10 Effective Ways to Improve Your Car’s Handling

To sum up, you can use several modifications and aftermarket parts to improve your vehicle's handling. When cars are designed and manufactured by a brand, the cost is a significant factor that determines what mechanical parts have to be used. Unlike high-end or expensive cars, small passenger cars feature a basic suspension setup that is cost-effective and focused on comfort instead of performance. Modern steering systems feature a rack and pinion gear that connects the steering wheel to the wheels of the vehicle. High-end vehicles also use electronically assisted steering systems for better response and handling. Some cars use modern systems like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), traction control systems, and electronic sensors to improve vehicle handling. To sum up, there are several modifications and aftermarket parts you can use to improve the handling of your vehicle. Some of them are mentioned below:

Most of the front-wheel-drive cars today use MacPherson strut suspensions. Unlike a double-wishbone suspension system, the MacPherson strut suspension uses a single lower control arm, and the top of the strut is connected to the vehicle's chassis. A strut bar, also known as a strut brace, is a rod that laterally connects the two strut towers located under the hood. Strut bars are load-bearing at the top, and when you drive at high speeds or negotiate an aggressive corner, the pressure and stress generated are enough to offset or temporarily change the suspension alignment, also known as flexing. This makes handling the vehicle unpredictable and often dangerous at high speeds.

To avoid this flex. strut bars are used because they offer rigidity to the suspension system and make it easier for you to handle the car when driven aggressively. Strut bars do not increase the vehicle's speed but make the car's suspension more stable and predictable while negotiating corners. These braces work by redistributing the excess pressure from one strut tower to the other, reducing the flex and keeping the car stable. The strut bars can be installed on front and rear towers. Since they reduce flex and stiffen the suspension system, stiffening the front end of your vehicle can increase understeer, and doing the same at the rear can increase oversteer. However, it depends on the existing suspension system's stiffness and the vehicle type. Besides improving your car’s handling, they also enhance your vehicle's underhood appearance. Some strut bars are tastefully painted or anodized in several colors, adding a beautiful look to the engine bay.

Rubber bushings are used in various components like sway bars, chassis mounts, engine mounts and control arms. Bushings help to reduce friction and vibrations between the two metal parts of these suspension components, which are constantly in motion. Without suspension bushings, the control arms won't be able to absorb vibrations, resulting in a bumpy and uncomfortable ride. Rubber bushings are commonly used and are offered as a standard on most vehicles because they are inexpensive. However, rubber bushings are susceptible to deterioration when exposed to heat, cold, and oil. This can also lead to misalignment and car handling problems.

Polyurethane bushings are a better alternative to rubber bushings. A major benefit of installing polyurethane bushing is its hardness. The hardness of a rubber bushing ranges between 50 to 60 if measured on a durometer, whereas that of a polyurethane bushing is between 75 to 90. This makes these bushings perfect for all types of vehicles because they last longer and provide stiffer suspension. Polyurethane bushings' mechanical bonding is better than rubber bushings when used in a through-bolt application. Through-bolt polyurethane bushings float within the housing and are not fixed like rubber bushings. This allows minimal resistance inside the housing, which provides a flexible suspension system. Since poly bushes do not compress like rubber bushings, they keep the alignment of the vehicle intact for a long time. Polyurethane bushings also help in improving the car’s handling by reducing body roll and improving traction while turning.

The next way to improve your car's handling is to upgrade the suspension. Coil-over shock absorbers, also known as Coilovers, are a great aftermarket upgrade for your old shocks and struts. They work on the same principle as the OEM struts and shock absorbers, but with a noticeable difference. In coilovers, the coil sits on an adjustable perch that allows you to adjust its height. However, coilovers offer a stiffer ride, which is preferable for sports cars and racing. The stiffer spring rate mitigates body roll and weight transfer while driving around the corner at high speeds. This also translates into better steering, sustained road grip, and improved handling. You can also opt for adjustable coil overs  to raise and lower your vehicle quickly for different road conditions.

Basic coilovers can be adjusted for height, whereas more advanced types can also be adjusted for stiffness. The suspension stiffness can be classified into: bump (compression) and rebound (decompression). Advanced coilovers are offered with adjustable rebound and bump, so you can adjust them according to your driving requirements. If you are a beginner and looking to lower the car and achieve sporty handling, you can upgrade to coil over with manual lowering. These coilovers feature a screw thread that can be turned by hand to adjust the height of the vehicle. The coilover with adjustable rebound and compression can be adjusted to personal preferences and activities like track racing and daily commuting. They are very adaptive and are perfect for performance-oriented drivers and tuning enthusiasts. Finally, high-performance coilovers allow 100 different adjustment options for rebound and compression damping and also feature a uni-ball dome bearing for camber adjustments. These high-end coilovers are  used on race cars only and are available after road approval for daily legal use.

