Hitting potholes with a lowered car

[jamezgt]

Hey guys, I have a lowered car, and today I hit a huge pothole, which made a big clunk sound in my car. It sounded like I hit something. Did I hit my fenders? Can someone tell me what it is? and what are some problems that can happen to my car if I hit potholes? :confused:

[skidz88]

Have it looked at if you're worried. I think if it drives fine and you didn't notice anything different about it then it should be ok. I know how it feels though, I paid $518 a couple weeks ago due to a pothole damaging my car.

[danns]

I had a hole in my exhaust which upto this day I still blame for a lowered car. Good luck on the speed bumps, some people like to drive through those diagonally, including me.

[MP3_SKY]

I hit potholes all the time with my lowered car in Montreal. I wouldn't too worry about it unless you find your car miss-aligned or something weird.

[TT333]

I worry about my exhaust..

With my car (lowered) , I can't hit speedbumps whatsoever, or enter some driveways. Not that it does a lot of damage but it could- and it makes a terrible and embarrassing sound.

Speedbumps, however, seem to be okay. Probably just because your car is so stiff it makes the sound-- just like how if it had a nice big soft suspension it would absorb the pothole...

as mentioned, if you don't notice anything wrong, its probably fine.

[hagbard]

:lol:

[BartBandy]

I don't understand how anyone could drive a lowered car as their daily driver and not do some damage now and then. Wheel rubbing, ramps, steep driveways, potholes...everything is a potential repair. Even snow on side streets must be an issue.

Anything to reduce the dreaded "wheel gap". Known in other circles as "minimum clearance".

[Tomy]

I don't understand how anyone could drive a lowered car as their daily driver and not do some damage now and then. Wheel rubbing, ramps, steep driveways, potholes...everything is a potential repair. Even snow on side streets must be an issue.

Anything to reduce the dreaded "wheel gap". Known in other circles as "minimum clearance".

i have no problems with my car..

as for the snow issue, unless your car is really aggressive, i see no problem to it.


for a lot of things, you pay to play...

[kleptodathief]

a lowered car just looks more aggressive/sexier, u gotta luv peeps with big rims and NO drop and they have that 4x4 look :lol:

[gilboman]

a lowered car just looks more aggressive/sexier, u gotta luv peeps with big rims and NO drop and they have that 4x4 look :lol:

but they can also make a left turn into a gas station without having to slow to 5km/h and go up into the station diagonolly while hoping traffic will slow down and not him. or god forbid in winter, there's a nice chunk of snow/ice there.:lol:

[hagbard]

Just more evidence that Idiocracy wasn't fiction.

[VorteC]

If it's a loud thump you heard, it's probably your shocks bottoming out... compressing to the point where it hits the bump-stops.

[baboo2004]

+1

but they can also make a left turn into a gas station without having to slow to 5km/h and go up into the station diagonolly while hoping traffic will slow down and not him. or god forbid in winter, there's a nice chunk of snow/ice there.:lol:

[ES_Revenge]

I don't understand how anyone could drive a lowered car as their daily driver and not do some damage now and then. Wheel rubbing, ramps, steep driveways, potholes...everything is a potential repair. Even snow on side streets must be an issue.
It all depends on how much the car is lowered and how low the parts of the car become once lowered (e.g. bumpers, trans/oil pans, mufflers, etc.). Just because any given car is lowered at all doesn't mean it's going to get damaged because of it.

Anything to reduce the dreaded "wheel gap". Known in other circles as "minimum clearance".
Lowering isn't done only for this reason, though it is commonly a main reason for lowering. Lowering also lowers the CofG of the vehicle however, thus increasing handling performance.

[TheRide]

If it's a loud thump you heard, it's probably your shocks bottoming out... compressing to the point where it hits the bump-stops.

+1 Your suspension bottomed out. Try not to let that happen too often.

