Who raises their ride height for the winter?

[al-ti2d]

I'm curious to see how many of you actually go about raising the height on your coilovers for when the snow hits.
I'm sitting at 1 finger gap in the front and rears, am I going to be plowing snow when I'm driving? Should I raise it or keep the ride height as is?

[Stealth13]

Unless you are driving in locations which no one else goes it should be fine, as the snow will be compacted. Even if it doesn't get compacted as new snow is falling it shouldn't matter as the snow will be very light anyways. :dunno:

[ercchry]

depends if you have a stock bumper or fiberglass one, stock can take a pretty decent beating but if you have a lip i would take that off

problems will not be so much snow, but when everything melts and freezes and there is frozen ice chunks, watch out for them

[al-ti2d]

Ya my lip isn't on the car.. that would for sure crack (cheap ABS plastic for ya!)
I'm mainly worried about when the city gets a serious snow storm and the snow piles up high.. do you guys find that you're still good to go with your cars lowered in that kind of situation?

[eglove]

i was fine last winter and i'm pretty slammed, though this winter i have a different lip which will be coming off for sure.


edit: as long as you don't go down a road that nobody has been down, a path not taken etc. you're fine.

[ekguy]

I'm slammed but I'm on springs and struts I won't be raising it due to the fact I can't. I am not worried though Chap is super bad for compacted ice roads in the winter and my brother was fine with it last winter. Don't worry too much about it lips aren't expensive and neither are bumpers. But what about your header and exhaust bottoming out?? You that low?

[badatusrnames]

I would be worried if you are parking on residential roads where on the sides, snow gets piled up and compacted.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by badatusrnames
I would be worried if you are parking on residential roads where on the sides, snow gets piled up and compacted.

yes... hardest part of driving a slammed car in the winter

[nismodrifter]

I stay slammed year round as I'm not on coilovers. Scary thing about my car is how close the oilpan sits to the ground but I have a pretty strong skidplate installed to provide some serious protection. The front lip comes off and I may be removing the sides as well this year.

Drive carefully and keep enough distance to avoid the ice chunks, you should be good........most of the time :D. I've yet to run into issues whether it be in the 403 or Saskatoon after a fresh snowfall. Always made it to my destination in one piece :)

Always funny to see a slammed DA or EG plowin snow....some people should be paid by the City of Calgary for their services :nut:.

[JRSC00LUDE]

I raise mine every winter, high enough to get up on the jackstands.

[2.2vtec]

I think it looks dumb when people are so low in the winter and drive like idiots to avoid ice shunks causing a greater risks for accidents. If your car is too low don't complain and don't drive it.

[al-ti2d]

hmm.. the point about the snow piling up on the side of residential roads pretty much convinced me to raise my car when i'm converting to winter mode now.. haha
i remember last year when i wasn't even lowered, i still scraped pretty badly when i was backing out of my driveway and the snow had just been shovelled and piled up by the sidewalks..

[Freestylin]

Originally posted by al-ti2d
hmm.. the point about the snow piling up on the side of residential roads pretty much convinced me to raise my car when i'm converting to winter mode now.. haha
i remember last year when i wasn't even lowered, i still scraped pretty badly when i was backing out of my driveway and the snow had just been shovelled and piled up by the sidewalks..

raise your car...it would make your life a lot more comfortable in winter..especially when you have the ability to do so with coilovers

[88CRX]

I plow... all day every day.

The only real problem is ice chunks on the road.... sometimes you'll end up dragging them for a couple miles :rofl:

Only been stuck once ever.... that was the giant dump we had last April. Completely bottomed out on ice/snow.

[al-ti2d]

Originally posted by Freestylin


raise your car...it would make your life a lot more comfortable in winter..especially when you have the ability to do so with coilovers

thats a good point too.. I might as well make use of the height adjustability since that is what I originally bought them for anyways.
Its just a bitch fiddling around with those POS claw-looking-tools that they supply you with to turn the dials.. or maybe I just need to get used to using them :dunno:

[Freestylin]

Originally posted by al-ti2d


thats a good point too.. I might as well make use of the height adjustability since that is what I originally bought them for anyways.
Its just a bitch fiddling around with those POS claw-looking-tools that they supply you with to turn the dials.. or maybe I just need to get used to using them :dunno:

turning the collar rings aren't hard...it just takes a lot of time to adjust them to the correct height for all sides....measure, adjust, measure, adjust....its just really repetitive to get the job done good

[ShermanEF9]

im gunna see how i do first. i don't wanna raise my car :P

[lumss]

im thinking i definately have to as my eg is about two inches off the ground, and like negative 2 fingers in the wheel well with 15's haha. i scrape on everyday roads so im definitaly takin advantage of the coils, like you said might as well use them if you have them.

