What brand/kind of tires are on your Pilot?
Adding a little more air helps but this problem is more pronounced with touring tires.

 

What brand/kind of tires are on your Pilot?
Adding a little more air helps but this problem is more pronounced with touring tires.

Firestone All Season tires. At 33 PSI (Recommended 32)

 

Any thing I can do about this, or is this normal?

As an owner of an '04 I'd say its not normal for the Pilot to fishtail at 60 mph. Are the tires a matched set? At 19+ yr some Pilots may have some rear end sag. A complete F+R suspension inspection should be done to identify any worn suspension components for example control arm and sway bar rubber bushings do crack, struts can leak and reduce stability etc.

 

I see that you live in New York state. Your '04 has probably seen 20 winters of salt and slush. I suspect that the rear subframe connections are rusting out, and the whole rear end assembly is getting loose due to corrosion at critical areas. IMHO, don't ignore the unsettling fishtailing that you experience, but bring your Pilot in to a trustworthy shop with a lift and have them check out the rear subframe and unit body for critical rust. If I'm wrong, so be it, and you have spent $100 for nothing. If I'm right, perhaps you will avoid an unpleasant experience when your Pilot rear axle comes loose as you drive down the highway.

 

I'll add a vote of confidence in STMech's answer. You can see the subframe mount pretty easily from behind the driver's rear tire as an immediate first step.

If it is fishtailing/swaying from this, you may also be able to replicate the situation by pushing on the C-pillar or rocking it from the roof rails. To a first-order approximation, the vehicle should rock (rotational motion), but not sway (horizontal motion) relative to the tires. In the meantime, I'd avoid highway driving, family in the car, and other big loads until you can get it checked out.

When you bring it to a mechanic, please ask for photos so that you can see what they see and, if inclined, share them here.

 

Rusted rear subframe mount, especially on the driver's side: I consider it a safety issue. Honda still considers it as merely a TSB. 😨

 

I am leaning here... as you say even light load (one person) you feel it.. a good inspection is in order as mentioned for bushings, spring breakage, poor installation, rust, etc... What were the shocks replaced with?
I also just had my rear shocks replaced (not the coil).

 

Hopefully the OPs vehicle is in good mechanical condition and the issue is just low recommended 32 psi tire pressure on soft sidewall tires that are trying to support 6 people and their belongings. Most standard load tires have a max inflation of 44 psi (I prefer tires with 51 psi), so it would be advisable to add a little more to get the sidewalls off the ground. With this much weight 36 psi cold should be enough to be safe.
Hopefully the OP let us know the situation.

 

Especially when the vehicle is loaded in the back more and changing the alignment to a more of a positive caster. Looser steering is the evidence of having a positive caster.
And I wonder if air bags such as Air Lift and Firestone would help in handling?
Granted if all the rest of the suspension components is in satisfactory condition to begin with.

 

32 psi is way under for a fully loaded Pilot. Luckily the tire held together in that overheat condition.
I believe recommended loaded tire pressure should be listed on the sticker in the drivers side door jam. It also posted on the side of the tire what the max psi is with max load rating.

 

Yes, recommended is 32, but I have mine at 33, to account for temperature changes. But, still are you saying that if I'm fully loaded, I should increase the tire pressure beyond the recommended PSI?

 

You have no idea how much this is all very much appreciated from the the Pilot family. Thank you all for the informative replies. I will take my OG Pilot in to get it inspected. I have had it on lifts this past summer when I got the new tires, and the rear, while it looked rusty, did not look as bad as the PDF file's pictures included.

As an owner of an '04 I'd say its not normal for the Pilot to fishtail at 60 mph. Are the tires a matched set? At 19+ yr some Pilots may have some rear end sag. A complete F+R suspension inspection should be done to identify any worn suspension components for example control arm and sway bar rubber bushings do crack, struts can leak and reduce stability etc.

- Will do. Thank you.

I see that you live in New York state. Your '04 has probably seen 20 winters of salt and slush. I suspect that the rear subframe connections are rusting out, and the whole rear end assembly is getting loose due to corrosion at critical areas. IMHO, don't ignore the unsettling fishtailing that you experience, but bring your Pilot in to a trustworthy shop with a lift and have them check out the rear subframe and unit body for critical rust. If I'm wrong, so be it, and you have spent $100 for nothing. If I'm right, perhaps you will avoid an unpleasant experience when your Pilot rear axle comes loose as you drive down the highway.

- Yep, NY, home of the salty roads. This is all reminds me of my '95 Pathfinder, where the entire subframe rusted out, while the top body stayed in pristine condition. The definition of sadness.

I'll add a vote of confidence in STMech's answer. You can see the subframe mount pretty easily from behind the driver's rear tire as an immediate first step.

If it is fishtailing/swaying from this, you may also be able to replicate the situation by pushing on the C-pillar or rocking it from the roof rails. To a first-order approximation, the vehicle should rock (rotational motion), but not sway (horizontal motion) relative to the tires. In the meantime, I'd avoid highway driving, family in the car, and other big loads until you can get it checked out.

