Lowness Obsession

[SaraJ]

I just don't get it. I don't disagree with lowering a car to improve handling, and perhaps visual looks, but what is it with lowering your car so much you can't drive it properly on a day to day basis? Worrying about speedbumps more than normal, or can't have rear passengers because it 'scrubs'.

Surely lowering too much loses the handling ability of some cars.

I had issues with my ever-so-slightly lowered mx5 on speed bumps, yet you see some rediculously low ones!

And Clio's, i thought they have a good reputation for their handling, improved by decent coilovers... Yet hindered by people dropping them too far.

I just don't get it. & whilst i'm at it, tyre stretch. Meh. Don't even go their. Feel better now, my Monday morning moan is over

 

[Hutchie]

GTFO

if you dont understand, you never will

monday morning moan over

 

[Cliotoby]

+1, GTFO


e/ I get what your saying. I like the look, but not too low. I dont like DUB that much, and i prefer having something a bit more functional.

 

[SaraJ]

I don't like gurt arch gaps, but why 'ruin' a cars handling to apparently improve visual looks (which most of the time, imo, it doesn't)

I have a friend with a barely driveable mx5. 2 friends with Dubs that scrape everywhere. Yet these three cars are their everyday cars. Surely that's a royal pain in the arse for little, if any gain?

 

[Cliotoby]

I don't like gurt arch gaps, but why 'ruin' a cars handling to apparently improve visual looks (which most of the time, imo, it doesn't)

I have a friend with a barely driveable mx5. 2 friends with Dubs that scrape everywhere. Yet these three cars are their everyday cars. Surely that's a royal pain in the arse for little, if any gain?

Well, its not you that has to drive them

 

[nth]

you say that handling is ruined, but it isnt really; handling doesnt really matter, as the car isnt being driven in a manner where its a big issue. i.e. day to day use.

 

[BoroGTI]

your very right if a car is too low it will ruin the handling on most cars, but IMHO most cars look way better when they're dropped really low, all my previous cars have been dropped pretty much as low as they will go. the Trophy is the first car i've owned that hasent been slammed, partly because its a Trophy and its all about the handling and mostly because i carry my little boy in it now and dont want him growing up with spinal problems ha! like Hutchy said if you dont understand it now you never will

 

[SaraJ]

My rant is lost on you it seems!

99.9% of people in the convo were having the same rant as me at Castle Combe on Saturday

Handling matters hugely to me, even on an everyday car. Personal thing maybe? Probably.
It's just that 90% of stupidly low cars just look gash to me.

 

[Turkish]

Speed bumps I'll grant you but ride height being super low isn't the reason most people have handling issues. It's usually down to inferior quality parts used to achieve the drop coupled with them totally f**king up the geometry of the components rather than doing the job properly with custom arms/struts/adjustable top mounts etc.

 

[sideways danny]

Low is for winners. Ok so its not the way to make your cup better in the twisties (sic) but tbh, man the f**k up

 

[SaraJ]

Speed bumps I'll grant you but ride height being super low isn't the reason most people have handling issues. It's usually down to inferior quality parts used to achieve the drop coupled with them totally f**king up the geometry of the components rather than doing the job properly with custom arms/struts/adjustable top mounts etc.

That's kind of what i meant by ruining. The people i know are constantly saying things are broken down there, or their tyres are wearing out quick.
That and moaning that they need their splitter resprayed for the 100th time.


If i don't 'get it', explain it....

 

[Sarah]

what looks better

(randoms off here)



or

 

[Chris205]

Why would you want people in the back of your car anyway? Most passengers are disrespectful, eat in your car, muck the place up and scuff your plastics/seats when they get in and out

Low is a lifestyle

 

[alex-avfc]

Broken suspension look is gay, I agree.

 

[Chris205]

what looks better

(randoms off here)



View attachment 44237

Simples!!!

 

[Turkish]

That's kind of what i meant by ruining. The people i know are constantly saying things are broken down there, or their tyres are wearing out quick.
That and moaning that they need their splitter resprayed for the 100th time.


If i don't 'get it', explain it....

