Sleds and speed bumps

[Hellfish]

This may seem like a dumb question to you California boys, but how do you guys handle pot holes, speed bumps and other road hazards with permanetly lowered cars (cut springs, etc.)? I'm fixin' to lower my 59 Chevy which should see year-round driver duty IN CHICAGO which is full of nasty potholes and HUGE speedbumps. That car is long, and is really long behind the rear wheels with the gas tank hanging out back there. Any tricks? I was thinking of welding some swivel wheels to the rear of the frame where you couldn't really save them... but might help save the body, bumper and chrome.

[MichaelDorman]

The casters on the rear frame ends are an old school trick and will deffinetly help you coming and going out of driveways. Pot holes...don't drive into 'em. As far as how to get over speed bumps...drive over 'em sideways if you have to, or just find alternate routs or park outside the parking lot and walk to where it is ya' got to go. Hey no one said being cool was easy http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Flexicoker]

i was thinking you could make some steel skids that would go anywhere the car might drag.

[Boones]

just be alert and careful but be prepared to drag the shit out it. Doesn't hurt much as long as the frame is below the rocker panels and there is nothing critical that can be damaged. Dont hit potholes and drive over the speed bumps and into driveways on an angle.

[Hellfish]

ok, that's what i was thinking. Not sure about the frame and rockers, but probably ok. The speedbumps in my neighborhood are what concern me. They're WIDE, and teh street is so narrow that I wouldn't be able to get the 59 at much of an angle. Oh well, I guess I'll be avoiding that street!

[crush1776]

Put some airshocks with an onboard compressor for speedbumps and driveways. Pretty cheap solution. Usually, the front is not a problem, just make sure nothing (exhaust, etc) is below the framerails and you're golden.

[JamesG]

Two words-Air Bags.

[Boones]

as they like to say in Cal. if you cant drag it your a faggot. most of those neighborhood bumps are not that bad. I drag my wagon alot and no issues frames are strong and it does not take much of any angle to keep the rear qtrs from touching

[ESnacky6]

I'm going to be air-bagging my Riviera for just those reasons....
I can't go over 65 on the highway without feeling my car
is going to fall apart.... scrape, scraaape, scrape, BAM..!!!
then I have to look in the rear-view to make sure
I didn't rip open the oil pan or tranny....
plus I've had to repair my exhaust like 7 or 8 times....
(I've pretty much memorized the roads and driveways and
speedbumps around town though....)


But damn, I sure look good goin down the road..!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif hahahaha

[Dirty2]

[ QUOTE ]
Two words-Air Bags.

[/ QUOTE ]
Drive it the way you want it to look all the time NOT lowering it at car shows or cruises !!! Nothing cooling than pulling in and scrapping the crap out it than while you are standin around talking here it comes spisssssssssssss someones bagged and look the other way !!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[speedaddict]

my 60 didn't have airbags at the time. I had 2 coils cut and 3" lowering blocks. I just went over speed bumps sideways. I'm sure your 59 is not much longer than mine.

[47lincsled]

I had planned for years on using airbags on the 47,but the more I looked at old photos and stuff here I decided that I could live without the hassle and problems of bagging it.I want a lead sled look not a lowrider look. And out here there aren't that many speed bumps to worry about,but I hope to find that magic hiegth of drivability and great looks.

[hotrod54chevy]

i'm gonna be puttin some lowering blocks on the chevy soon..the front end is a mustang II so it sits pretty low..i just drive the hell out of it..if it's a speed bump,SLOW THE HELL DOWN,if it's a pothole,hold on!that's about the best advice i can give
creepy

[mybeatupford]

My advice is if you dont like draggin it then why the hell did u wanna lower it? i like it when my truck drags the club plaque and rear pan all the time it's marks are badges of umm i guess honor hehe.

[williebill]

Talking to a guy who used to work for Butch Bunn one day,and the how low can you go subject came up.He told me about a guy with a late 50s Mopar in their area who ran his car low as hell,but had put 1/4 and 3/8 plate under it..Guess he used countersunk bolts http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifBest part was he drove it almost on the ground,looked good,and didn't give a shit what he ran over.Sounded good to me.If you use casters on the corners,don't use cheap,flimsy crap,look for 3" or so real steel wheels,and hide 'em so you can't see too much of them.

