highway speed + strong winds = lousy feeling !

[Luc Bernier]

fuel tank full, top off, windows up, I was going 70 MPH and always correcting the car's direction.

is this always the case in an old targa ?is this unusual ?

have new tires. alignment issue ?


small Hyundai's seemed to have less problems than me on that day...

I was kind of disappointed.

Luc

[privatepang]

Yea i have the same issue. Feels very shaky at high speeds. Will be getting alignment wheel balance soon to see if this resolves the issue.

[RWebb]

post pics of the front & year of car

how long have you owned it?

what are tire pressures right now?

[Jerome74911S]

Mine blows around, too. Possibly I'm wrong, but I just put it down to being a light car, especially in the front.

That said, getting a complete alignment with new suspension parts is on my list.

No tail or front air dam on my car. What about yours?

[jclotz]

I added a front s bumper which helped a lot in my 72.

[Autoban]

I have an '86 Cab 3.2L and it is solid at 80 MPH on the highway in wind and rain. I have a rear spoiler, but none in the front (my driveway doesn't allow one). I was caught in a heavy down poor the other day while driving on the highway and was thinking how stable the car felt. You may need to check the alignment of your car.

[afterburn 549]

Proper front bumper Valance and a duck on the back with the right "Caster" will send you dwn the road..

[RSTarga]

front dam, ducktail, good tires, fresh shocks, proper alignment and the car will feel rock solid to 140.
Without the aero these cars are very susceptible to crosswinds or big trucks going the other way on a 2 lane. All the other things make it even better.

[OsoMoore]

My 79 SC had no trouble at high speeds. I do have a chin spoiler, which may help. It is also a Targa, and we were running with the top off and a lot of luggage for camping filling the entire back seat area.

[afterburn 549]

Mine is dressed as a IROC like a arrow the faster the better she feels

[javadog]

A 911 can be pretty nervous in a crosswind. It has to do with the location of the center of aerodynamic pressure in relation to the center of mass.

Things that help:

Lower ride height, especially in the front.
Spoilers.
More weight in the front.

Improper wheel alignment causes a variety of problems but isn't solely to blame for this tendency. Small Hyundai's seemed to have less problems than you on that day simply because they all have their engines in the front.

JR

[afterburn 549]

my corner balance is about 800 on each rear
and about 300 something on the front ..for a total 2210 wet

[jmcn3rd]

My 72 with front RS front bumper and ducktail is pretty solid at 70. I would first make sure you have the correct tire pressure all around and then redo your test. Sounds fun, make changes and take some 70mph targa rips down the highway. Too bad you can't easily pop on some front and rear spoilers to feel the difference as well.

[Tidybuoy]

My '74 was experiencing the same symptoms and it was very difficult to drive at high speeds - especially when windy.

It turned out to be my wheel bearings which were loose. After cleaning, repacking, and retightening it was like a whole new car.

One way to check your car is to jack up the front and see if you can wiggle the wheel from top to bottom. I had about 1/4 inch of play.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Jerome74911S

Mine blows around, too. Possibly I'm wrong, but I just put it down to being a light car, especially in the front.

Yes, that is part of it. Another issue is the relative locations of the center of gravity (Cg) vs. center of pressure (Cp) on the car.

The 911 is sort of an old design (not as old as an XKE, but...) and aerodynamics was not well understood then.

Make a list from the above comments & post what is on your car & what the tire pressures are. From there you can also balance the wheels & get it aligned -- those are things that need to be done periodically anyway...

[jimrs2000]

Mine was horrible before I fitted the chin spoiler.....transformed it. No tail.

[one bad targa]

I guess only slim bodies Sufer from this my wide is good at 140

[78SCSLANTNOSE]

"I guess only slim bodies Sufer from this my wide is good at 140" I was going to say the same thing. My widebody slant was doing great that day with the top off.And I have no tail either.Could be the 19's with the sport bilsteins.Everything else is stock with a euro height and no rear sway bar.

[wholberg]

Strong cross winds will make any car feel unstable at highway speeds.

[gtihop]

My 83 targa felt like that. At 70 mph, I was always correcting the steering, felt like it wandered. I replaced tha front A arm bushings, did alignment. Made a big difference in handing and feel on the highway.