Jump to content
SAU Community

Tricks To Get Into Evil Driveways With A Lowered Car

vidospace
 Share

Recommended Posts

vidospace Mentor

vidospace

Posted
Posted

OK so I stupidly went out and got a hot looking front bar for my R34 before getting my suspension done. The bar scrapes just a touch on my drive way no matter how I seem to turn the wheel. Once I was able to get in without scraping but I cant figure out what I did right! Now my car is back from the shop getting the SK kit fitted and it will be lower again (not by much but maybe 1 inch). The drive way is a dip basically. Our road is curved in the centre and then the drive way banks up over the pavement before flattening out in our property. So you can see my issue. Over speed bumps I know to go at an angle and all is fine but I need to know how to go at an angle and then when to turn back straight or opposite to get over such dips without killing my kit? Suggestions?

If worst comes to worst I might need to install a metal grill between the road and the drive way to even out the angle. But that might be overkill!

some_cs_student Veteran

some_cs_student

Posted
Posted

I have a very steep driveway so here's how I get in / out, but its only possible because my driveway is really wide, it can fit two cars side by side (nearly :yes:).

On the way out: drive onto the nature strip, reverse back on a sharp angle to stick the rear towards the road, then change it the other way full lock, I often do drive a little onto the other side of the kerb because the rear of the car is high enough off the ground. Sometimes forwards / backwards one more time to get the angle right and then gently across the road and it just makes it.

Getting in, completely different, I drive on the wrong side of the road because one side of the driveway is less steep then the other, turn late and sharp and the bar *just* makes it (and I"m heading straight for the wall so I stop, I then reverse and go in the 2nd turn :)

Every driveway is different, I've seen a few people make ramps (usually illegal under council law) and someone who had a WRX had a "cross over" built by his council (cost some serious $$$), another person got a free cross over made because she was near a council that did it for free :)

Personally I'm really tempted to pull out a ramp and drive onto it and take it away afterward.

Oh how lows your car? My one was 8cm from the ground when I put the Japanese suspension in, raised it to 13.5 and now its about 11.5 or 10.5 at the front bar...

Good luck!

bt23 Enthusiast

bt23

Posted
Posted

My one is pretty much sitting 10cm at the front and sides but the shape of my front bar sticks out at the lip which caused me a lot of grief during my first couple months owning the car (I had to eventually get it re-fiberglassed + resprayed). I still occasionally sand the paint underneath from scraping some driveways but nothing too drastic.

I live in a cul-de-sac with a very steep curb but mastered it by just keeping in mind to take a big angle. For some of the driveways with dips, you could also try reversing in. Some driveways you may just have to completely avoid altogether. It's just part of having a lowered car.

Hang in there...

P.S. There is no shame in getting a mate to step outside and check as you attempt to drive up. Sure, onlookers might think you are a wank, but at the end of the day you are saving unnecessary stress and money!

Phobic Collaborator

Phobic

Posted
Posted

just smash it up there and keep repairing the bumper haha, nah the best way is just go up it at an almost parrallel angle it helps when you have wide wheels that stick out the guards because they go up the curb before the bumper hits

vidospace Mentor

vidospace

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well guys, got the car back today. Its about 1cm lower than it was before (just purrrrfect), and low and behold, it doesnt scrape AT ALL!

Guess the lower back end and harder suspension helped!

Swiper the Fox Grand Master

Swiper the Fox

Posted
Posted

i have the worst driveway in aust...an extremely steep twisting item that i have to put the Jeep in 4wd to reverse it up.

thats why i have a high ride height drag car not a gutter scraping circuit item.

some_cs_student Veteran

some_cs_student

Posted
Posted

Dirtgarage, that driveway sounds dangerous, for any non-4WD on my driveway you can't attempt to drive straight in without angle to you hear a scraping sound (in stock cars its often the rear).

videospace, glad to hear you got it in, I ended up getting my bar re-fiberglassed and re-sprayed and I've been very very careful since then...it wasn't really bad damage but enough scratches to get to me :)

joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo Grand Master

joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo

Posted
Posted
just smash it up there and keep repairing the bumper haha, nah the best way is just go up it at an almost parrallel angle it helps when you have wide wheels that stick out the guards because they go up the curb before the bumper hits

not if you run stretched tyres tho :)

Pezhead Grand Master

Pezhead

Posted
Posted

Have a look at the gutter and slope of the road. I put a thick board in the gutter and that gave me the 1" I needed to clear when leaving. Roads are purposely crowned to drain the water away to the gutters. For me the clearance problem was simply coming off the lip of the driveway into the gutter. That 1" drop caused the bar to drop down onto the slope of the road.

I got some 2" x 12" from the lumber store and put two sections out on the road.

I worked pretty well until the first big rain - I live on a hill.

Since then I've changed the suspension to put the car to only 1" lower than stock.

When I get on my other computer I'll show a picture of the driveway hell I went through. My driveway has a steep slope down and to keep the water at the top the previous owner created a sharp crest up then down. Everything bar my 4-runner got high centred on it. So it took a 2 weekends of kanga hammering and rebar cutting to remove the crest to a plateau.

Ah, what we do for the love of our cars.

Psymon Mentor

Psymon

Posted
Posted

I've just moved into a place with a driveway that a standard commodore can scrape its front bar on! I haven't tried with the skyline yet because it's still off getting work done but i'm not looking forward to it :blush:

elysium Enthusiast

elysium

Posted
Posted

i havnt even bothered with my driveway, Its narrow, steep and short and isnt even from one side to the other. my mate in a vy commo tore his muffler off coming into it, his is lowered a little but nothing compared to my gtr. my gf suzuki swift scraps front on coming down it and they are a short car...

ill have to post a pic one of these days...

iamhe77 Grand Master

iamhe77

Posted
Posted (edited)

I feel your pain.

