[snowcherry]

i read the odd comments about the stability of the i30 on the road at higher speeds. people seem very happy with it. and the most recent one i read today suggested a speed of 140km's plus still had good control and stability.

now i have had issues i must say from day one with 'flightiness' in the steering of the i30. i have mentioned this a few times, i noticed this in my initial demo drive, and in the car i bought (two different i30's).
i was told the car would settle and be heavier at higher speeds, it is heavier but no less 'flighty'. i'm even inclined to think now at about 8000k's on the clock, its even more 'flighty' than it was. [in comparison i drove the ford focus, similar size weight car but much steadier drive with no 'flightiness'.]

the main time i noticed it was on my return trip from brisbane back in december. at one point i hit a small hole in the road, the car actually pulled right out of my hands to the left, rather than sailing over the hole as it usually would do. at another point i was overtaking a car which decided to be stubborn at the last minute and pick up speed, i ended up doing something like 130km's or so to get past it, but i noticed at that point the car became hard to control. i would not have felt safe pushing it any faster, it was like it was straining to rip out of my hands.

now there is a couple of variables. firstly i am not particularly strong person and have some wrist and back issues from an old car accident, i am unsure how much this lends itself to being able to control the car.
it is a bigger car than my old one.
the 17" wheels. i'm coming from 14" wheels (i think?) but i thought this would actually be steadier, which mostly i think it is.

but by the same token the flightiness is there, even at low speed. so i guess what i'm curious about is does anyone else actually notice the odd lack of control at higher speeds. are there differences in the stability maybe between different versions of the i30's SX to SR (i think the SR had a slightly lowered suspension maybe?)...

are there different settings on the steering? can you get the steering set slightly 'harder' if you know what i mean? just so it doesn't fly off on it's own accord so much. but not so that its going to be a hard to turn at low speeds etc.

i am willing to concede it is my own lack of strength that is a problem for higher speeds (and obviously i don't drive that fast nooo) but am still curious to get other feedback first.

[Lakes]

well, my car feels ok in the steering at speeds.
when a friend of mine flew down to syd he hired an i30 sx petrol auto. i drove it one day and could notice it felt different in the steering to my diesel. the diesel motor is heavier than the petrol motor i think.
you could probably improve feel at speeds by having your car lowered. a few people here have had there's lowered, also in europe some sport models come lower from factory.
hope this is of help.

[Surferdude]

snowcherry, I have a petrol SX.
It's on the standard 195/65R15 tyres. The steering definitely improves in "feel" and "responsiveness" as the speed increases.
Your 17" tyres should, if anything, improve on this.  However........................
Check your tyre pressures. Try at a couple of different places to eliminate the possibility of faulty guages. Firstly ensure the pressures are the same on both sides of the car. Variation F to R shouldn't cause this problem but side to side might. I'd be running 34 or 36 in the front. (Check cold)
Get your wheel alignment checked and make sure they do the rear as well. You may have to pay about $60 - $80 at a specialist to be sure this is done correctly. Ask for a print out of the settings before and after they adjust anything and ask them to explain the readings to you.
If the alignment is out that may well be your problem but you'll soon know once it's been adjusted.
There is a slight possibility you have a bent shockabsorber (or strut) shaft but the aligners should check for this. Make sure you explain to them what is happening.
Your strength, or lack of it, should not be a factor. I'd eliminate that from your thinking.
Given all that, I'd be back and talk to the dealer at length.
One final thing. I'm not sure if you use your car for work but if you do you might find that a mention of concerns by your employer regarding OH&S issues works wonders in getting the dealer to pay attention.

[QSR]

I agree 100% with everything surferdude has said on this.

I test drove 2 i30's when I bought mine ( petrol and diesel )

Coincidentally, the diesel one seemed much more stable on the road - it was noticable within the first 100 metres of driving, however, I did not put this down to the different motor - because it should not be any different at all.

To me, it was the steering geometry ( wheel alignment ) and I made this comment to the salesman at the time, that it feels like the petrol version of the i30 I drove needs a 4 wheel alignment and suggested to him to get it checked because it was in no way stable on the road.

Snowcherry......when you take your car in and get a 4 wheel alignment performed ( not warranty ), make sure you get your tyres rotated and balanced as well.

[Dazzler]

Hi snowcherry,

If you go to get the wheel balance and alignment thing done I would recommend you mention this club and that we are monitoring the result with interest.. Just to keep them on their toes and ensure they do not take advantage of your femininity if you get my drift 

[StarSeeker]

I came across this article below and thought that the 5th paragraph may offer some useful information.  It points out some of the problems that can be caused by using larger wheels.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Custom-Wheels---Why-Buy-Aftermarket-Custom-Rims&id=216021

Hope this Helps

[2i30s]

its possable the electronic steering rack needs to be adjusted to make your steering a bit tighter.

