How do you guys drive so low?

[rturbo 930]

I too am wearing my asbestos underpants.

I'm sorry*, but lowering your car to the extent that to drive it in a normal fashion on normal roads requires the spring rate of a chunk of damp oak, a kidney belt, the eyes of an eagle, the reflexes of a snake and the adrenal glands of a rodent is just, I'm sorry*, dumb.

lol


I agree with you though. My car is on H&R race, and I'm pleased with the ride height. Low enough that it looks good (IMO), high enough that I can drive more or less normally. I've never scraped on anything but my rutted driveway. Not even speed bumps. It's around 4-5" off the ground at the crossmember IIRC.

[Hooffenstein HD]

lol


I agree with you though. My car is on H&R race, and I'm pleased with the ride height. Low enough that it looks good (IMO), high enough that I can drive more or less normally. I've never scraped on anything but my rutted driveway. Not even speed bumps. It's around 4-5" off the ground at the crossmember IIRC.

H&R Race are pretty much the perfect ride height. I've got coil overs and that's about where I adjusted their ride height.

[djmossm42]

One thing that seems to get overlooked is the overall wheel + tire diameter. If you stick to the stock equivalents you won't have a problem. Measure from the ground to the center of your wheel and multiply that by 2 to find the overall height. I think stock is around 23in. If you drop 3 inches on your overall diameter and then 2 inches on your suspension that's 5 inches. You also have to consider how much you're suspension will compress on the most severe bump, I'm willing to bet between 1.5 - 2in with a sporty suspension maybe more. I would suggest 2.5 times the amount of suspension travel is the least amount of clearance you should have on a flat surface

Sent from my SGH-T769

[E30SPDFRK]

ha. you're telling me an e30 lowered in excess won't have bad bumpsteer without caster/camber/roll center corrections?
check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Do you know what bumpsteer is? I don't think you do.

[FunfGan]

Either your springs are made of spaghetti and your shocks have no fluid, or you're REALLY aiming for bumps.

I have no other idea how in the heck you could possibly be flexing your skid plate that much to scrape away your drain bolt like that.

[bataangpinoy]

Do you know what bumpsteer is? I don't think you do.

The result of tie rod length and roll angle being unequal to that of the suspension arm. This is most noticeable when the rack is above or below the rest plane of the suspension, but shows up anyway, particularly if the steering rods from the rack to the arms are short.

Take for example; 8" over all tie rod length (centerline of outer tie rod to pivot point) vs 15" suspension arm length (centerline of ball joint to pivot point)

Under compression or bump, the tie rod end will have to move faster (quickening angle), and on a larger arc than that of the suspension arm. (length vs angle). This results in a toe in condition as the suspension compresses.

"The tie rod must travel on the same arc as the suspension when the car goes through travel. Simply matching lengths and arcs to prevent any unwanted steering of the front tires." - Longacre

To be short, you need to correct the angle/centerline of the tie rod relative to the instant center of the LCA (move the inner tie rod pivot point up, or space the outer tie rod down), and the overall length of the tie rod (toe).


I did this for 3 years. Setting droop, adjusting squat/dive, zero-ing out bumpsteer, roll center corrections, la la la la. List goes on cupcake.

So keep playing forza, nerding out on tumblr, w/e. lol i've suddenly remembered why i don't log into r3v anymore.

[E30SPDFRK]

Thank you for the textbook definition, it will make it easier to explain to you now that you understand it.

Tell me how lowering an e30 changes the length of the tie rods.
The rack mounting doesn't move, the control arm mounting doesn't move, neither of their lengths change. The only thing that happens is the spindle where they both attach moves up in relation to the chassis side mounting points. The bumpsteer isn't increased at all over what the car came with from the factory. Hence me saying, lowering an e30 doesn't increase bumpsteer.

Perhaps you should stay away from r3v, we already have enough people spreading misinformation.

Fruitcake.

[Hooffenstein HD]

Thank you for the textbook definition, it will make it easier to explain to you now that you understand it.

Tell me how lowering an e30 changes the length of the tie rods.
The rack mounting doesn't move, the control arm mounting doesn't move, neither of their lengths change. The only thing that happens is the spindle where they both attach moves up in relation to the chassis side mounting points. The bumpsteer isn't increased at all over what the car came with from the factory. Hence me saying, lowering an e30 doesn't increase bumpsteer.

Perhaps you should stay away from r3v, we already have enough people spreading misinformation.

Fruitcake.

Trying to get my head around this.

You're saying lowering won't affect bump steer but shortening struts will as it will alter the spindle location in relation to the rest of the steering? Actually now that I think about it, shortening the strut, or reducing spring length would pretty much do the same thing and raise the knuckle in relation to the steering rack.

Tie rods being on more of an angle because the knuckle location has been raised would effectively change their length though, would it not?

[LJ851]

Bumpsteer is a byproduct of the relationship between the arc that your spindle(and steering arm) travels and the one your tierod end travels during suspension movement.. The variation of the two arcs causes a change in the amount of toe your front wheels have. If they both traveled the same exact arc throughout the complete range of suspension movement, you would have zero bumpsteer and your toe would remain constant. This is rarely the case on an automobile.

The only thing that alters the "factory" bumpsteer is moving pivot points or arm/rod lengths in the suspension, not something that happens during ride height changes which includes shortening strut housings.

Since the bumpsteer curve throughout the range of suspension travel is usually not consistent, what can change is the amount of bumpsteer you experience for say 1 inch of suspension travel. So, a vehicle that has effectively zero bumpsteer for 1 inch of travel at stock ride height might have noticeable bumpsteer when at a 3 inch lower rideheight for that same 1 inch of suspension travel.

Older 911s like mine are this way, and changing pivot points (raising the steering rack) improve the situation at a lowered ride height.

The e30 chassis is not afflicted by a very poor bumpsteer curve in my opinion.

[Ether-D]

Not sure, but I think somebody just got told.

[JamesE30]

Yeah, my girlfriend is a supermodel. She just doesn't have a vagina. I try and try to poke my penis in there but no vagina. Well, at least everyone sees me with a supermodel. A nonfuckable, no-fun, mentally challenged supermodel.

Hahaha this is great. Exactly what comes to mind

[semaj4712]

Enough talk about bumpsteer the point of this thread is your all wrong, key to driving low

1. No skid plate (gets in the way of more low)

2. Frankenstein coils with high spring weights

3. Stock up on m20 oil pans

Proof is here, Los Angeles daily driven with no skid plate

[Helltime]

Speed bumps are a menace to society but other than that I have no issues. I am lowered but not to the point where it adversely affects handling (and I know how to angle out of drives that are steep).

[mitchlikesbikes]

Yeah, my girlfriend is a supermodel. She just doesn't have a vagina. I try and try to poke my penis in there but no vagina. Well, at least everyone sees me with a supermodel. A nonfuckable, no-fun, but pretty, supermodel.

this is a good metaphor

[uturn]

Had the 318is lowered to where it was only 4 inches off the ground, tried to drive at an angle to get up the driveway and the drive wheel was free spinning in the air. Ditched the coil over setup and never looked back!