Jump to content
SAU Community

Automatic Height Adjustment

NA_Goodness
 Share

Recommended Posts

NA_Goodness Grand Master

NA_Goodness

Posted
Posted

Hey guys,

My driveway has a bitch of a curb. My car looks like a 4WD at the moment, and it still only has a few cm of clearance when I'm pulling in. Add an aftermarket bodykit and lowered suspension, and I'll have to park on the street, something I really want to avoid.

I've talked to a Suspension speciallist, and they told me that airbags will not fit on the skyline because there is not enough room up the front. My question is, what else can I use to raise the height of my car while still retaining a car that handles as if it was on rails?

Thanks,

Rhys

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/203347-automatic-height-adjustment/
Share on other sites
adam-__- Grand Master

adam-__-

Posted
Posted

I know how you feel mate. My driveway would have to be the worst for a car enthusiast. I live on a main road and there wouldn't be any chance of using ramps.

Just adapt to your drive way. My car's pretty low, but I can still manage to get out. Just experiment with the ways you can go out of your drive way. At the moment, I'm reversing out at the maximum angle my drive way will let me and making my rear wheel go over the curb so that it clears the lowest section of the road/driveway. Doesn't make any sense. hahaha. You'll understand when you see it though. I'll try and get a picture up of how I get out of my driveway.

NA_Goodness Grand Master

NA_Goodness

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Kinda makes sense adam. I was always going to go out on an angle, cos its a wide street and very quiet, take up as much of the road as i need. A picture would be really helpful if u've got one. Now I just have to afford the coilovers...

adam-__- Grand Master

adam-__-

Posted
Posted

Here are some pictures of my driveway. As you'll see, its bloody stupid, but I can still manage to get out okay. There's also a picture of how low my car is. Only sometimes would it scratch the fuel tank.

Is your driveway as bad as mine?

post-32186-1201517899_thumb.jpg post-32186-1201517917_thumb.jpg post-32186-1201517959_thumb.jpg

I use the curb to get my car over the lowest part of my way out.

Here's how low my car is..

post-32186-1201518100_thumb.jpg

NA_Goodness Grand Master

NA_Goodness

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yeh, that is very bad!! Mine isn't a square like that, but it is still steep. More like a crazy triangle. and it's the same all along my side of the street, but the otherside is fine. Kinda weird, here is a photo of it. It looks decieving, but that may be because I am so used to it, only curb I've had!

NA_Goodness Grand Master

NA_Goodness

Posted
  • Author
Posted

YAY!! There you go. It doesn't look like much, but it will definately scrape when lowered with a body kit. So, I could come out sidewards, that might help a bit. Or park on the street, but I don't want that!! I won't even park in the private carpark at work, someone might scratch it!! I park out the back now, next to a written off VL Commodore. Makes my car look so much better!

adam-__- Grand Master

adam-__-

Posted
Posted

I would swap drive ways any day of the week! The lowest you can go legally is 100mm from the floor, but sometimes, people go to about 80mm ground clearance. I reckon you can get up that pretty easy. Just go up/down at a really sharp angle. So much that it looks like you're parallel parking. haha. No really, your driveway isn't that bad. Take up as much room as you can by driving on an angle.

Once your two front wheels get on the driveway, you should be able to straighten up and it should be fine.

some_cs_student Veteran

some_cs_student

Posted
Posted

Front is normally much lower than the back so get someone else out there with you and practice the angle. Take it really gentle until you have one front wheel and one rear wheel up on it. My driveway looks much steeper than that, I take 3-4 turns and drive up the nature strip to make it in :laugh:.

Someone has made it in once without scraping it with 1 or 2 turns, I've never been able to repeat it without scratching my front bar.

And I'm 11.5 or 12.5cm off the ground (roughly) on the front bar and you have to use angle at some petrol stations to get in.

If you go below 10cm at any point its a defect so I'd be careful, that and you will have so much trouble at some peterol stations and other places that you will fear all driveways/speedhumps :D

Personally I reverse in but I think your driveway might be easier going forwards.

NA_Goodness Grand Master

NA_Goodness

Posted
  • Author
Posted

yeh, i reverse in as well. But I can drive up onto the neighbours verge and reverse in. My aim is about 100mm (or 10mm :-)!!) at the kit. I'll try practising my angles, and my verge and my neighbours verge are all paved, so I can take up as much room as I could. I hate speed bumps as it is, and try to avoid them as much as possible. Just have to avoid places like Hillaries, where you can't go around the bumps. I'd prefer to have some sort of height adjustment, but oh well, you get that!

BRUNSKIGTST Proficient

BRUNSKIGTST

Posted
Posted

lol get hydrolic suspension ahhahahahahhahha and bounce away like a pimp :D:P or just get a quote from a concreter to redo your drive just how you want it prolly cheaper than hydrolic and air bag suspension LOLZ

DECIM8 Grand Master

DECIM8

Posted
Posted (edited)

OMG you guys are pussys, Try driving up an mountain to get to ur garage.. No bullshit my drive way it about a 45 degree angle.

