Truck Feels A Bit Unstable At Highway Speeds

I have had my truck for a little over a month and a half now and I can't figure out why my truck feels like it I'm being blown around by strong wind and sometimes I feel slight nudges either left or right when I'm driving at highway speeds of 65-75 mph. Could it my tire pressure or alignment?

 

It could have something to do with the wind. I notice when it's a windy day out. It pushes the light back end of the truck around a bit.

 

No wind though. We had high winds last week and I figured that was it, but it still happens...

 

Is this your first truck?

 

No I had a old Nissan truck before. Then again it wasn't as high as my Tacoma.

 

Big, broad sides, empty, light bed, lots of air underneath...if you put a cap on, it is worse.

 

When you say cap you mean tonneau cover right? If so I do have one and I have it closed all the time when I'm driving around. I'll try driving on the freeway without it and see how it goes.

I'll definitely check my tire pressure tomorrow.

 

I have 4 on mine already.

 

Thanks will definitely do that and hopefully one of those suggestions fixes my issue.

Yes I believe all 2012's come with 4 leaf pack. I think there was a thread a month back about that if I'm not mistaken.

 

My '08 RC is a bit "squirrely"... it took me a couple of weeks to get used to it, it's primarily the touchy steering. My '95 Suburban was a complete slug compared to the Taco when it came to steering response.

I remember a couple of weeks after I bought it, I was heading down the 134 approaching the 5 in the morning and a CHAIR appeared in my lane.
I don't mean a folding chair... this was a fucking La-Z-Boy!
I swerved onto the shoulder around it... heard the tires squeal and overcorrected... fishtailed it and almost ended up in the left lane to the left of my lane.

 

The Sports and SR5s are 4-leaf...unfortunately the Off-Roads are still 3-leaf.

 

2012 TRD Sport: 4 Leaf Pack/TRD Off-Road: 3 Leaf Pack

My 2012 TRD Offroad has the 3 Leaf Pack and its pretty dang bouncy in the back.

 

That was a day that I should have stayed at home.

Started with that.

SHTF at work and I made up my mind that even though I had told him that I wouldn't, I AM going to apply for a position in engineering.

Then on the way home... traffic isn't bad, thinking the day is getting better.

Across the carpool lane and into my lane bounces something that looks like a 3ft long piece of 2" wide steel or aluminum.
I lost sight of it under my right corner. I heard it hit. No lights, brakes checked okay, can't tell if I'm getting a flat because my TPMS is always lighted, so I get off the freeway as soon as I can.

No damage on the front (base model, doesn't mean it didn't hit the bumper). Crawled underneath, no damage to the suspension or brake lines.
Tires look good.

Then I see it. Behind the passenger door on the bedside... a small dent and some paint damage.

 

Hope all goes well with the surgery

Wow a La-Z-Boy that's sounds pretty intense. Did it recline when it hit the floor . Had something like that happen to me when I was still driving my car. The tire of a mini-van completely came off and rolled four lanes over onto the freeway entrance, which I was coming down. Almost went into a ditch trying to avoid it.

If non of the issues are resolved by all the excellent feedback from everyone maybe it is the just the feel of the steering. I drove a BMW before and the steering is a lot stiffer.

Opps I may have missed the part where the OR was 3 leaf pack

 

Oh ya... tight, responsive steering + tall truck + light weight = you feel every bit of body roll.

I'm going to be installing a Hellwig swaybar on mine. Made my Tundra handle like a Vette, but you have a 4x4/Prerunner. Nothing you can do about body roll without ruining your off-road handling/articulation.

 

No, I mean a shell (see my sig pic). Although it does add little weight, it also increases the billboard effect from lateral air forces.

Good point on the alignment. If the caster isn't right, the front end can feel twitchy. But if you haven't lifted it, it should be in spec. It would be interesting to see what it is.

FWIW, even the 1st gens had weak springs, but I bought mine used, so I don't know how they handled stock. All I know is that at 100k miles, this truck was so squishy and sqirrely on the freeway that I made new shocks and leafs a priority.

Eureka! This is your problem! The higher COG alone will make you feel the roll more.

 

I have had a quad cab Dakota, an Explorer. But I agree, there is something about this truck on the highway. Part of it I believe is the slop in the steering. But I know my truck does not like wind. I'll be driving home from work and I get to an area where it opens up and there is a strong cross wind and it will blow me half way into the next lane before I can react.

 

One thing that helps is to have it aligned and have them set the caster at the high end of the positive range. Even with that the Tacoma tends to be a bit "darty" at highway speeds compared other trucks I've had.

 

It's a light truck but it's still a truck and it has exceptionally broad sides. If you're running empty and at freeway speeds it wouldn't take much side wind to feel the back end getting pushed around. Honestly, I've felt it a little in all of my trucks I don't notice it any more in the Tacoma.