why do people lower cars?

[Pierced Soul]

I'm not a car person so i dont get why this is done. i've seen utes whos' back trays are abrely 10-15cm off the ground. i've seen cars try hards drive just as low. what purpose does it serve?

i would ahve thought all that would happen is you scrape the bottom of your car on speedbumps and the like. but i'm assuming there's some sort of logic behind it cos it looks stupid

 

[Mr Angry]

Same as a personalised plate really.

An attempt to stand out from the crowd.

The fact you stand out and look like a dick does not stop them.

But it looks fully sic bro.

 

[DeeJ]

It's solely for the purpose of looking like a tool.

 

[Timmah]

This very thought crossed my mind this morning. Unbelievably stupid thing to do. They tear along at all sorts of speeds looking super cool and thinking they're the sh*t, then get to any sort of speed bump and suddenly they're driving slower than a pensioner because they'll damage the thing.

I was stuck behind one as I came into work this morning and he just looked pathetic, deadset, what's the point?

 

[saint-colesy]

I can understand if you want to raise the car for 4wd purposes.

 

[Lambretta]

The idea of lowering a car is akin to putting a spoiler on it, or skirts, or mag wheels - it's to make it appear more "sporty".

Sports cars tend to have lower bodies than conventional cars and any car that has a "sports" badge usually has one or more of the above done.

However it's more successful with certain models than it is with other models.

Some cars tend to be improved by lowering the body and reducing the gaps in the wheel arches (the thing that provides the "sporty" look is a wheel that completely fills the wheel arch)

However, there are some types of vehicles that just look moronic when lowered. Off road vehicles and utes tend to look a bit wierd when lowered because they werent meant to be lowered. Cheap Japanese girl cars such as Toyota Yaris's or Mitsubishi Colts also look completely f**king rubbish when lowered as these cars are about as far removed from "sporting" models as you can get. In fact, lowering these sorts of cars is kinda like putting a skin tight jersey on a Rugby Union prop forward. It's plain to everyone who looks their way that putting a skinny top on a fat geezer doesnt make him look any "sportier" - yet still they do it.

 

[Bastard Squad]

 

[The Colonel]

Lowering a vehicle can sharpen the looks and increase performance dramatically. But what does it really do and why does it help?
Imagine a car as a giant 3000lb weight suspended above the wheels. When you turn, that weight is shifted opposite of the direction by gravity trying to compensate for the force. This is what’s known as body roll. This is what spills your coffee. This is due to a high center of gravity in combination with saggy springs. When you install lowering springs, you are reducing the center of gravity therefore creating less resistance on the chassis through the turns. This will result in quicker steering response and crisper road feel. The look of lowering car or truck is also unmatched. Closing that wheel gap that is present makes the entire look of the vehicle more aggressive. Be sure when choosing a ride height you measure all wheel clearances. The drop will be the amount from the bottom on the fender lip to the top of the tire. Make sure you have room! It is imperative! You may also want to look into spring rates. Different springs have different rates, which will affect the handling of the vehicle and the overall ride quality. Higher spring rates will yield a tighter suspension but a stiffer ride. Softer springs will still increase performance but will maintain a decent ride quality.
Choosing the proper spring takes a bit a time and research. Doing it right the first time will save you a headache in the long run. Remember when lowering a vehicle, it is generally recommended to add a camber correction kit. This will keep your alignment in spec and tread of your tires.

http://www.slickcar.com/info_benefits_of_lowering_springs.asp

 

[Twizzle]

Originally it was done to make them handle corners better as it lowered their centre of gravity.

Its gone way beyond that now.

 

[Danish]

There are plenty of logical reasons to lower a car, and adjust its suspension.

As already mentioned above, lowering a car lowers the centre of gravity, which all things being equal should improve handling.

However, thats not to say that simply throwing on a pair of lowered, or worse still, cut springs is going to give your car better performance.

Correctly matching a car's height, spring, spring and shock rates will improve the turning and braking ability of a car immensely. This is why you don't see too many race cars much more than a couple cm off the ground.

The balance with driving on the road is that you need to select a ground clearance that will be adequate to get you over bumps, potholes etc. 10cm is the agreed minimum height of a vehicle in NSW for this reason.

