the right in USA so you can expect drifting to the right at speed.
Two, is your alignment set up for holding a straight path on a crowned road? Of even straight under any circumstances? If your car drifts 'uphill' when you release the steering wheel your alignment is suspect.

And there's the issue of uneven tire pressures (different tire circumverences), wind resistances (aero) differences left and right side) and difference in wheelbase left and right which we aren't addressing. But they exist, just much harder to address.
 

Last edited by mahout; Apr 1, 2008 at 08:31 AM.
Old Apr 1, 2008 | 09:17 AM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by kenchan
progress swaybar or higher spring linear rate springs will help remedy that...

or coilovers.
No experience with higher spring rates on the Fit yet (helped in other cars), but I can attest to the Progress bar helping substantially.
 
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