It's all about the grip. When  handling a car with lots of power, the aim is to make it stick to the road like glue. It’s always safe to have a better grip while pushing your car on the track, particularly for an inexperienced driver. Apart from a fancy suspension setup and a powerful engine under the hood, tires that offer optimum grip are necessary to ensure improved handling. Replacing your old tires with performance-oriented street tires can transform the way your car handles. With a better grip, your car will be able to carry more speed through the corners and reduce braking distance and wheel spin during acceleration. 

Furthermore, summer tires are designed with fewer treads for increased road contact and traction. This makes them suitable for high speeds and performance driving. However, they are unsuitable for wet roads compared to all-season tires. Similarly, in winter, an effective way to improve your car’s handling and safety is to buy a set of winter tires.

Tires play an important role in providing traction, braking, acceleration, and going around corners. Besides these functions, the tires also have special tread designs to effectively shed water and resist hydroplaning. Choosing the correct set of tires specific for your vehicle is important to ensure the best handling performance and maximum safety. Different types of tires and tread patterns for different terrains, weather, and vehicles. Refer to our ultimate tire buying guide to ensure you choose the correct tire for your vehicle.

Vehicle manufacturers design a car with specific alignments that dictate the toe, caster, and camber settings. This ensures your car wheels are pointed in the right direction and offer decent handling. Over time, driving over broken roads, potholes, and rough tarmac disturbs the wheel alignment and the vehicle handling. Getting your wheels aligned is the cheapest way to improve your car’s handling. If you have modified your vehicle, including aftermarket alloy wheels and upgraded suspension, the wheel alignment has to be adjusted. Failure to do so will not only impair handling but also increase fuel consumption and cause your expensive tires to wear out much faster.

Wheel alignment involves adjusting three major factors: caster, camber, and toe angle. Any change in these parameters changes the wheel alignment and significantly affects the handling of a vehicle. For example, most front-wheel drive cars have a small amount of toe-in, which allows the tire to be perfectly straight while accelerating. Similarly, passenger cars feature a slight negative camber of 0.5 to 1 degree. If you are into racing and want better cornering on your sports car, you can have a negative camber while aligning the wheels. Higher toe-in can also be used for drag racing to reduce oversteer and improve the vehicle's straight-line stability.

All of these changes are minor, and the wheel alignment cost can vary from $100 to $200 depending on your location and the workshop. However, if you are a DIY enthusiast, you can align your wheels at home according to your handling requirements. Remember not to go overboard with wheel alignment settings, as they can reap unpleasant results. The benefits of a performance-oriented wheel alignment are sharper turns, more cornering grip, light steering, and less understeer. But this comes at a price of faster tire wear, decreased fuel economy, and streamlining (the tendency of the wheels to follow the contours of a surface). Therefore, if you own a passenger car for daily driving, keep your wheels aligned for better handling. If you own a sports car and want better results, consult a professional mechanic to align your wheels for high-speed handling.

Weight is another factor that plays a vital role in how your car handles. A vehicle with greater weight will have more inertia, and become difficult to handle while driving around corners or at high speeds. Increased weight for the vehicle results in drastic weight transfer while cornering, leading to body roll and weight shifts while braking and accelerating. This affects the vehicle's handling and is why racing and motor racing enthusiasts reduce the weight of their cars.  Reducing the weight of the vehicle results in various benefits like increased acceleration, better maneuverability, reduced braking distance, improved fuel economy, and quicker steering. Furthermore, shaving weight off your vehicle reduces tire wear and load on the brakes.

Weight reduction can be done in different ways. You can remove unnecessary items in your car, like a spare wheel, jack, etc. You can also reduce weight by replacing metal components and panels with lighter aftermarket ones made from thermoplastic or carbon fiber. Several aftermarket items are available to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, like alloy wheels, seats, body panels, hood, dashboard, steering wheel, and suspension and exhaust systems components.