[whiskas]

I just switch to higher profile tires, give me about an extra inch. Plus the sidewalls are nice and soft... mmmm comfy.

[BenC]

im gonna snow plow this winter.

[jdm_eg6]

i have -2 finger gap up front and 1/2 finger gap out back.. i never end up plowing that bad. haha

but rasing it should allow for you suspension to breath a little.

[InLoveWitRSX]

gonna put 3m blue tape on my whole front end to avoid massive damage since I just lowered it on springs and its gonna be rough

[EM1FTW]

this would be my first winter with a dumped car.
but i was lucky and got a winter beater for free :)

[rc2002]

I found that lowering and raising the car caused my struts to blow more quickly. Using a different length/section of the strut could introduce foreign particles and increase the likelihood of tearing the seal.

[403ep3]

I still haven't installed my coilovers and am trying to decide how low I wanna go right now.. I guess I am staying a 4x4 for now.

[Tik-Tok]

I raise and lower my car on a daily basis, depending how I feel like driving/where I drive... air suspension FTW!!! (until you have to replace the airbags, lol)

[al-ti2d]

Originally posted by richardchan2002
I found that lowering and raising the car caused my struts to blow more quickly. Using a different length/section of the strut could introduce foreign particles and increase the likelihood of tearing the seal.

were you always lowering and raising the height on your coils?
ever since i've had my coilovers, they've been at the same setting and this winter will be the first time i'll be raising them up.. it should be ok, i hope...

[rc2002]

I usually raised it once a year at winter and then lowered it once in spring.

Since you have coilovers, you might as well use them. It's not like your struts are guranteed to blow. I might've just gotten some bad ones.

[max_boost]

Can't raise it. It's perfect height right now. :D

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Originally posted by nismodrifter
I stay slammed year round as I'm not on coilovers. Scary thing about my car is how close the oilpan sits to the ground but I have a pretty strong skidplate installed to provide some serious protection. The front lip comes off and I may be removing the sides as well this year.

Drive carefully and keep enough distance to avoid the ice chunks, you should be good........most of the time :D. I've yet to run into issues whether it be in the 403 or Saskatoon after a fresh snowfall. Always made it to my destination in one piece :)

Always funny to see a slammed DA or EG plowin snow....some people should be paid by the City of Calgary for their services :nut:.

That would be me =\

I would love to adjust mine... but I don't know how haha.

Pretty sure I have springs not coils haha.

[al-ti2d]

Originally posted by richardchan2002
I usually raised it once a year at winter and then lowered it once in spring.

Since you have coilovers, you might as well use them. It's not like your struts are guranteed to blow. I might've just gotten some bad ones.

if you don't mind me asking, what brand were yours?

[riced]

haha you worry too much man!

[HiSpec]

I just got my coilover installed not long ago. About a month ago?? Got them to where I like them, and had them aligned. So I guess if I raise it, I need another alignment?

But my coilover are PITA to adjust for height!! Is not like other coilover I've seen!!

[riced]

yup.. everytime you play with the suspension, you need an alignment.

[DC2]

That freak snowstorm we had last april dystroyed my bumper, I made it home from sait but because there was so little traffic down my street I was plowing for a block and I guess my bumper had enough and broke off.

[HiSpec]

don't mean to dig this thread back up but who also soften their coilover setting for the winter?

[Casa]

Originally posted by whiskas
I just switch to higher profile tires, give me about an extra inch. Plus the sidewalls are nice and soft... mmmm comfy.

me too.

[riced]

Originally posted by HiSpec
don't mean to dig this thread back up but who also soften their coilover setting for the winter?

I do.. during the summer times, I set it to about 14 on an 18 dampening scale.
During the winter I turn it to 0 or 1.. helps when the ice bumps in the road are really brutal

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by 88CRX
I plow... all day every day.
:bigpimp:

:rofl:

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by riced


I do.. during the summer times, I set it to about 14 on an 18 dampening scale.
During the winter I turn it to 0 or 1.. helps when the ice bumps in the road are really brutal

god damn.. 14? thats freaking stiff for calgary road!!

[riced]

Originally posted by HiSpec


god damn.. 14? thats freaking stiff for calgary road!!

I guess it depends on the coilover itself, as well. A 14 on mine might not be as stiff as a 14 on yours.
It actually isn't too bad, I love it.. a bit more aggressive, not too bumpy. On the other hand, when it's on its stiffest setting, I begin to hate it.