Lowering Craziness - Explanations Please !

[TheDutchGun]

Originally Posted by Rodp

They've imported a couple but you pay premium price for them, therefore you rarely ever see one on the road. I live near a Ford dealer and when they had the previous model Stang there, it was more expensive than our local GT model.

Spent 2 weeks on a training course in Mass. last year and some inconsiderate person parked their current model red Stang in the parking lot. I think I spent 2/3 of my classroom time drooling over the Stang and 1/3 of it asleep. :P

I see Aussie Fords and drool.

[HSVETAR]

Depends on the car and how the wheel arches are.. i prefer to be lower in the back, but when you look at the car side on, the sills and bottoms of the window are level even tho the rear tyre is under the guard more than the front....

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Windza

That's the whole point of this thread - what reason is there to have a car lower in the rear. You say "not what looks best to the owner" and thats the only factor I could think of to have "backward" angle!

What are the datums for measuring how low the car is at each end? Without a datum the thread is pointless. Guard lip to ground, chassis to bump stop, lowest point of chassis to ground? Don't forget that more suspension travel is needed at the front of a typical car than at the rear, so having a car lower at the rear may be the best option for some cars. Couple in the fact that many cars such as older Falcons are also styled to look lower at the rear.



Dr Hemi,

I gather that was a humour photo where you left out the rear springs as a joke?

[Windza]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

What are the datums for measuring how low the car is at each end? Without a datum the thread is pointless. Guard lip to ground, chassis to bump stop, lowest point of chassis to ground?

Point taken - although it's hard to give a technical/physical reference point that will give an "effective measure" as appearances can be deceiving (it's already been noted that older cars may appear lower in the rear because the guard to rim height is unequal front to back, yet the vehicle's chassis to ground height is vice versa). I think the poll is best left as posed because most ppl are basing answers on appearance rather than a technical measure. Hope that explains it... I wouldn't go as far as to say the thread is pointless (except maybe in larger life picture - but then maybe everything is!) as it has generated quite a bit of interest and discussion...

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Windza

Point taken - although it's hard to give a technical/physical reference point that will give an "effective measure" as appearances can be deceiving (it's already been noted that older cars may appear lower in the rear because the guard to rim height is unequal front to back, yet the vehicle's chassis to ground height is vice versa). I think the poll is best left as posed because most ppl are basing answers on appearance rather than a technical measure. Hope that explains it... I wouldn't go as far as to say the thread is pointless (except maybe in larger life picture - but then maybe everything is!) as it has generated quite a bit of interest and discussion...

This poll just goes to illustrate how many people lower their car based mainly on looks without giving due regard to functionality.

[Windza]

This poll just goes to illustrate how many people lower their car based mainly on looks without giving due regard to functionality.

Your point being ? I freely admit I lowered my car more for the looks than the handling (although the handling improvement is welcome)... I have a fairlane - it's never going to be a track car, but it looks quite nice sitting low, it might even reduce the functionality somewhat but thats a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

[jweb]

Voted level but i does depend on the car,so it varies.

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by Windza

Your point being ? I freely admit I lowered my car more for the looks than the handling (although the handling improvement is welcome)... I have a fairlane - it's never going to be a track car, but it looks quite nice sitting low, it might even reduce the functionality somewhat but thats a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

I was trying to say in a polite way, that there are a lot of stupid people around who lower their cars way too far in the quest for a certain look or percieved improvement in handling, when in fact they have made their car a dangerous ill handling piece of crap, that should have a colourful canary yellow sticker placed on the windscreen.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

I was trying to say in a polite way, that there are a lot of stupid people around who lower their cars way too far in the quest for a certain look or percieved improvement in handling, when in fact they have made their car a dangerous ill handling piece of crap, that should have a colourful canary yellow sticker placed on the windscreen.

As you've pointed out very low cars are a handling nighmare because even mild bumps or undulations will cause it to bottom out and bump steer or "deflect" unpredictably...

