Ride height: how low is too low

[biohazardbill]

About ready to take truck to get it aligned. Right now I have the front cross member about 2.5 inches off the pavement. Is this too low for everyday driving? Roads around me are pretty smooth. I am not sure how low is too low when it comes to ride height.

67
73-87 steering
Porterbuilt a arms
27" tires

Thanks in advance
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[lolife99]

Show the alignment tech how to work your air ride, or stay there and do it for him.
I usually tell them to align it as low as possible.
You will be surprised how high the front has to be to get it back into specs.
(although your PB a-arms might help with alignment)
Anything lower and you will be chewing up tires.

I run about 80psi in my front bags at ride height.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by biohazardbill

About ready to take truck to get it aligned. Right now I have the front cross member about 2.5 inches off the pavement. Is this too low for everyday driving? Roads around me are pretty smooth. I am not sure how low is too low when it comes to ride height.

67
73-87 steering
Porterbuilt a arms
27" tires

Thanks in advance
Posted via Mobile Device

It's all in how & where you drive....

2.5" @ the x-member is driveable for a daily but it requires alot of defensive driving. You're always scanning the road surface in front of you; always slowing down for dips & RR tracks; & choosing alternative routes based on road surface quality.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I would be worried more about high centering myself on a speed bump by go over it at an angle. Driveways you have to be carefull of too at the top.

[vegadesign]

No such thing as too low lol
But if you think about it 2" maybe too low
Every inch counts and honestly 4" is a good level
Standard height of a everyday a car lowest component
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[Narxoleptic Customs]

That's slammed!! I'm static at 4.5" on the arms and I'm nervous.
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[tinydb84]

I had a car that was 3 inches at the lowest. I hated it after a week. My 350z is probably 4-5 and doesn't hit anything.
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[SCOTI]

My 74 was about that height (roughly <2 5/8"... couldn't roll a soda can under the x-member). It survived for a long time w/o damage by paying attention to the road surface conditions & adjusting speed accordingly.

It did suffer a bad impact @ low speed where there was a sudden change in surface heights (major construction area by the house) that wasn't there before. Bent both a-arms (bent as in impact damage not destroyed beyond being useable) & broke both exhaust manifolds. That was @ a crawl speed....

For my dually I'm using the sectioned x-member that was slated to go in the 74. Those few inches of extra clearance make a huge diff in daily drivability.

[theastronaut]

My daily driver VW bug is 3" at the lowest point. It's fine with just me in it but if I have a passenger I have to be way more careful. I had two passengers in the car once and got caught on the fill ports at a gas station...

[biohazardbill]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

My daily driver VW bug is 3" at the lowest point. It's fine with just me in it but if I have a passenger I have to be way more careful. I had two passengers in the car once and got caught on the fill ports at a gas station...

I have the Ride Tech e3 system so I can adjust it pretty well if the wieght changes...

I am taking the truck Thursday afternoon/Friday for alignment so will tell them somwhere between 3 and 4 inches would be preferrable.

[broey]

with my last truck to achieve the correct ride height, I would lay the truck out, then try to tap each corner up as quickly and slightly as possible. if i could stay around 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the ground then I was golden.

proof..


this was on the way home from work next to dinos orange sub he built a while ago. we used to just drive slammed for miles and miles to see who would lift first.

[biohazardbill]

You had your alignment set at 1/8 to a 1/4? Lol
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[broey]

lol, no. for some reason I got lucky with that truck and had zero bump steer. So we just did some measurements to center the wheels and off it went. Never had an issue and drove straight at any height.

[wraprail]

Originally Posted by broey

with my last truck to achieve the correct ride height, I would lay the truck out, then try to tap each corner up as quickly and slightly as possible. if i could stay around 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the ground then I was golden.

proof..


this was on the way home from work next to dinos orange sub he built a while ago. we used to just drive slammed for miles and miles to see who would lift first.

Lets see this on the freeway!
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[Square_78]

Originally Posted by broey

with my last truck to achieve the correct ride height, I would lay the truck out, then try to tap each corner up as quickly and slightly as possible. if i could stay around 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the ground then I was golden.

Awesome! I love it!
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[Domer]

I ride at about 1/2" to an 1" when crusing. But i have a full frame under my truck and a one off front suspension that keeps my camber in check pretty well.