Anyone who drives a lowered car knows one thing for sure: they wouldn’t go back to a high suspension ever again.
The reason is simple. Lowered cars deliver a superior driving experience that doesn’t come with a vehicle sporting a conventional suspension.
In comparison to driving a heightened car, the benefits of driving a car with a lowered suspension include but are not limited to:
- Increased control over your drive.
- Lower risk of the car rolling over.
- Greater handling over turns.
- Lesser wind drag.
- Better aesthetic.
Keeping these features in mind, it’s easy to see why you may prefer a car with a lowered suspension height. But even as lowered cars offer massive improvements to your drive, they also come with their own challenges.
Driving a Lowered Car Comes With Unique Requirements
Running into curbsides, facing regular impact, and absorbing shock through speed bumps are just a few of the issues that lowered car owners face on a regular basis. When these problems go unresolved, they can result in noticeable damage, massive repair costs, and a world of trouble.
In order to steer clear of these problems, lowered car owners need to pay attention to the nuances of driving with a decreased suspension height.
If you have recently started driving a lowered car or if you want to benefit from the array of advantages that this suspension height brings to the table, these unique requirements may seem stressful to meet at first. But as long as you pay attention to what a lowered car needs out of you, you are able to have your ideal driving experience without going through the side-effects of this suspension model. No more scraped paint, no more scratched bumpers.
Sounds interesting? We thought so.
To help you along the way, here are a few choice tips on how to drive your lowered car with the utmost ease. These tried-and-tested suggestions will help you get the most out of your vehicle - all without unnecessary repair expenses.
1) Avoid Hitting the Curb
Whenever you are driving a lowered car, make it a point to be wary of curbsides. While these roadside structures are not your active enemy, they can make for pretty challenging obstructions that hit right against your car’s bumper or its chassis.
It goes without saying that you should drive while keeping a safe distance from the curb at all times. But other than that, you should also be extremely careful while parking in a crowded area.
Don’t get too close to the curb whenever you are doing street parking, and never take the space between your car and another vehicle for granted. If your car has a backup camera, it would be the ideal time to use it to the fullest extent, especially if you are parallel parking in a tight space.
2) Be Careful on Inclines or Slopes
Cruising through the road in a lowered car can be as smooth of an experience as you can imagine. But you shouldn’t let it get your guard down. This approach holds true for your overall drive. However, it is most applicable when you are making your way through inclines, slopes or bridges.
Since a decreased suspension height automatically relates to a lowered front, it makes it a bit more challenging to drive through slopes. If you drive straight into an incline, you are bound to hit your front bumper lip against the road before your wheels even make contact with it.
But if you take an angled approach towards the incline, then you can safely prevent any contact to your front bumper lip. Once your wheels have hit the incline or slope, you can easily turn them straighter to make your way up the incline without running into either side of the path.
3) Show Vigilance Over Speed Bumps
When it comes to owning or driving a lowered car, speed bumps can seem like the bane of your existence. But with the right driving technique, you can ensure to make your way through speed bumps like they were never there to slow you down.
Much like the approach with incline or slopes, you should make it a point to approach speed bumps through an angle. The higher the speed bump, the sharper your turn should be.
At the same time, you should make sure to maintain low-to-moderate acceleration while making your way up the speed bump. It’s because stopping your acceleration or hitting the brakes can cause your car’s weight to sink down, making it difficult to climb the speed bump with ease.
On the other hand, slowly accelerating your vehicle to the peak of the speed bump, releasing the gas, and then hitting it at a moderate speed can ensure that you pass the speed bump in an optimal fashion.
4) Be Careful Around Driveways
Driveways can be as tricky as any other inclines, bridges or speed bumps. But since they have a sharper threshold and a unique slope, they can be even more challenging than the aforementioned structures.
To ensure that you can go through a driveway without affecting your car’s health, use the distinct angle and slow acceleration approach. This gets you through your driveway in no time, while also making sure that you stay safe from any unwanted accidents along the way.
Remember, no matter the kind of structure that you are dealing with, reaching it from an angle ensures that you aren’t hitting your car’s front against the pavement. This tip applies throughout your driving experience with a lowered car, and prevents unnecessary damage in the long run.
5) Avoid Uneven Pathways
Driving through uneven ground or pathways is already a dangerous thing to do for vehicles that aren’t built for off-road usage. It becomes even riskier when your vehicle uses lowered suspension to enhance its performance.
As a rule of thumb, you should avoid uneven pathways altogether while driving a lowered car. It’s because no matter how careful you are, jagged rocks, abrupt elevations, and stray objects can roll right over to your car’s front bumper and its framework. Even while having bumper lip protectors or underbody shields in place, your car can suffer from scratches and abrasions.
To avoid this fate, make sure that you are only driving your lowered vehicles on even roads with no apparent obstructions. Driving at consistently slow speeds through city streets also helps and keeps you safe from running into larger damage through potholes and broken roads.
Driving a Lowered Car Requires Some Care, But It’s Not Without Its Benefits
While driving a lowered car comes with its specific requirements, its overall functional and aesthetical benefits are definitely worth it. That’s why, automobile enthusiasts who know their suspension models mostly prefer going with a lowered car.
If you are currently on the fence about driving a car with a lowered suspension, then learning what kind of measures you may need to take on an everyday basis will help you make a decision accordingly.
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