[Windza]

Ok - point taken - apologies if I came across abrupt... I fully agree with your choice of words - "perceived improvement"... I think that applies to 90% of minor modifications made (I've been guilty myself, thinking massive improvement but really it's not even noticeable)... K&N filter is a classic - while I do believe they make some improvement - I really don't believe it will ever be realised from a "seat of the pants" measurement... we've all seen the claims from time to time... here's a classic - "the car went harder with the K&N fitted than with it out" or "dropped 200rpm at cruising speed". Suprising what some can convince themselves of !

[GUNEF]

i like a car dumped all-round. but with my car when it got do i when the same size springs all round and now i have had the springs in for around 3 months the rear is way lower in the back than the front. many of my school mates recon it looks tuff but i dont really minded it. mates recon it looks tuff when i plant it and the front of the car lift right up. i think it just give the aperance that the back is lower than the front becuase of the car guards?? this is the case with my ef falcon... also lost of commo driver are cheap and just cut their spring as evryone knows it is easy to do the back ones but not worth noing the frount becuase its too hard.

[|||]

keep the weight off the back for better skids too

[Sorted]

I saw a BA Grey/Silver Sedan today dumped on its ***, well the rear was prob dumped as far as possible, it was running on interceptors............

I thunk the owner had been hanging out with too many commodore guys

I didn't take a picture............... :(

[351buzz]

xy-xc need to be slightly lower at the back (GT look). other models who cares.

[big_pete]

it really depends on the car. and for most street cars lowering isnt really about handling, its more about styling IMO
im a fan of the slightly lower at the rear on most cars, the front raked look just screams 80's to me. but at the same time it can look hot on the right car.

this looks cool but would have shitty handling, but its not the type of car that needs good handling

[BFYOOT]

how about those low-luxes or what ever they are calling them, seem to be pretty popular at the moment. seen some where they dump the back so much they get a spark show. not my cup of tea, but some obviously like it. my choice, old school XB etc, lower at front with massive treads on the back, new school, pretty level but reasonably low

[BFYOOT]

whats the go with the back wheel on the bug? looks like some fat bloke got in the back seat and squashed it!!

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by DRHEMI

I saw a BA Grey/Silver Sedan today dumped on its ***, well the rear was prob dumped as far as possible, it was running on interceptors............

I thunk the owner had been hanging out with too many commodore guys

I didn't take a picture............... :(

I wonder who that could be :P

[Sorted]

Originally Posted by BFYOOT

whats the go with the back wheel on the bug? looks like some fat bloke got in the back seat and squashed it!!

Bugs don't like to be lowered...............

Natarul look after a bug is lowered too much.........camber issue, cant remember why!

[Tiapan]

so who here did watts linkage mods after lowering?? if not do you notice your rear wheels are off centre? i.e. one (ussually the left) is closer to the gaurd then the other?

mine is low all round and when i put on the mt streets its slightly higher at he rear

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by big_pete

it really depends on the car. and for most street cars lowering isnt really about handling, its more about styling IMO
im a fan of the slightly lower at the rear on most cars, the front raked look just screams 80's to me. but at the same time it can look hot on the right car.

this looks cool but would have shitty handling, but its not the type of car that needs good handling

VW's look unreal dumped. Much better than a Datsun 180B. :

[nugget378]

Ummmm,how about just raised at the back?
I dunno what to think,nice car and all but...

[Neoxr6]

Originally Posted by BFYOOT

how about those low-luxes or what ever they are calling them, seem to be pretty popular at the moment. seen some where they dump the back so much they get a spark show. not my cup of tea, but some obviously like it. my choice, old school XB etc, lower at front with massive treads on the back, new school, pretty level but reasonably low

Air bags help with this

[LOCO XP]

As stated earlier, comes down to the car and owner preference. Having a 60's ute with low rear arches, it just makes sense to have the rear tyres tucked, which is really an illusion, to make the back look dumped. however if you ignore that and look along the sills, if anything its still slightly front biased. I think classic cars look great if they're dropped, chopped, channeled, notched and bagged. The lower the better. Hard to make a choice. But for me, slightly lower to the rear in a classic, dead level for a late model, and Mexican rake for a period muscle car (nose dragging, up). But cant ignore the cool novelty factory of gassers and lowriders

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by nugget378

Ummmm,how about just raised at the back?
I dunno what to think,nice car and all but...

Raised at the rear is something I have never understood,it looks bloody s%#t house...........