How low to go?

[magnumpi]

Hello all, i bought this up a good while back now, but the Volvo got side tracked while i have been sorting out my Beetle.

Winter is aproaching so the Volvo is being pressed into action again, my question is this, i have 13x7-8? Ultralights on my Volvo and it seriously needs to be nearer the tarmac!
The tyres and wheels came straight from a Mini, so i think i will probably need to get a taller profile tyre to fill some of the gap, but how low should i go?

Will a two inch drop be enough, will i be able to get over speed bumps and the like still? I also have the worlds steepest driveway, which my exhaust already scrapes on, but i need to be lower!

2 or 3 inch drop, what do you chaps know/think, will it give me any suspension travel, how bad is the ride?

Any knowledge would be hugely appreciated

My car as it is now, needs to be lower, but by how much?

[WooDooUK]

weii i have the exact same tyres on my car (175/50/13) and this is with a 3" drop on the front and 2" on the rear, could do with either 14" or 15" or biggers tyres but the car handles so wheel on these

[magnumpi]

^^^^^^^^

Does it still give a reasonable ride being that low , or does it bump about abit with the suspension bottoming out?

Speed bumps? Can you get over them?

[filthyjohn]

Mine's 2 inches F+R, with tall 13s atm, but sometimes 185/60ish 15s. It does catch the exhaust on the odd speed bump, but it's not really that bad. There's still suspension travel but if I have a heavy load in the back the tyres sometimes rub the insides of the arches a bit.

To illustrate,
standard height:


slammaged:


With ~300kgs in the boot (B14 and manta 1900SR engine)

[WooDooUK]

^^^^^^^^

Does it still give a reasonable ride being that low , or does it bump about abit with the suspension bottoming out?

Speed bumps? Can you get over them?

Speed bumps are my Nemisis

you have to be real slow and it scraps quite badly, just the exhaust.

I would also thing about your aproach angle on your drive way when they car is as low as mine, when i have had to get it recoved on a flat bed they need to come out on a special one designed for low cars so they dont destroy the front number plate/valance.

[magnumpi]

Thanks for your input guys, i think a 2" drop all round will be the way to go, as my drive really is a steep beast, already have to go in at an angle, half up the curb to get in safely.

Oh well, the things we have to put up with to look cool

Best place to get the bits, dai i presume?