Hello all let me explain. I have a New 2009 HHR LT2. I love this truck. Most of my driving is freeway. So it is 65 to 85 driving speeds. I have notice it drifts, Glides, or what ever you want to call it. I took it back to the dealer. It had only 697 miles. They said it had to have alignment in the front. After I got it back I really could not tell if anything was really done. It feels like the car is being blown. Hard to keep steady. Kinda like a tracking issue. Has anyone ever had this problem. Thank for reading tried to make it short.



Slweasy

 

What kind of tires do you have on it? I noticed this happening with the Firestones on mine, once they were replaced, it seemed to go away. I have also heard that it can sometime come from the "drainage" grooves on the highway, but cannot be sure about that.

 

I think what you might be dealing with is the overly sensitive PS on these cars. I find them to drift and need constant correcting because the smallest input to the wheel starts the car moving in that direction. I'm really not a fan of this electric PS on these vehicles. As much highway driving I do I find it tiring to keep correcting the steering.

 

My other ride is a Harley. I can tell you that tires make a huge difference in how it handles. Some wander and some track straight as a pin.

 

I bet it wanders to the left. Yep mine does that also, along with every HHR rental I have driven in the last 3 years.
Because it is an electric steering setup it makes me think about my R/C Remote Control S-10 truck, I can adjust the tracking on my R/C and makes me wonder if that is something that could be adjusted with the HHR steering.

I deal with controls or controllers for large Aerial units and they can be adjusted... Just my thoughts on this.

I will borrow a version of the thought from ChevyMgr on this one.... Some I might know...Some I need to learn...

 

Well I do have the Firestone Tires. It does a little of what your saying but it does float on the road in both directions. What kind of tire did you put on your SS. I was maybe thinking of Michelin. Anyway I was given a suggestion about the tires. Did it improve alot when you changed the tires. That does kinda suck though. The car is just barely a month old.


Thanks Guys
Doc

 

I had a 09 LT as a loaner for a couple weeks and it is the tires, road surface and light power steering that cause the drift.

The main culprit is the steering. GM did not put enough on center feel in the LS or LT. This can lead to drifting at higher speeds or make it more noticable.

The tires and road surface can contribute too but to a lesser degree.

In a grooved road my Pilots on my SS will jerk it around. But my Goodyear Assurance have a more crossing tread pattern than the Pilots and do not hook the gooves as much.

The SS also has steering with a strong on center feeling compared to the LS or LT and it does not drift at all.

In time I think you will adjust to it as with most cars they all have a special feel and touch. But to be honest there is nothing different from what your feeling than the other non HHRs I have driven.

 

Never a problem with my bone-stock 2007 LS.

 

I did put the michelins on my SS.

 

I too noticed this effect in my LS. Adding a rear sway bar from progress tech cured the problem. I think it is the large surface area of the rear of the truck that causes the sail effect.