2 weeks ago, I lowered my Avalanche. It scraped on decent "g out" bumps and would drag the trailer hitch getting up the driveway. It didn't help the springs in the rear are WAAAAAYYYY too soft, even though they were for a Tahoe. For me the problem was overhang behind the rear axle. The trailer hitch was a good 5" off the ground.
I subsequently put it back to stock for the time being. Loved the way it looked though....
SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:For autocross: tag the at least ground once on course.
That seems like a rule that should craved in stone or perhaps welded on metal :)
5-6" generally seems to be a good number for lowest point on a street car. My RX7 is in that range and I generally don't have any issues with speed bumps, driveways, etc. It's also a MacPherson strut car so lowering the front too much more will completely obliterate the camber curve and introduce annoying levels of bump steer. The multi-link rear introduces negative camber when lowered and I've got it to the point where the car is balanced while still achieving a reasonable amout of camber.
Wife's '20 base 370z is probably between 3-4". Angling our driveway is a must and all speed bumps are a no go. At this point she pretty much knows where and where she can't go in and around our city (as far as regular/routine stores, roads, and parking lots go). Kind of hassle for her, but I don't care much because I don't drive her vehicles...
Aim for four inches, then experience 2-3. A car will always move around on the springs way more than anyone expects it to, especially if you actually enjoy travel in your suspension. If you hate suspension travel, by all means aim for 2-3 inches; in doing this, adding titanium discs to the low points can create quite a pretty spark show . . .
dean1484 said:Ride hight in New England is determined by how good the pothole crop is have in the spring. ;-)
Yeah lowering cars around here, in Ontario, is just plain dumb.
3.75"-4" was the design-to numbers for Midlana. No problems on speed bumps. The only time I had issues was during shakedown testing when I hit a good dip in the road, and found out that between spring rates, suspension travel, shock valving, and tire compression, yes, it was possible for the chassis to hit the road... Now that that's all been sorted, no problem, and no regrets. Of course, there are other factors that set the minimum such as overhang front and rear, as approach and departure angles can be just as important as vertical ground clearance.
mke said:SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:For autocross: tag the at least ground once on course.
That seems like a rule that should craved in stone or perhaps welded on metal :)
That wasn't at all what I intended to write, but it gets funnier the more I read it. Almost philosophical in nature.
SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:That wasn't at all what I intended to write, but it gets funnier the more I read it. Almost philosophical in nature.
I knew what you meant, I'm the king of typos because I don't even notice them.
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