[eye30]

are there different settings on the steering? can you get the steering set slightly 'harder' if you know what i mean?

I understand that the garage can alter the "feel/weight" of the steering but to do so they have to attach it to a gizmo/computer and alter this way.

When I first got mine I complained and the chap went out attached his gizma, drove it along the road and when I got back in it had a heavier feel as the speed increased.

[Lakes]

You all have good points and good advice.
I remember Snowcherry saying even before she got her i30, that on the test drive the steering felt very light, she would prefer it heavier or more feel.
at that time i did not have an answer as i had not driven the petrol.
nothing to do with the i30, but i also owned a few falcons same model and one was a 6 cyclinder the other was a v8. before i got the v8 i thought maybe the 6 would handle better as lighter motor. but after owning the v8 a few months and at that time i was averaging 60,000 per year the v8 felt much more stable and safe at higher speeds. the CRDi gave me a similar feeling between the petrol my friend rented after driving the petrol auto 60k one day then getting back into my CRDi manuel i could notice, there was more difference than when i changed from 15" steel wheels to 16" SLX wheel both wheels used the same Kumho tyres just 16" 205 55 15" 195 i could notice the wheel change but was not as noticible as difference between the different weight motors. would have to ask Hy what difference in steering, spring rate , damping rate between the two.

[snowcherry]

very helpful replies thank you everyone!

i had considered a wheel alignment when i got back from brissy but was told i'd feel in low speeds if it needed one. but i think it can't hurt really. then if that comes up with nothing then i can move on to the steering tightening.

interesting the comments comparing the petrol to diesel.

re tyres. i had them set about 34/36 to begin with but started going up to 38/40. (rather firm ride though). i think i'm settling at 36/38. i just don't like how my front tyres are always so 'squishy'.

[Myowni30]

I have always thought that the steering on the i30's is very light. I have had 3 other cars with electrically assisted steering, and all have been much heavier to turn, including my C30. When I drive my C30 it is just so different to the i30 in every way. The steering is much heavier, the gear change much firmer and the clutch pedal a lot heavier.

One thing that I also notice on the i30 is that it tended to feel like it was wondering and I needed to keep putting very small steering inputs in to keep it straight, but over the last few hundred miles this has disappeared, so I can only presume that the steering and front suspension had some stickiness that has now worn away allowing the car to track better 

[Blue]

So the diesel steers better than the petrol too?

Nice!

Well played CRDI, well played !

[Lorian]

re tyres. i had them set about 34/36 to begin with but started going up to 38/40. (rather firm ride though). i think i'm settling at 36/38. i just don't like how my front tyres are always so 'squishy'.

Anything over what the book says will make the steering lighter.

Obviously a diesel engine is a little heavier than the petrol which might make some difference.

Having a rear spoiler, whilst generating some downforce at the rear will tend to make the front end lighter at higher speeds. I don't think the figures are published by Hyundai.

[QSR]

are there different settings on the steering? can you get the steering set slightly 'harder' if you know what i mean?

I understand that the garage can alter the "feel/weight" of the steering but to do so they have to attach it to a gizmo/computer and alter this way.

When I first got mine I complained and the chap went out attached his gizma, drove it along the road and when I got back in it had a heavier feel as the speed increased.

What eye30 said had not even entered inti my thoughts ( bloody good comment eye30 )......so I would still suggest to have a "4 Wheel Alignment" and rotate & balance.......but also take your car to the dealer to do as eye30 has said. Then you will know that both are right.

[Lorian]

I went and had a look in the shop guide for for the Elantra Touring (hmaservice) and there appear two be two option available for the power steering in the HiScan tool:

1.07 Calibrate ASP

and more interestingly

1.08 EPS Type recognition

This has options where the mechanic can select options to tell the Steering Control Model what country the car is in, it's wheel size, and if the engine is petrol or diesel.

I guess this loads a profile for the assitance levels required.

The Options are:

01 Australia
02 Eur/Gen 15'/16' Tire Gasoline
02 Eur/Gen 15'/16' Tire Diesel
02 Eur/Gen 17' Tire Gasoline
02 Eur/Gen 17' Tire Diesel

Which is kinda strange for Australia, but maybe a better profile is available.