There will be trade offs for road use, IMO you either put up with it, remedy the issues or raise the car. I personally don't need to hear if someone is on their 14th driveshaft or 5th sump due to moar lows. You either buy or have made quality parts designed with specifically for the altered geometry or don't bother. Sump gaurds etc make more sense than keep cracking sumps. There are plenty of stupidly low cars about that people have spent the time and money required to get it right. However most chop springs or put on the cheapest coilovers you can get then wind them down and start complaining.

 

[Christopher]

Some people like it. Stop being so narrow minded.

 

[Cookson]

this thread makes me REALLY angry

 

[Turkish]

Some people like it. Stop being so narrow minded.

Do want

http://www.canibeat.com/2010/01/ccw-ill-flossin/

And for the haters IIRC this car is running high end suspension components and has been set up/corner weighted etc so it's not a bodged set up.

 

[sideways danny]

Why would you want people in the back of your car anyway? Most passengers are disrespectful, eat in your car, muck the place up and scuff your plastics/seats when they get in and out

Low is a lifestyle

This!

"not much room in the back is there"

WALK!

 

[Christopher]

That's pretty much perfect. Actually, it is perfect.

 

[SaraJ]

what looks better

(randoms off here)

View attachment 44236

or

View attachment 44237

Inbetween!!

I don't object to lowering, of course not! I'll be lowering my own again. Turkish is on my wavelength... TOO low that causes problems.... You very rarely read/see/hear of a car that's very low, done very well!

 

[Jamie86]

I know what Sara's getting at that Civic wouldn't survive a day of driving around the lanes I have to go on!

 

[Chris205]

You very rarely read/see/hear of a car that's very low, done very well!

I see them all the time, you must be looking in the wrong places, JDM, Dub, French, all the scenes can and do rock it very well

Race cars are low and they handle very well, it just depends whether the owner wants to use the car/suspension to its full potential or just prefer to show it off and cruise around slowly

 

[Sarah]

Inbetween!!

I don't object to lowering, of course not! I'll be lowering my own again. Turkish is on my wavelength... TOO low that causes problems.... You very rarely read/see/hear of a car that's very low, done very well!

then thats your choice, I myself would not have a stupidly low car, 70mm on the old saxo was just annoying, but if i didnt have to go over speed bumps and use of back roads all the time i probably wouldnt have had a problem.

Driving a lowered car up and down a motorway to work and back is no problem, most people that lower there cars know what problems can happen so if they are complaining to you about it, tell them to MTFU and deal with it.

I love the stupidly low cars, as long as its done well and nothing is scraping/breaking

 

[Alex H]

I love the stupidly low cars, as long as its done well and nothing is scraping/breaking

That's not low enough.

 

[Djw John]

Mine went from

to

a little higher but handles a lot better.

Couple of reasons for this, the main one is one hard cornering (the kind I do most of ) the driveshafts were hitting the chassis causing a strange pivoting feeling.

The other is I've gone from Raceland coilovers to eibach sportlines and brand new cup shocks.

But different strokes for different folks, I couldnt be bothered having a car so low I would have to avoid certain roads and handle worse than standard so changed it. Dunno how some folk have it so low and still enjoy driving it hard.

 

[Chris205]

The other is I've gone from Raceland coilovers to eibach sportlines and brand new cup shocks.

The problem with the raceland's is that they're too soft, get some H+R's, Kw's Or billstein and get them wound down and they will still handle great

 

[Goodj]

After manufacturers spend millions in getting handling set-ups for their performance vehicles sorted, the obvious thing for anyone to do is to bolt on a couple-of-hundred quids worth of aftermarket springs and shocks then throw all the recommended settings in the bin.

mnnnnnnurrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[Turkish]

After manufacturers spend millions in getting handling set-ups for their performance vehicles sorted, the obvious thing for anyone to do is to bolt on a couple-of-hundred quids worth of aftermarket springs and shocks then throw all the recommended settings in the bin.

mnnnnnnurrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

They compromise with the set up based on numerous factors. OE while very good can be improved on, it's not the pinnacle, however I'd agree it's going to be superior to some chimp chopping half the coils off his springs and refitting them to the standard dampers.