The amount of money the government is going to spend enforcing the banning of the lowering of cars without an engineering certificate (both expensive and unnecessary) would be much better spent on the banning of re-treaded tyres.

Re-treads are about the most dangerous thing currently legal for cars. They increase stopping distances by two-fold, decrease handling massively and also increase the likelihood of extreme tyre failure massively.

Re-treads are far more dangerous than lowered vehicles, and the banning of re-treads is also far easier to enforce, given that there can be no dispute over if a tyre is a re-tread, and since they have to be manufactured shutting down these facilities is quite simple.

The funny thing is, most of the dingbats who go on about how "stupid" car modifiers are are the same morons who will replace the tyres, brake pads and shocks in their cars with the cheapest, nastiest product they can find because they "aren't car people".

 

[Bastard Squad]

Imagine a car as a giant 3000lb weight suspended above the wheels. When you turn, that weight is shifted opposite of the direction by gravity trying to compensate for the force. This is what’s known as body roll. This is what spills your coffee. This is due to a high center of gravity in combination with saggy springs.

Wrong. Gravity is what pushes you down. Its momentum that tries to make the car (and your body) move in a straight line (newtons 1st law) when you are trying to turn. If the weight were to be shifted in the opposite direction to gravity it would be force up, not sideways.

 

[Timmah]

Most people I see doing it don't appear to have done it for any performance-based reason, they just want to look like that so everyone thinks they're the sh*t...

 

[Danish]

Most people I see doing it don't appear to have done it for any performance-based reason, they just want to look like that so everyone thinks they're the sh*t...

No doubt. But providing it is done safely (which the majority of it is) then why is it any of your business??

Should people not be allowed to buy bright coloured clothing, wear large amounts of jewelery or other such things that do not appeal to your own personal tastes?

 

[Timmah]

:? No, where did I say they couldn't? People really need to read my stuff at face value instead of looking for some deeper meaning where I supposedly think my word is supreme.

I just think it makes people look like total f**kwits, I'm entitled to my opinion am I not?

 

[kia ora storm]

They do it for fat passengers...so that they can simply roll out of the car onto the nature strip without having walk...

 

[ozbash]

Same as a personalised plate really.

:shock: oi !!

whats wrong with per-plates ?

 

[Mr Angry]

There are plenty of logical reasons to lower a car, and adjust its suspension.

As already mentioned above, lowering a car lowers the centre of gravity, which all things being equal should improve handling.

However, thats not to say that simply throwing on a pair of lowered, or worse still, cut springs is going to give your car better performance.

Correctly matching a car's height, spring, spring and shock rates will improve the turning and braking ability of a car immensely. This is why you don't see too many race cars much more than a couple cm off the ground.

The balance with driving on the road is that you need to select a ground clearance that will be adequate to get you over bumps, potholes etc. 10cm is the agreed minimum height of a vehicle in NSW for this reason.

The amount of money the government is going to spend enforcing the banning of the lowering of cars without an engineering certificate (both expensive and unnecessary) would be much better spent on the banning of re-treaded tyres.

Re-treads are about the most dangerous thing currently legal for cars. They increase stopping distances by two-fold, decrease handling massively and also increase the likelihood of extreme tyre failure massively.

Re-treads are far more dangerous than lowered vehicles, and the banning of re-treads is also far easier to enforce, given that there can be no dispute over if a tyre is a re-tread, and since they have to be manufactured shutting down these facilities is quite simple.

The funny thing is, most of the dingbats who go on about how "stupid" car modifiers are are the same morons who will replace the tyres, brake pads and shocks in their cars with the cheapest, nastiest product they can find because they "aren't car people".

How fully sic is your chickmobile?

 

[Mr Angry]

:shock: oi !!

whats wrong with per-plates ?

They all say the same thing "WANKER"

 

[Danish]

How fully sic is your chickmobile?

Its an astra with hubcaps....

So I suppose you could say it is a huge chick mobile.

 

[Mr Angry]

Is it lowered?

FTR my car has 4 brand new 17" Bridgestones.

Costs me a fortune - but the wife insists on good tyres, and I don't really drive.