[Surferdude]

very helpful replies thank you everyone!

i had considered a wheel alignment when i got back from brissy but was told i'd feel in low speeds if it needed one. but i think it can't hurt really. then if that comes up with nothing then i can move on to the steering tightening.

interesting the comments comparing the petrol to diesel.

re tyres. i had them set about 34/36 to begin with but started going up to 38/40. (rather firm ride though). i think i'm settling at 36/38. i just don't like how my front tyres are always so 'squishy'.

By "squishy" do you mean they have a bit of a bulge at the bottom? If so, they are supposed to do this to give the tyres' footprint on the road the right shape. By pumping them up too much, you decrease the amount of rubber you have in contact with the road (less grip) and reduce the flex in the sidewalls (harsher ride and more tendency to lify part of the tread off the road when cornering) Neither is good.
I would suggest you stay at 36 max in the front (or maybe 34) with 2 psi less in the rear. I know this is different to what the vehicle manufacturer might say but their first priority is for ride comfort (so their car feels good). From the point of view of grip, road feel and even tread wear, slightly higher pressures are beneficial. If you load the back up, you can increase the rear tyre pressures to equal the front.

[snowcherry]

By "squishy" do you mean they have a bit of a bulge at the bottom? If so, they are supposed to do this to give the tyres' footprint on the road the right shape. By pumping them up too much, you decrease the amount of rubber you have in contact with the road (less grip) and reduce the flex in the sidewalls (harsher ride and more tendency to lify part of the tread off the road when cornering) Neither is good.

yes i'm referring to the bulgey bit. however i've never had that bulge completely disappear even at my highest psi. but at lower psi, the bulge seems to be overly squishy, and i just want to pump it back up again.
but i've already decided the highest i had it on (40) was too firm a ride...and at that i still had a very slight bulge. so i'm backing it off to 38, havn't actually paid attention to the exact bulge at this level. i fill up tomorrow so i'll check them again. hmmm may even try the 36 again tomorrow just to see how it feels

[StarSeeker]

I would just stick to the manufacturers recommended tyre pressures myself.  Also, use a tyre pressure gauge you can trust to be accurate.  
I personally use one similar to this below and believe it to be ok.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-26443-tyre-Pressure-gauge/dp/B0001K9RHQ/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1265813222&sr=8-12

[Myowni30]

If you have to much tyre pressure you will wear away the centre tread of the tyre. If you do a lot of motorway running then the higher pressures are better. But for general use then its best to stick to the lower end of the manufacturers pressure range 

[eye30]

Word of Caution


If you are in an accident, the Police, as part of the accident report, will check tyre pressure etc and if found to be incorrect either high or low (not talking about a few psi's) then even if the accident would be classed as NOT YOUR FAULT you then become AT FAULT.

So best if you set at the manufacturers PSI as shown on the plate.

[saunaman]

If you have to much tyre pressure you will wear away the centre tread of the tyre.

This should not be an issue any more with modern radial tires, at least with usual tyre sizes. According to my local tyre dealer, the radials are nowadays so well-structured that it would require massive over-pressure to make them out of shape like that.

Here's nice illustration of BIAS vs. RADIAL:
http://www.michelinag.com/agx/en-US/products/advantages/bias_radial/bias_radial.jsp#

[Dazzler]

I dont think anyone is going to :-

(a) get "booked"

or

(b) have any wear or safety issues..

by running their tyres between 2 and 4 PSI over the plate figures..

I know Lakes (john) likes to run close to 40 PSI for economy purposes but like snowcherry I find that too firm for my liking so usually run 34 all round but 36 front and 34 rear (or thereabouts) seems to be what what most tyre "experts" recommend for a front driver like ours..

[StarSeeker]

As eye30 says, I have heard that in the UK they often check tyre pressures after an accident and what differentials they would consider dangerous I don’t know, whether it is the police or the insurance company that do these checks I’m unsure myself, but it would not surprise me if the insurance company had something to do with it

Also glad to have read that article on the Michelin site, gave me a better understanding of modern tyres.  But as Dazzler, I think I’m running my tyre pressures at around 34 front and rear at the moment and it feels about the right weight on the steering wheel for me, would not want mine any higher at the moment anyway, not on our icy roads

[Surferdude]

Up to 40psi wouldn't cause you any legal problems - as long as you are within the Tyre & Rim Association recommendations for that size and load index. I suspect they're checking to see one of the tyres hasn't got a slow leak or there is any major difference between one side of the car and the other.
Saunaman, especially with wider, lower profile tyres, centre rib wear is still an issue from cetrifugal force at sustained highway speeds. Without making the tyre unbearably harsh it's not possible to strengthen the belts under the tread in such a way as to prevent a certain amount.
Tyre quality is an issue, though as it's certainly possible to make the tyre more cheaply by lightening the belt package which will allow more distortion. Pretty well any better known brand won't do this of course.

