z3 touchy steering

[digger]

I don't drive my wife's z3 too much but did recently and I couldn't believe how "touchy the steering was. When driving in road ruts or divisions the car will take off one way or the other. It's stable and there is no vibration or shimmy, just difficult to relax with. We've owned a Miata prior to the z3, and never experienced this. Anyone have similar situation?

 

[Big Daddy]

A lot of that depends on your tires. Do you have the factory 17's? When I drive my 98 over ruts with the 255's in the back and 235's in the front, lookout cause she will follow the rut!

 

[digger]

We just replaced the rears with the 255 Pilots and the 17" 235 are on the front. Sure takes the fun out of highway driving!!!

 

[Big Daddy]

Yes it can take some work. There are some real rutted roads in Eastern Washington that I use to hate to drive on. Now I am living in Western Washington and the roads are much nicer.

 

[wileycoyote]

I know exactly what you mean. Sneeze, and you could be in the ditch. I don't think there is much caster in the steering geometry, which makes it pretty twitchy. On the positive side, the steering is precise enough you can practically use it to perform eye surgery.

 

[Z3_Ant]

on the motorways (you call em freeways lol) there are alot of ruts that the big wagons make, but thats only in the slow lane, when my Z3 is inbetween the lines she jumps all over the show but apart from that no problems what-so-eva!!

Ant.

 

[Z3JT]

Big Daddy -

I thought WV was the only place that had bad roads besides PA. Now I know.