[BartBandy]

Lowering isn't done only for this reason, though it is commonly a main reason for lowering. Lowering also lowers the CofG of the vehicle however, thus increasing handling performance.

Sure, now you have a go-kart.

Fact is, there are driveways and snowfalls and road construction that test the approach and departure angles and ground clearance of unmodified cars. Lowering a track car has merit. Lowering your daily driver for a slightly lower CofG is kinda silly, but I can see the attraction, even if most drivers who cite this as their reason probably don't have the ability to drive the stock vehicle to its limits. Lowering your daily driver because sufficient clearance for suspension travel offends your eyes is just plain stupid.

[jamezgt]

So what exactly is bottoming out? I tried google but their definition are too vague. What are some problems that I may encounter if I bottom out my suspension and how bad is it?

Thanks

[PCDawg]

So what exactly is bottoming out? I tried google but their definition are too vague. What are some problems that I may encounter if I bottom out my suspension and how bad is it?

Thanks

You just hit the bump stops thats all. Where it the springs compressed to the lowest level. A couple more times and the strut can pop right out and through the car.

Funny? Trust me...it happened to a friend of mine in a BMW a few years ago.

[ES_Revenge]

Fact is, there are driveways and snowfalls and road construction that test the approach and departure angles and ground clearance of unmodified cars. Lowering a track car has merit. Lowering your daily driver for a slightly lower CofG is kinda silly, but I can see the attraction, even if most drivers who cite this as their reason probably don't have the ability to drive the stock vehicle to its limits.
I disagree that it's silly but I do agree with the second part that most people probably don't drive the car to the stock limit to begin with, nevermind them being able to reap the benefits of a lowered car.


Lowering your daily driver because sufficient clearance for suspension travel offends your eyes is just plain stupid.
Well different strokes for different folks :P However the anti-lowering comments here only make me wonder if you guys are like 60 years old with your pants pulled up to your chest and your golf hats on :lol: Keep your car at stock height or it's plainly stupid? Uh okay, thanks grandpa ;) :lol: I'll remember to do that as well as keeping my "radio" down low and and my hair combed flat and conservative!

[sonspot]

for all you guys making fun of people with lowered cars dont forget some cars come lowered from the dealer or factory, plus if you have low profile tries you have to drive slow when driving over tracks or entering a driveway, its no long a young punk thing,.. my BMW 330i comes with the M package and its lowered with low profile tires, so are all M3. M5, some benz, G35 and the list goes on, this is from the factory stocked with no upgrades..

thanks

[brocoli]

My Jetta is lowered and I wouldn't have it any other way. Looks horrible at stock height. Even my dad likes it low and he is always making fun of civics and the rest.

[TheRide]

To each his own right?

My daily driver is lowered and I love the look (along with random people) and handling. I'm also planning taking it to the track. Those are the pro's.

The con's are what everyone accepts when they get their car lowered such as avoiding or going slow on speed bumps, steeps hills and pot holes.

[cluless]

ok, let's try to get a few things clear..

What kind of car do you drive?

How low did drop your car, is there any wheel gap visably seen on the front of the car (could you shove your finger underneth the wheel well?

Are you using low profile tires?

How deep was the pot hole?



I wouldnt worry about it too much, it's nothing your car can't handle, but as previously stated I would try to avoid them as much as possible.

There is a form you can fill out (depending on the city) to compensate for damages as long as your car isn't tooooooooooooooo low.

[Prince15]

Sure, now you have a go-kart.

Fact is, there are driveways and snowfalls and road construction that test the approach and departure angles and ground clearance of unmodified cars. Lowering a track car has merit. Lowering your daily driver for a slightly lower CofG is kinda silly, but I can see the attraction, even if most drivers who cite this as their reason probably don't have the ability to drive the stock vehicle to its limits. Lowering your daily driver because sufficient clearance for suspension travel offends your eyes is just plain stupid.

for all you guys making fun of people with lowered cars dont forget some cars come lowered from the dealer or factory, plus if you have low profile tries you have to drive slow when driving over tracks or entering a driveway, its no long a young punk thing,.. my BMW 330i comes with the M package and its lowered with low profile tires, so are all M3. M5, some benz, G35 and the list goes on, this is from the factory stocked with no upgrades..

thanksI think adjustable coilovers would be the happy medium.