Start on a 45 degree angle (pointed right), slowly bring it back to 45 degree left and slowly over the top rise.

I can have either my 2 dogs, or 1 passenger under 100kg in the passenger seat else I scrape exhaust tip on the bottom and the front pipe over rise (worse with 3" exhaust).

If I have a car load of people, they all get turfed at the bottom and have to walk up. 40C or 14C with hail = GTFO and walk up.

Part of the reason we are moving next week :)

Even my wife's Magna has been known to scrape and we had mates who were going to back their HiLux up, but couldn't clear the towball.

Edited by iamhe77
  • 11 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • joshuaho96
      Front LSD Quaife , how streetable ?- QDF3L Owners

      By joshuaho96 · Posted

      Major thread necro but how bad of a job is it to DIY? Looking at it online it looks like if you reuse your ring and pinion as long as those are in good condition it should be fine to just pull the axles/front cover and replace the diff that way? Or should I be replacing everything and doing preload measurements/gear mesh testing like the factory service manual mentions for the rear diff?
    • Kinkstaah
      The FD RX7 is the best looking 90's JDM car

      By Kinkstaah · Posted

      in my list I had the R33 GTR as the best Skyline. Infact I had all GTR's (33>34=32), the NSX, the GTO, the 300ZX, the 180SX, the S15 better than the FD RX7. I had the MR2 and the A80 as 'just' better. I also think the DC5R Integra looks better but this is an 01 onwards car. I also think the FC>FD. It's almost like aesthetics are individual! The elements @GTSBoy likes about the FD and dislikes about the 180 are inverse in my eyes. I hate the rear end of the FD and it's weird tail lights that are bulbous and remind me of early hyundai excels. They are not striking, nor iconic, nor retro cool. The GTO has supercar proportions. I maintain these look much better in person (like the NSX) especially with nice wheels and suspension which is mandatory for all cars pretty much. Some (or all) of these you have to see in person to appreciate. You can't write a car off until you see one in the flesh IMO. Like most people we probably just like/dislike cars which represent certain eras of design or design styles in general. I also think the 60's Jag E type looks HORRIBLE, literally disgusting, and the 2000GT is nothing to write home about. FWIW I don't think the Dodge Viper Gen1's have aged very well either. You can probably see where I rate bubbly coupes like the FD. I know we're straying now but the C4 and C5 absolutely murder the Viper in the looks department as time goes on, for my eyes. Wouldn't surprise me if people who love the FD, also love the MX5, Dodge Viper, Jag E Type, etc etc.
    • GTSBoy
      The FD RX7 is the best looking 90's JDM car

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      I used to hate R31s, and any of the other Nissans that led up to it, and any of the Toyotas with similar styling, because of the boxiness. They were, and remain, childish, simplistic, and generally awful. I appreciate R31s a lot more now, but only the JDM 2 door. The ADM 4 door (and any other 4 door, even if they are unique compared to our local one) can eat a bowl of dicks. The Aussie R31 is also forever tarnished by their association with stereotypical bong clutching Aussie R31 owners of the 90s and early 2000s. I think the Nissans of the 70s (other than 120Y/180B/200B) are far superior looking to the 80s cars. The 240K era Skylines are boss. The same is broadly true of Toyotas. Hondas don't ever register in my thinking, from any era. Mitsus are all horrid shitboxen in any era, and so also don't register. Subarus are always awful, ditto. Daihatsus and Suzukis also don't generally register. They are all invisible. I think the SW20 MR2 looks fiddly. The 3000GT/GTO is like that but way worse. Too many silly plastic barnacles and fiddly gimmicks ruined what could have been a really nice base shape. Kinda-sorta looks like a big heavy ST165 Celica coupe (and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing). I think the 180SX is dreadfully bland. It's not bad looking. But it has no excitement to it at all. It's just a liftback coupe thing with no interest in its lines, and bad graphical elements (ie wide expanses of taillight plastic on the rear garnish). The S13 Silvia is a little better - getting closer to R32 shapes. But still....bland. S14? Nope. Don't love it. S15...a little better. Probably a lot better, actually. Benefits from not being like a shrunk in the wash R34 (where the S13 was a shrunk in the wash R32 and the S14 looked like a Pulsar or something else from the stable on Nissan mid 90s horrors). The Z32 was hot as f**k when it came out but hasn't aged as well as the A80. Keep in mind that I think the R33 is the most disgusting looking thing - and out of all the previous cars mentioned is objectively closest to my precious R32. It's just....real bad, almost everywhere you look. And that is down to the majority of what was designed in the 90s being shit. All Nissans from that era look like shit. Most other brands ditto. In that context, the FD absolutely stands out as being by far the best looking car, for reasons already discussed. Going behind the aesthetics, the suspension alone makes it better than almost any other car.  
    • GTSBoy
      The FD RX7 is the best looking 90's JDM car

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      If they just called it the "Mazda Tiffany", it would have been spot on.
    • PLYNX
      The FD RX7 is the best looking 90's JDM car

      By PLYNX · Posted

      Yup but for me its the HR ! Cut my teeth on the old holden 6s in the day ! And here's me thinking in the day it was also the 300ZX and the Mitsubishi GT3000 ! All, as well had good lines, but always seemed to need finishing off, style wise.
×
×
  • Create New...