[snowcherry]

oooh tyre controversy 

thanks for the warnings and prompts etc guys. i've always run my tyres higher than recommended, i prefer it that way.  and i've always made sure that a) they're balanced and even, and b) they're still in full contact to the ground. i've never had unbalanced wear or other issues. with the police stuff, i've never heard of that done here but as pointed out if it is, its more likely to check for defects rather than to just check the psi only, or for obvious unbalance. it would be a pretty common thing for many aussies to run their psi a bit different on the highways i'd imagine.

but yeah the 40 is too high anyway and i only tried it once. in particular those hard little steel speed bumps inside shopping centres.....damn! those and 40 psi don't get along. 

[saunaman]

Saunaman, especially with wider, lower profile tyres, centre rib wear is still an issue from cetrifugal force at sustained highway speeds.

Sure, I can agree with you on that - my point was in the air pressures applied. What comes to my personal liking, I would never have big rims with low-profile tires - although they may look awesome, they are just horrible to ride on our roads. I prefer comfortable and safe quality wheels over good looking ones.

My gut feeling is that in many cases the tires that come as standard just are not a perfect match with the car. The second set that you buy by yourself improves the ride to new spheres. Actually, somewhere in the last decade I had to have the standard tires that came with new Nissan changed after a month. The change to better quality tires really made a difference in the driving, noise, comfort and overall peformance.

[Surferdude]

Saunaman, especially with wider, lower profile tyres, centre rib wear is still an issue from cetrifugal force at sustained highway speeds.

Sure, I can agree with you on that - my point was in the air pressures applied. OK. I understand.What comes to my personal liking, I would never have big rims with low-profile tires - although they may look awesome, they are just horrible to ride on our roads. I prefer comfortable and safe quality wheels over good looking ones. Absolutely. Ride deteriorates in proportion to a lowering of profile

My gut feeling is that in many cases the tires that come as standard just are not a perfect match with the car. The second set that you buy by yourself improves the ride to new spheres. Actually, somewhere in the last decade I had to have the standard tires that came with new Nissan changed after a month. The change to better quality tires really made a difference in the driving, noise, comfort and overall peformance.Oh so true. I can't wait to change the very ordinary OE tyres. But I really can't justify throwing them away with 5000 klm on them.

[snowcherry]

The change to better quality tires really made a difference in the driving, noise, comfort and overall peformance.Oh so true. I can't wait to change the very ordinary OE tyres. But I really can't justify throwing them away with 5000 klm on them.

possibly related to my original post, not sure. but i do think the original tyres are pretty ordinary. but i also hate the idea of replacing them so soon with only 8000km's on the car.
i notice it with the road noise, but perhaps related to other things to. i'm looking forward to when i can afford to upgrade them.

[Mike SX]

Continental (manufacturers name), seem to come best for road noise, fuel economy etc. by independent tests carried out last year.

[babis_xo]

...this loads a profile for the assitance levels required.

The Options are:

01 Australia
02 Eur/Gen 15'/16' Tire Gasoline
02 Eur/Gen 15'/16' Tire Diesel
02 Eur/Gen 17' Tire Gasoline
02 Eur/Gen 17' Tire Diesel

Which is kinda strange for Australia, but maybe a better profile is available.

Of course the settings are different.
They have no corners at Australia

Snowcherry, is your car equipped with ESP?
I noticed that on our slippy roads with the unacceptable OEM tires (Hankook for me), the ESP works overtimes when cornering (even in normal speeds). In fact, the ESP corrects the stability by adding brakes at selected tires etc. If you're not familiar with this, you have the impression that the car "disobeys" you as it tends to bring the car on its course.
A good set of tires, increases dramatically responding, cornering, feeling etc. (like the Michelin pilot Exalto's on my other car)
But, i'm pretty sure that the light feeling of yours, is caused by the 40psi pressure in regard with the soft springs /hard absorbers. Here in greece, the official hyundai dealer (but also toyota and others, as far as i know) suggests 32psi maximum tire pressure.
From the factory, this was at 40psi. When i took the car for first ride, i felt that it was just about to take off, so i... landed at the first gas station, where i checked the tire pressure.
Also, check at  http://www1.adac.de/Tests/Reifentests/Sommerreifen/default.asp?ComponentID=4795&SourcePageID=8762
It's in German, but perhaps you will find usefull information about your set of tires (you'l need a dictionary of course )