Hi, I am new in this forum. A few months ago I bought a used Durango 2005. So far I am very happy with the SUV, but since is my first SUV I have some questions.
If the road in not in excellent condition and in tight turners, the back of the car tends to move to the side. I don’t feel very secure con bad roads at high speed. Is this normal?
How con this be improve?
Thank you very much.

 

I have noticed the same thing in my 04 Durango. The only thing I was able to do was to slow down.

 

I have the same problem on my 04 Durango. On sharp curves on bad roads the rear tires tend to break away causing a chattering sensation. I do run my stock tires at 40 lbs, PSI which probably adds to the problem.

 

Many vehicles that use solid rear axles and coil springs use a panhard bar to keep the axle centered under the chassis at normal ride height. On compression and rebound, the axle will move from side to side, since the link is attached to one side of the axle, and the opposite side of the chassis. As shocks wear out, the rear end may hop around on rough roads a bit more. I've noticed that my Durango is getting progressively worse now that I've got around 40k on it.

 

That would be your vehicle telling you to not go so fast on road conditions like that.

To improve the vehicle handling you would have to get tires better suited for the road conditions and get better socks and any other suspension upgrades you can find, or just slow down before you end up off the road..

 

I checked Hotchkis to see is they makesway barsfor your year truck and don't see any, I added Hotchkis sway bars to my 2000 and it made a big difference. Try looking around for better sway bars. Also when I upgraded to a michelin road tires and got away from the truck tires the handling got better.

 

Is this normal, yes it is, you are driving a suv not a sports car, slow down. I have many freinds that have gone from driving only cars to now driving suvs they have all learned to slow down after they wreck the first truck, thankfully they were all minor accidents and no injurys. so please slow down when you no longer feel "secure" before some one gets hurt. Drive it like a grandma takingthe grandkids to the grocery store, thats what the durango was designed for, soccer moms and grandma.( sorry guys but its the truth.)If you want something that will take" tight corners" at "high speed" look into a viper. Sorry If this sounds blunt but I dont want to seeany more people get injured becouse they don't understand how to drive a truck, I see it almost every day.

 

AHHH that sucks my dakota is 4x4 and i can dip around corners

 

This topic is a very important one, and if more folks did their research before they climbed behind the wheel of an SUV, they no doubt would save a life and possibly their own. We have all the this person blasting down the highway too fast in the snow or rain because they wrongly assume that their 4 wheel drive and or ABS is going to save their butt from their ignorance. Sometimes, you will find this person off the road oron their top in the median when you catch up to them.
Ifyou want an SUV that handles like a sports car,then a visit to the MBenz, Porsche, or BMW dealer is in order. The old maxim still stands true today : "Speed costs money, how fast you wanna go!!"

Vehicles like trucks and SUV's have a higher center of gravity which makes them easier to roll over. While it is possible to make an SUV or truck handle close to a sedan or coupe, there are compromises in everything.

As a case in point, I attend the Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations yearly, and have learned much there about the issues GM has dealt with when they make the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV or Police Pursuit vehicle.

For those who are not aware, this Tahoe is a downright exciting piece of hardware. The Tahoe PPV with its 320 hp 5.3 V8has a top speed of 135 mph, and handles like a Crown Vic CVPIor the famous 9C1 94-96 Caprices with their 260hpLT-1 motor and can keep up with them in the curves.

However, the PPV is offered only as a 4x2 model and sits 1.5 inches lower to lower that center of gravity.
As you might guess, the suspension (spring rates and hardware) are different than the non PPV as well as being equipped with speed rated low profile tires.

Two issues that preclude the 4x4 being pursuit rated are the extra weight added by the 4x4 parts (which affects handling) and the fact thatGM cannot come up with a tire that will go 135 mph and also be a good off road tire.

So, my point here is that if you bought an SUV to drive like a sports car, you may find out the hard way that you made the wrong choice.

In closing, no matter what one drives and what system it has (4WD, ABS, traction control, DSC, Roll Stability Control, etc) you cannot alter the laws of physics and if you push the vehicle beyond its limits, the result is not likely to be a good one.

To all, sorry for the long post and I wish you safe and fun driving for you and your families.

Don

 

I sure hope you're talking about 2nd gen D's, (I feel they're too "refined")and not the Durango in general. I rarely see women, more noteably older women, driving first Gen D's