[Jkustom]

Dirty2, I didnt understand a word you just wrote.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Skate Fink]

.........the Studebaker would drag it's "belly" over larger speed bunps. Going over one very slowly one day, I heard a noise, saw steam and smelled coolant. Seems the heater core is under the passenger seat and the hoses running to it had worn through. Screwdriver and a pocket knife and I by-passed the heater core and was back on the road. Of course........I didn't have heat for a couple winters...... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Fidget]

Drive at angles over speed bumps, and into/out of driveways. You gotta pay attention to the road a little more. As was already mentioned, make sure you don't have anything hanging below the frame. My exhaust is run along the inside of the frame. I don't have exhaust hangers, the brackets are welded onto the mufflers. Oh, and don't be in a hurry if you think you might drag. My car is 17' long, you'll get familiar with where you can and can't go. AND if you park next to a curb, make sure your passenger knows to not open the door into it!!

~Scott

[Dirty2]

[ QUOTE ]
Dirty2, I didnt understand a word you just wrote.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
You must have bags !!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If you want the look, drive it that way, dont just bag it to look cool in front of people .

[burndup]

bags are for hippies.

[Grinder]

Hell where I live they speed bumped the whole street.And my 50 shoebox is way low.But it goes over them just fine with two heavy guys in it .We tested it at speed down the one street that has the bumps at about 25to30mph over the bumps.And it did good.If you can't fly low all the time than don't fly at all .hahahaha http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[3blapcam]

Dirty2... is that your 56 Wagon? That car is killer! Actually, I dig the sedan, too.

I am not sure I understand the whole dragging concept. Is it fun to damage frame rails? It makes sense to put plates on it if you're into dragging, but why is it fun to drag your car on the ground?

Sorry for the confusion...

Alec.

[Slag Kustom]

my 50 caddy is set low enough that if i take a sharp left hand turn the lake pipe will drag.(acts like a anti sway bar) cruising around at lead east all the gold chainers where cryng as i would drag the pipes with 7 people i9n the car. i found it funny http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Kev Nemo]

The only bags I can afford of the quarter variety and I can't even get away with that now...
Could someone do some tech on installing plates? I imagine it would be different than brush guards on 4x4's-am I wrong?

[Dirty2]

[ QUOTE ]
Dirty2... is that your 56 Wagon? That car is killer! Actually, I dig the sedan, too.

I am not sure I understand the whole dragging concept. Is it fun to damage frame rails? It makes sense to put plates on it if you're into dragging, but why is it fun to drag your car on the ground?

Sorry for the confusion...

Alec.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea they are both my cars. Its not about tearing you car up , its just an anti bag thing !! ( I really cant afford bags or the hassels) Its like saying " If you ever see my car on a trailer call 911 some one stole it" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[IntrstlarOvrdrve]

[ QUOTE ]
Put some airshocks with an onboard compressor for speedbumps and driveways. Pretty cheap solution. Usually, the front is not a problem, just make sure nothing (exhaust, etc) is below the framerails and you're golden.

[/ QUOTE ]

I plan on doing the airshock thing with my own ride..I have had people tell me its not such a great ride with them, but otherwise I wont be able to get my my driveway http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Bugman]

On my cars, I weld or bolt a skidplate between the front and center crossmembers to protect the oil pan and trans. Anything that could get caught(fuel and brake lines, etc.) should be secured as high as possible, and well out of the way of a tree branch, or other road debris. Anything that can get punctured should be armored. Watch where you drive. You'll get so used to avioding problems in the road, you'll start doing it in every vehicle you drive.

-Jeff

[Morrisman]

[ QUOTE ]
my 50 caddy is set low enough that if i take a sharp left hand turn the lake pipe will drag.(acts like a anti sway bar) cruising around at lead east all the gold chainers where cryng as i would drag the pipes with 7 people i9n the car. i found it funny http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You ever had a flat tire when driving along at speed in your caddy? Do you reckon the gold chainers will laugh or cry if you rip off your sidepipes, because the car just dropped 4 inches on one corner? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[tatts]

is everyone anti hydrolics ( how the hell do you spell that word) thats my plan for my fifty

[Bullet Nose]

The fact is:

REAL LOWERED CARS DON'T HAVE AIR BAGS OR HYDRAULICS!

