Low Clearance problems
 

Just looking at my Z and the driveway and no matter how I work it still scrapes the black plastic underneath. One wrong way and I would assume paint scuffs are coming. I was wondering if there is anyway to combat this other than parking on the street *gasp*, or if it has happened anything you can do to fix it?

Looking to see what you guys do with the low clearance!

It's a sports car

I know, so is this just part of the battle scars?

Yea, just one of those things you gotta deal with. My black trim scrapes on my driveway if I have a passenger in the car.

We drop it another inch or so with springs or coilovers. :tiphat:

Seriously, mine is lower on Swift Springs and I only scrape the outer tab on the lower front air dam. Some people trim them.

Yup, dropped on Teins and I am debating on removing the ramp guard things but too lazy to - and they do no harm when they do scrape.

I am fine with the black stuff scraping. But what about the under corner of the actual painted bumper? That happen also?

You can buy rubber ramps, Google it. Don't park in the street.

I think the front chin spoiler is quite flexible and since it's black and so hidden, nobody will notice the scrapeage on that. I scrape that on people's driveways every so often but never had the actual bumper paint scratch.

Perhaps putting some gravel at the end of the driveway would help even out the angle? Or drive onto it at an extreme angle, not perpendicular to the entrance. :confused:

yeah I do not want to park it in the street! Ill check into what rubber ramps are and do. Are those rubber ramps something to protect from scraping when driving down the driveway? They look like ramps to lift your car up?

I do have some rub on my passenger side underneath on the actual painted bumper. I have had my car for a week and dont recall doing it, dammit if I didnt notice it from the dealer. Any ideas how to fix the scrape?

Yeah, I would be looking at modifying the drive to correct that. Scraping painted surfaces is bad news.

I'm about to drop mine 2.5" and im already having issues with stock height. It's all about angles..

I would use something like this if I was scrapping. But there are other variations of the ramp.


J and K Curb Ramps Home Page

I will look into those curb ramps. I dont know why we have a steep driveway. its ours and one other that is like that on the culdisac. I already go really really slow and hit it at an angle for in and back up. Makes me think it was there before and somehow on the look around I missed it:shakes head:

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Nissan 370z! That scrape on the black plastic air dam is a right of passage. If you don't have a scrape, you shouldn't be driving the car :inoutroflpuke:

Angles are very important. If you absolutely can't take it at an angle, just grit your teeth and go slow. There's also rubber ramps like someone posted. I talked to the people from Bridjit at SEMA last year and they assured me that they've never heard of an HOA complaint because of their product, if that matters to you.

Bridjit Curb Ramps - The No Jar To Your Car Curb Solution

Until you're as low as Calvin, you're not havin' problems!

http://images.247media.org/Cars/Calv.../IMG0754-M.jpg


More photos here: http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...ml#post1223638

Yep, Calvin is loooow. Friend of mine has the Bridjit and bolted them down so they don't walk away. They work to fill in gutter dip but may not be as effective with a driveway like mine that is just steep off of the street.

Oh, and watch this video. This kid has some serious tactics for dealing with his driveway.

Codys 92 Miata - drift plus more on Vimeo

Got tired of scraping my new Nismo fascia! It sits lower than base, and I am dropped on Swifts, so there was no other way. Was using some 2X6's before...

Bridjit rolling curb ramps! Picked them up in person since they are local. Saved on shipping.

http://www.the370z.com/members/tjlaz...djit-ramps.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/tjlaz...djit-ramps.jpg

:iagree:

I am thinking about getting these. Do you worry about people stealing them?

I am about to get those. **** yeah! My driveway is raised 6 inches higher than the street.

The black plastic scrapes because it's there to tell you when you might actually scrape the bumper. I've scraped that multiple times, but never the actual painted parts. I'm lowered on swifts as well.

and LOL @ the miata hahaha

Thanks guys. Yeah I have scraped the black but just noticed the paint was scraped about 6 inches to the right of the black thing. Ill have to check into one of those things for the end of the driveway

edge- my buddy drilled holes in the concrete and used anchors to bolt his down so they didn't get "lost".

Nope, they weight like 150 lbs and are bolted together. The company told me to date nobody has stolen them.

That is what I figured I would have to do. Thanks for validating.

my community's snow plows will defintely loose them each winter even if bolted down. :icon17:

:tup:

Snowplows are not a huge concern for us in Sacramento. Theft? Yes. Snowplows? No.

:tup:

I thought I was just scraping the chin but when the car was up for a wheel alignment I noticed that under the front bumper was pretty scratched up. Can't see much scraping unless I lie on my belly but it still irks me. So I made a sample color square on a 3x5 card with my Nissan touch up paint and had the local paint store make me up a quart of Semi Gloss water base to match. Almost perfect. Then I sanded lightly and touched up underneath with a roller and I feel a lot better. LOL!! Trying to be a bit more aware of dips now and adjusting my routes accordingly.

The black plastic is fine to scrape. I was dropped on swifts, and then sitting an inch lower than that because of the tires I was running and I was fine.

You are dropped on Swifts, I'm dropped on TEINs, remember. ;)

mine eventually got torn off at the last autocross i ran:ugh2:

I will modify someone else's statement; "If you don't have any scrapes, you are not driving the car properly."

I like the ramp idea if that will help. I did all this without driveway issues.

id prefer to hear the black plastic scrape than my front bumper, it lets me know im getting close. Just get a razor blade and scrape the plastic smooth. if it gets real bad, replace it