When you bring it to a mechanic, please ask for photos so that you can see what they see and, if inclined, share them here.

- Will do! Thank you

Rusted rear subframe mount, especially on the driver's side: I consider it a safety issue. Honda still considers it as merely a TSB. 😨

Ok, got it. Thanks

I am leaning here... as you say even light load (one person) you feel it.. a good inspection is in order as mentioned for bushings, spring breakage, poor installation, rust, etc... What were the shocks replaced with?
I also just had my rear shocks replaced (not the coil).

- I wish I had this answer. I requested new shocks, and was hoping that the mechanic would talk to me about the work, but instead they just installed basic shocks for the make and model of the vehicle. So, nothing great, but was definitely better than the factory shocks that were on the vehicle since '05.

Hopefully the OPs vehicle is in good mechanical condition and the issue is just low recommended 32 psi tire pressure on soft sidewall tires that are trying to support 6 people and their belongings. Most standard load tires have a max inflation of 44 psi (I prefer tires with 51 psi), so it would be advisable to add a little more to get the sidewalls off the ground. With this much weight 36 psi cold should be enough to be safe.
Hopefully the OP let us know the situation.

- I'm not understanding this one completely. How does increasing the sidewall pressure help deter fishtailing? Also, I've noticed that when PSI is increased, the car usually slides more on cornering.

 

You have no idea how much this is all very much appreciated from the the Pilot family. Thank you all for the informative replies. I will take my OG Pilot in to get it inspected. I have had it on lifts this past summer when I got the new tires, and the rear, while it looked rusty, did not look as bad as the PDF file's pictures included.


- Will do. Thank you.


- Yep, NY, home of the salty roads. This is all reminds me of my '95 Pathfinder, where the entire subframe rusted out, while the top body stayed in pristine condition. The definition of sadness.


- Will do! Thank you


Ok, got it. Thanks


- I wish I had this answer. I requested new shocks, and was hoping that the mechanic would talk to me about the work, but instead they just installed basic shocks for the make and model of the vehicle. So, nothing great, but was definitely better than the factory shocks that were on the vehicle since '05.


- I'm not understanding this one completely. How does increasing the sidewall pressure help deter fishtailing? Also, I've noticed that when PSI is increased, the car usually slides more on cornering.

Honda say on the door jam that correct tire pressure is 32psi. This doesn’t work when loaded. The sidewalls may be touching the pavement (especially when cornering) and could cause the side walls to be damaged. This will cause a squishy unresponsive handling issue that can cause a loss of control. I’d keep inflating to firm up the tires, and not to exceed max tire inflation when the tire warms.

 

Another good tool to check if your tire has the correct pressure to the load your carrying is is to do a chalk test. That will quickly point out if your over or under inflated.

 

Maybe tomorrow. 😜

 

Hopefully the OPs vehicle is in good mechanical condition and the issue is just low recommended 32 psi tire pressure on soft sidewall tires that are trying to support 6 people and their belongings. Most standard load tires have a max inflation of 44 psi (I prefer tires with 51 psi), so it would be advisable to add a little more to get the sidewalls off the ground. With this much weight 36 psi cold should be enough to be safe.
Hopefully the OP let us know the situation.

32 psi is way under for a fully loaded Pilot. Luckily the tire held together in that overheat condition.
I believe recommended loaded tire pressure should be listed on the sticker in the drivers side door jam. It also posted on the side of the tire what the max psi is with max load rating.

Yes, recommended is 32, but I have mine at 33, to account for temperature changes. But, still are you saying that if I'm fully loaded, I should increase the tire pressure beyond the recommended PSI?

Maybe just me, and I don't know if I am something of an outlier, but I just don't feel comfortable with my (relatively stiff Michelin LTX) tires not at 35 PSI, load or no load.

 

I run the Cooper Endeavors that came on mine at 35 PSI cold. Far too heavy a vehicle to run a lower pressure IMO.



...unless you're doing some offroad adventuring.

 

🎵... it's all right, it's all right [...]
Do it wrong or do it right,
It's all right, it's all right.*








*Except for tires, that is. 35 PSI. Too little or too much is not all right.

 

🎵... it's all right, it's all right [...]
Do it wrong or do it right,
It's all right, it's all right.*








*Except for tires, that is. 35 PSI. Too little or too much is not all right.


View attachment 172267

Oh man, luckily that guy was able to walk away without stuff hanging off. If it was one of those trucker tires...not so much.

I think his ears are ringing.

 

Oh man, luckily that guy was able to walk away without stuff hanging off. If it was one of those trucker tires...not so much.

 

I think that guy was just trying to get the tire to 100%.

 

I think that guy was just trying to get the tire to 100%.
View attachment 172357

How is your tires holding up with soo much PSI?

 

I keep both the Pilot and Traverse at 40 PSI. I like the way they handle that way and haven't had any adverse tire wear because of it.

 

You must like the “bang bang bang” as your tires hit the joints in the highway!

 

I feel a warm sense of validation when the normally stoic guys at the tire shop ask me what PSI I'd like them to inflate my tires to, I tell them 35, and they give me what as I interpret as a tacit nod of corroborating approval.