 

[ForceIndia]

Never understood going way low tbh. But then I'm guessing I'm a bit older than a lot of people that do go very low, guarantee it's something 95% of people will grow out of.

 

[gaz44]

I just don't get it. I don't disagree with lowering a car to improve handling, and perhaps visual looks, but what is it with lowering your car so much you can't drive it properly on a day to day basis? Worrying about speedbumps more than normal, or can't have rear passengers because it 'scrubs'.

Surely lowering too much loses the handling ability of some cars.

I had issues with my ever-so-slightly lowered mx5 on speed bumps, yet you see some rediculously low ones!

And Clio's, i thought they have a good reputation for their handling, improved by decent coilovers... Yet hindered by people dropping them too far.

I just don't get it. & whilst i'm at it, tyre stretch. Meh. Don't even go their. Feel better now, my Monday morning moan is over

Agree. It's pisch, looks stupid most of the time (when ultra low) and is annoying when you get someone who can't get down some streets without going at 1 mph. The ridiculously low should actually be banned for cars using the public highway. Good rant!

 

[Ronnie R]

Lowering your car is fine, but there is such a thing called lowering it to far IMO. Then it just looks gaaaayyyy

 

[p@blo]

Never understood going way low tbh. But then I'm guessing I'm a bit older than a lot of people that do go very low, guarantee it's something 95% of people will grow out of.

I second Warrens comment. Low yes, but stupidly low on cheap/soft dampers I just don't understand.

 

[z8jay]

After owning a mk2 golf that was pretty much on the floor and going through sets of rear tyres (despite rolling the arches), suspension components and getting stuck on speed bumps on a regular basis, I don't bother with lowering any more. It's just silly. Might look pretty good but on UK roads it's a stupid thing to do. I got rid of the coilovers and went back to 35mm springs. A good compromise between looks and practicality/handling.

I'm probably one of the only people here who is happy with his 182 pretty much as standard. Only things I want to change are the seats (recaros) and the steering wheel (something smaller that looks good). I may get a stainless exhaust if mine gets any worse but tbh they all seem to be too loud and have a raspy note to them, which i don't like. The suspension will stay as it is though. I'll get eibach springs to replace my knackered OE ones but that's purely on a cost basis.

 

[Jimbo_M]

Its all down to personal taste...one mans medicine is another mans poison. I like the looks of most cars when they are slammed with the right changes to compliment it, but im also a great believer that some cars are so good/special out of the box that they should be left the way the manufacturer intened (the trophy for example).

 

[poopipe]

I understand Sara.

I knew proper lower was a bad idea when I clouted the mazda's rear chassis brace on a drain cover (2 1/2 " ground clearance ) but the main reason I raised it again was that it drove like cack.


I wouldn't do it for looks again - especially on the 172 which looks fine at standard height.

 

[Scott™]

Personal preference at the end of the day! I don't moan about people who don't lower their car.

 

[realnumber 1]

Never understood going way low tbh. But then I'm guessing I'm a bit older than a lot of people that do go very low, guarantee it's something 95% of people will grow out of.

+1
Although I never really liked stupidly low when i was younger either.

 

[MarcoB]

After owning a mk2 golf that was pretty much on the floor and going through sets of rear tyres (despite rolling the arches), suspension components and getting stuck on speed bumps on a regular basis, I don't bother with lowering any more. It's just silly. Might look pretty good but on UK roads it's a stupid thing to do. I got rid of the coilovers and went back to 35mm springs. A good compromise between looks and practicality/handling.

I'm probably one of the only people here who is happy with his 182 pretty much as standard. Only things I want to change are the seats (recaros) and the steering wheel (something smaller that looks good). I may get a stainless exhaust if mine gets any worse but tbh they all seem to be too loud and have a raspy note to them, which i don't like. The suspension will stay as it is though. I'll get eibach springs to replace my knackered OE ones but that's purely on a cost basis.

You must have been doing it wrong then, my Golf handles fine and isnt a pain in the arse over speed bumps...