bottoming out
#1
bottoming out
Ok, this is probably right up there with the dumbest questions I've asked in here but what do you guys think about this:
I've got to park the car atm where the access has a humped driveway. No matter which speed/angle/etc I take it, the car bottoms out (i.e. between the wheels - not either end) and there is a God awful dragging/scraping noise which makes me shudder each time. I make it over ok but am getting concerned about whether I'm doing serious damage.
Will the car survive this kind of treatment? - it's only for a week or so and I'm trying to limit movements in and out to no more than two a day. What am I scraping exactly - something sacrificial or something very expensive?? Is it chassis rails or something else? I've tried looking underneath but it just looks exactly the same as usual - i.e. black and dirty, lol...
BTW, this joint has a car stacker in it - very cool space saving idea - just don't stand up too quick when you get out of the car!!! Ouch!!!!
I've got to park the car atm where the access has a humped driveway. No matter which speed/angle/etc I take it, the car bottoms out (i.e. between the wheels - not either end) and there is a God awful dragging/scraping noise which makes me shudder each time. I make it over ok but am getting concerned about whether I'm doing serious damage.
Will the car survive this kind of treatment? - it's only for a week or so and I'm trying to limit movements in and out to no more than two a day. What am I scraping exactly - something sacrificial or something very expensive?? Is it chassis rails or something else? I've tried looking underneath but it just looks exactly the same as usual - i.e. black and dirty, lol...
BTW, this joint has a car stacker in it - very cool space saving idea - just don't stand up too quick when you get out of the car!!! Ouch!!!!
#2
That sucks; I feel your pain; especially lowered.
The lowest items on the car are (from highest to lowest); subframe, oil pan, cat heat shield, front air dam/lip (whatever you wanna call it).
If you can back up into the space it will help (back in and drive frontwards but REALLY slow out). If not; look at your cat heat shield - that may be bearing the brunt. I can't think of why that would be bad - unless you managed to scrape it off .
Does it sound like metal scraping or plastic - if plastic it is likely your front lip - which if the damage is on the bottom of the lip; won't be visible and shouldn't cause any harm. If you have side skirts; check those too.
The lowest items on the car are (from highest to lowest); subframe, oil pan, cat heat shield, front air dam/lip (whatever you wanna call it).
If you can back up into the space it will help (back in and drive frontwards but REALLY slow out). If not; look at your cat heat shield - that may be bearing the brunt. I can't think of why that would be bad - unless you managed to scrape it off .
Does it sound like metal scraping or plastic - if plastic it is likely your front lip - which if the damage is on the bottom of the lip; won't be visible and shouldn't cause any harm. If you have side skirts; check those too.
#3
That sucks; I feel your pain; especially lowered.
The lowest items on the car are (from highest to lowest); subframe, oil pan, cat heat shield, front air dam/lip (whatever you wanna call it).
If you can back up into the space it will help (back in and drive frontwards but REALLY slow out). If not; look at your cat heat shield - that may be bearing the brunt. I can't think of why that would be bad - unless you managed to scrape it off .
Does it sound like metal scraping or plastic - if plastic it is likely your front lip - which if the damage is on the bottom of the lip; won't be visible and shouldn't cause any harm. If you have side skirts; check those too.
The lowest items on the car are (from highest to lowest); subframe, oil pan, cat heat shield, front air dam/lip (whatever you wanna call it).
If you can back up into the space it will help (back in and drive frontwards but REALLY slow out). If not; look at your cat heat shield - that may be bearing the brunt. I can't think of why that would be bad - unless you managed to scrape it off .
Does it sound like metal scraping or plastic - if plastic it is likely your front lip - which if the damage is on the bottom of the lip; won't be visible and shouldn't cause any harm. If you have side skirts; check those too.
I'll give backing a try and see if that helps. I could probably back out too because there's some turning room at the bottom of the driveway before you enter the stacker.
It's definitely not the plastic front lip - I've scraped that plenty of times and know the sound well, lol. The front of the car clears this fine - it's bottoming out between the front and rear wheels and sounds like metal to me. No side skirts either.
If it's only the cat heat shield, I'm okay with that being scraped and scratched a bit provided, as you say, I don't rip the thing off!
Last edited by Revolver; 08-13-2008 at 07:26 PM.
#4
Be careful backing out - just because if you do catch your front lip; pulling on it is way worse than pushing on it.
If you don't have side skirts I would vote cat shield. It is on there REAL well; so a bit of scrapeing won't hurt it.
If you don't have side skirts I would vote cat shield. It is on there REAL well; so a bit of scrapeing won't hurt it.
#11
Correct!
Anyway, that's not the kind of bottoming out I was thinking of in this thread, lol. Anyone else have a different view to my mate Kane's on my current dilemma??
Anyway, that's not the kind of bottoming out I was thinking of in this thread, lol. Anyone else have a different view to my mate Kane's on my current dilemma??
#12
Not sure how to kill it but it is the bottom chassis rail that should hit first.
Go with an angle, and make sure the cross member bars cannot hit it. If you bend one of those, they are about $50-$60 each from Mazda .
Go with an angle, and make sure the cross member bars cannot hit it. If you bend one of those, they are about $50-$60 each from Mazda .
#13
It won't necessarily be the lowest point that scrapes, most likely somewhere around the midpoint between the wheels. I don't suppose you can approach at a diagonal?
(re read - I guess not).
(re read - I guess not).
#14
I'm sort of thinking you could jack the car up in a safe way to look underneath; from the sound of the scraping noises, you'd defintely see what it is ...ie scratch marks. However, I'm just cringing about you being under the car tho.
Everytime I've had this on previous cars, its been some part of the exhaust, mufflers etc.
Everytime I've had this on previous cars, its been some part of the exhaust, mufflers etc.
#16
I've tried an angle but it's a tightish entry not permitting much of a diagonal approach and whether I come in one way or another just alters the side of the car that scrapes first, so I'm pretty much screwed no matter how I do it.
#17
I'll just keep crossing the fingers I think.
Thanks guys.
Oh, and Michael, I already run 38psi, so I don't think that's going to work...
#18
The back wheel saves any problem with the muffler.
my old home used to have problem getting in and out. I have a log to lift up the front wheel so I can get in. That is even before I put the suspension on.
my old home used to have problem getting in and out. I have a log to lift up the front wheel so I can get in. That is even before I put the suspension on.
#21
Oh well, it's still running...at present...
Hey, water pumps on way yet?? I've got some other goodies to install and just waiting on that now...
#22
Yeah been trying to keep the thread on .com.au up to date.
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