Spoilers are one of the most common accessories used on sports cars. They are also used on sedans, roadsters, and compact spoilers are used on smaller cars like hatchbacks. They are installed on the trunk lid at the rear of the vehicle. A spoiler is an aerodynamic device that reduces wind resistance and manipulates the airflow to create downforce. It is similar to a wing on an airplane just placed upside down, so instead of getting an upward force(thrust), you get a downward force called downforce. It helps in improving your vehicle’s stability by reducing the back lift generated at high speeds. This helps to keep the vehicle firmly planted on the road by increasing downforce, reducing lift, and decreasing wind resistance. Spoilers also help in getting greater fuel economy, top speed, and stability while driving. Modern and high-end performance cars like Bugatti are also equipped with active spoilers that allow you to adjust the position and angle of the spoiler.

Sway bars, also known as anti-roll bars or stabilizer bars, prevent your vehicle from rolling over while taking a turn. When you drive around a turn, especially at a higher speed, the vehicle's body leans or rolls to the outside and away from the turn. This happens because the weight is transferred from one side of the vehicle to the other and referred to as body roll or sway. The sway bar mitigates the body roll by transferring the weight from the outside wheels to the inside wheels while turning, thus evening out the vehicle and preventing body roll. Most front-wheel drive cars feature a sway bar at the front with no sway bar at the rear. In such a situation, you can add a sway bar at the rear to further reduce the body roll and achieve better handling at corners.

The sway bars can also be used to increase or decrease understeer and oversteer. Installing a stiffer front and a softer rear anti-roll bar reduces the oversteer. Similarly, installing a softer sway bar at the front increases the oversteer and reduces understeer. Some car enthusiasts even remove the sway bars using different spring rates on the suspension. However, sway bars are known for their refinement and ride quality. Even performance cars like Corvettes with independent rear suspensions and Mustangs (up to 2015) had anti-roll bars at the front and the rear. To sum up, anti-roll bars are a great way of adjusting a car's steering and cornering capabilities and can be modified for road performance and racing according to your requirements.

Most cars on the road today could use a brake system upgrade. This isn't to say that OEM brakes are bad, but if you want better handling and safety and want to reduce stopping distance, upgrade your brakes. OEM brakes offer decent braking in everyday driving conditions and commuting. Still, they do not perform efficiently whenever they go through repeated stop-and-go conditions or are used aggressively on a track. In such an instance, your stock brakes might quickly overheat, smell, and wear out. Furthermore, if you have increased your engine power and made any substantial engine upgrade for more BHP, you need a performance brake set to stop your vehicle in time.

Performance brake pads are a great upgrade because they are fade resistant and ‌stick better when hot. This allows them to deliver better braking and performance on a race track. Similarly, performance brake rotors are either cross drilled, vented, or slotted for increased cooling and performance in demanding conditions. Brake pads are offered in various types, like semi-metallic brake pads, and ceramic brake pads, each having their own benefits. Ceramic brake pads are wear-resistant, produce low brake dust, and are most suitable for high-performance and sports vehicles. However, it's important to understand how brake systems work so you can differentiate between the brake components and make a wise decision when choosing a set of performance brake pads or rotors. For example, towing or hauling vehicles require immense stopping power  from severe duty metallic or sintered brake pads because they can withstand large braking forces. Therefore, upgrading your existing brake pads to better ones allows you to improve the overall handling of a vehicle and keeps you safer.

A simple practice of keeping your tire pressure at recommended levels can significantly improve your car's handling. Uneven tire pressure is very common, and if you commute a lot from work to home with less time to spare, it can happen frequently. A tire air pressure gauge is all it takes to ensure your tires are perfectly pressurized.  Certain tires are very responsive to air pressure compared to other tires. Tires with soft sidewalls are designed for comfort, and it can be tough to maintain proper tire pressure for comfort, cornering grip, and steering response. This will help you find the right balance for your driving requirements. Similarly, higher tire pressure can lead to reduced tire contact and less grip if you are driving on a set of performance tires.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the key to maintaining proper tire pressure is to check it once a month. However, when temperature fluctuations are rapid and frequent in winter, it is important to check tire pressure more frequently as temperature directly affects air pressure. While checking your tire pressure, it's a good habit to check your tires of abnormal wear and signs of deterioration. Routine tire maintenance requires longer tread life and improved handling and stability.

Although we have covered most of the easy and effective methods to improve a car's handling, you can make plenty of aftermarket modifications to improve it further. From full aerodynamic body kits to complete suspension and steering systems, wheel spacers, limited slip differentials, and gearboxes, the possibilities are endless. To achieve the desired result, it's necessary to do the right research and decide what trade-offs you’re willing to make. If you own an all-out track car, the modifications will differ from your off-road truck. However, as a beginner, these modifications and methods will help you improve your car's handling and stability . Good luck breaking those lap times and enjoy a safe ride on the road.