High in winter, low in summer.

[gilboman]

for all you guys making fun of people with lowered cars dont forget some cars come lowered from the dealer or factory, plus if you have low profile tries you have to drive slow when driving over tracks or entering a driveway, its no long a young punk thing,.. my BMW 330i comes with the M package and its lowered with low profile tires, so are all M3. M5, some benz, G35 and the list goes on, this is from the factory stocked with no upgrades..

thanks

when people say "lowered", we mean aftermarket upgrades not the stock stuff from the factory like you have.

and many people lower cars like yours with aftermarket suspension which seems to be the target here. (case in point, friend with 330ci, sport suspension and M package lowered his car with aftermarket suspensino)

[gilboman]

I think adjustable coilovers would be the happy medium.

High in winter, low in summer.

how many people with coilovers actually adjust them twice a year? its a pain not just adjusting it, but making sure all 4 corners are such so that your car is actually balanced right.

[ichpen]

for all you guys making fun of people with lowered cars dont forget some cars come lowered from the dealer or factory, plus if you have low profile tries you have to drive slow when driving over tracks or entering a driveway, its no long a young punk thing,.. my BMW 330i comes with the M package and its lowered with low profile tires, so are all M3. M5, some benz, G35 and the list goes on, this is from the factory stocked with no upgrades..

thanks

No they are not. At least not in this contex. When manufacturers release specific sport tuned/sport suspension packages they are still conservative i.e. you'll still have good ground clearance. Typically shocks, bigger wheels and sway bars are the most drastic changes to the 'sport repackaged cars'.

The DIY lowering is (at least from what I've witnessed) much more extreme in some cases with very little ground clearance or forethought as to how driveable the car would be in normal daily driver circumstances.

[urban1]

DIY FTW! Just cut a few turns of your coils off and low she goes.



The DIY lowering is (at least from what I've witnessed) much more extreme in some cases with very little ground clearance or forethought as to how driveable the car would be in normal daily driver circumstances.

[ichpen]

DIY FTW! Just cut a few turns of your coils off and low she goes.

Precisely.

[iam_immigrant]

I think adjustable coilovers would be the happy medium.

High in winter, low in summer.

how many people with coilovers actually adjust them twice a year? its a pain not just adjusting it, but making sure all 4 corners are such so that your car is actually balanced right.



Was gonna say the same thing. And I don't believe that adjustable coilovers are cheap...the good ones anyways.

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

I raised my adjustable suspension to higher than stock and I still bottomed out on a bump once - had to jump out and check because I thought I had smashed my oilpan to bits but luckily only the front axle cross member took the hit. I slow down over that particular stretch now :lol:

One day I'm going to steal a stop sign and weld it to the bottom of the crossmember for a skid plate. It would look so awesome.

[gheart008]

One day I'm going to steal a stop sign and weld it to the bottom of the crossmember for a skid plate. It would look so awesome.

noice! :lol:

[sonspot]

I raised my adjustable suspension to higher than stock and I still bottomed out on a bump once - had to jump out and check because I thought I had smashed my oilpan to bits but luckily only the front axle cross member took the hit. I slow down over that particular stretch now :lol:

One day I'm going to steal a stop sign and weld it to the bottom of the crossmember for a skid plate. It would look so awesome.


funny,

as for OP if the car drives fine it should be ok, if its on your mind bring it in, if you have a regular tech person it should cost nothing, or just wait for your next oil change and bring it to a local shop (ask a frined)..

i love driving lowered cars, handles better if you ad sway bars, i dont think i want to lower mine than it is, saving up for sway bars and strut, should be real tight :) :)


thanks