Tein once made adjustable height coilovers adjustable in car which raise and lower on a button, $4,000 tho.. Thats what I need, your just crying about nothing

Edited by DECIM8
adam-__- Grand Master

adam-__-

Posted
Posted

Yeah, from what I've seen my driveway's pretty bad, but I still manage to get up fine. Sometimes it would scratch, but with practice, it all works out. The worst part about my driveway isn't the driveway itself, but the road, gutter then driveway... if you know what I mean. It goes into a little 'ditch' which it scratches everything. That's why I use the curb to get around that.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • PranK
      Stock Airbox and Snorkle for RWC - VIC west

      By PranK · Posted

      Surely somebody has one in VIC. Have you asked at any shops?  Is this the yearly inspection or did you get a canary?
    • PranK
      Duncan's V37.......race car?

      By PranK · Posted

      This is where I share pain with you, @Duncan. The move to change so many cooling system pieces to plastic is a killer! Plastic end tanks and a few plastic hose flanges on my car's fail after so little time.  Curious about the need for a bigger rad, is that just for long sessions in the summer or because the car generally needs more cooling?
    • Duncan
      7 Speed Auto transmission fluid change (Skyline, Q50, Q60, Fuga, Q70, A62 Titan and probably heaps of others including Navara...)

      By Duncan · Posted

      So, that is it! It is a pretty expensive process with the ATF costing 50-100 per 5 litres, and a mechanic will probably charge plenty because they don't want to do it. Still, considering how dirty my fluid was at 120,000klm I think it would be worth doing more like every 80,000 to keep the trans happy, they are very expensive to replace. The job is not that hard if you have the specialist tools so you can save a bit of money and do it yourself!
    • Duncan
      7 Speed Auto transmission fluid change (Skyline, Q50, Q60, Fuga, Q70, A62 Titan and probably heaps of others including Navara...)

      By Duncan · Posted

      OK, onto filling. So I don't really have any pics, but will describe the process as best I can. The USDM workshop manual also covers it from TM-285 onwards. First, make sure the drain plug (17mm) is snug. Not too tight yet because it is coming off again. Note it does have a copper washer that you could replace or anneal (heat up with a blow torch) to seal nicely. Remove the fill plug, which has an inhex (I think it was 6mm but didn't check). Then, screw in the fill fitting, making sure it has a suitable o-ring (mine came without but I think it is meant to be supplied). It is important that you only screw it in hand tight. I didn't get a good pic of it, but the fill plug leads to a tube about 70mm long inside the transmission. This sets the factory level for fluid in the trans (above the join line for the pan!) and will take about 3l to fill. You then need to connect your fluid pump to the fitting via a hose, and pump in whatever amount of fluid you removed (maybe 3 litres, in my case 7 litres). If you put in more than 3l, it will spill out when you remove the fitting, so do quickly and with a drain pan underneath. Once you have pumped in the required amount of clean ATF, you start the engine and run it for 3 minutes to let the fluid circulate. Don't run it longer and if possible check the fluid temp is under 40oC (Ecutek shows Auto Trans Fluid temp now, or you could use an infrared temp gun on the bottom of the pan). The manual stresses the bit about fluid temperature because it expands when hot an might result in an underfil. So from here, the factory manual says to do the "spill and fill" again, and I did. That is, put an oil pan under the drain plug and undo it with a 17mm spanner, then watch your expensive fluid fall back out again, you should get about 3 litres.  Then, put the drain plug back in, pump 3 litres back in through the fill plug with the fitting and pump, disconnect the fill fitting and replace the fill plug, start the car and run for another 3 minutes (making sure the temp is still under 40oC). The manual then asks for a 3rd "spill and fill" just like above. I also did that and so had put 13l in by now.  This time they want you to keep the engine running and run the transmission through R and D (I hope the wheels are still off the ground!) for a while, and allow the trans temp to get to 40oC, then engine off. Finally, back under the car and undo the fill plug to let the overfill drain out; it will stop running when fluid is at the top of the levelling tube. According to the factory, that is job done! Post that, I reconnected the fill fitting and pumped in an extra 0.5l. AMS says 1.5l overfill is safe, but I started with less to see how it goes, I will add another 1.0 litres later if I'm still not happy with the hot shifts.
    • Duncan
      7 Speed Auto transmission fluid change (Skyline, Q50, Q60, Fuga, Q70, A62 Titan and probably heaps of others including Navara...)

      By Duncan · Posted

      OK, so regardless of whether you did Step 1 - Spill Step 2 - Trans pan removal Step 3 - TCM removal we are on to the clean and refill. First, have a good look at the oil pan. While you might see dirty oil and some carbony build up (I did), what you don't want to see is any metal particles on the magnets, or sparkles in the oil (thankfully not). Give it all a good clean, particularly the magnets, and put the new gasket on if you have one (or, just cross your fingers) Replacement of the Valve body (if you removed it) is the "reverse of assembly". Thread the electrical socket back up through the trans case, hold the valve body up and put in the bolts you removed, with the correct lengths in the correct locations Torque for the bolts in 8Nm only so I hope you have that torque wrench handy (it feels really loose). Plug the output speed sensor back in and clip the wiring into the 2 clips, replace the spring clip on the TCM socket and plug it back into the car loom. For the pan, the workshop manual states the following order: Again, the torque is 8Nm only.
×
×
  • Create New...