There's nothing like the feeling of your ass hole puckering up as you approach a bump in the road at 65 MPH.

[Grinder]

Bullet nose knows what I'am talking about. Air bags are for sissy there I said it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifAnd a good thing to do when you lower your car is to let the air out of the tires to check what will hit when you get a flat.But if you keep good tires on it that souldn't happen unless you hit something in the road.

[JamesG]

[ QUOTE ]
The fact is:

REAL LOWERED CARS DON'T HAVE AIR BAGS OR HYDRAULICS!

There's nothing like the feeling of your ass hole puckering up as you approach a bump in the road at 65 MPH.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell that to Ron Aguirre and his bubbletop '57 Vette X-Sonic. He was the very first to put hydros on anything.And if I'm not mistaken Watson painted that car.........

[monsterflake]

all i can say is "catastrophic failure"...if you have one with a bagged or juiced car, can you get home?

driving a low car is like riding a bike, keep your eyes open and make sure you have room to move away from potholes and road debris. like the time i was going to work one morning in my 67 catalina (very low, non adjustable ride height), some douche is riding my ass for a couple of miles. it didn't matter if i sped up, slowed down, changed lanes, whatever, he was fascinated with being right up my bumper. i finally got sick of it and pulled onto the shoulder, but didn't see the muffler and part of a tailpipe that quickly got caught up under the car. fortunately, i was able to dislodge it by stopping and backing up. pissed me off, though, and was anxious the rest of the day, 'til was able to go home and make sure there wasn't any damage. mf

[Anderson]

"bags are for groceries"

I didn't think my car was THAT low...but driving home last night, the windows were down (1 AM). At a light there was this guy and his kid in their car. They roll down the window, and the kid shouts to me "do you have hydraulics?!?" haha..."nope!" I'm hardcore bitch...

But as has been said...drive it low and know where you're at. Memorize the bumps and holes, know the speedbumps and know which parts of the bumps are lower. My parking lot has bumps all over. Ayntime I hit em at more than 2 mph, the front crossmember hits. I usually bring it to a near stop going over, but sometimes I'm in a hurry. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[48_HEMI]

[ QUOTE ]
Two words-Air Bags.

[/ QUOTE ]



three words- fuck air bags http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I don't want to get onto the war of the lowering tech.
but if you are driving a car on the ground you adapt very quick, its a oneness with your car. kind of like the 3 pedal arguement.
nothing wrong with bags or automatic transmissions (for posers) but if you really want to know the pleasure of a custom or hot rod you need to live with it every minute that you drive.
If you want to look cool in your flamed folding chair with the drink holders and pockets and the local cruise in bags mustang ll 350/350 and you're one of the boys (or girls)

one tip (if you don't bag it) lake pipes (straight no mufflers) are cheap insurance to save your rusty rocker panels. they help you slide over speed bumps with very neat sounds and little damage http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Mojo]

You guys are some hard core motherfuckers huh. My mulletstang is dropped about 2-3 inches, and i'm sick of watching the roads for dips and drops. It's not fun, it's a pain in the ass. I drag headers, I rub tires whenever I turn, and one of my rear tires looks like it's been hit with a cheese grader. Car look good low, but not that damned good. I'd rather be able to keep up with traffic than listen for the headers touching down.

FWIW, here in the desert they're too cheap to invest in drainpipes. So, instead, there's drainage ditches running across the roads, at every intersection. Even some across the lanes. When I lived back east, I thought CA was the land of the perfect road... boy, was I wrong..

[ESnacky6]

this is a low car.....

[62fairlane]

well I have bags but no valves or switches...I guess I am half hardcore then? I drag shit all the time. just come up to speed bumps slow and take your time. go measure the speed bumps in your neighborhood and build your car a hair higher than that. if you are talking about monster potholes that eat cars then I don't know what to say. a hole 4" deep wont kill your ass but a 12" monster hole will.....just use common sense

[tatts]

how do you guys lower them? cut springs or drop spindles and so on. i want mine lowerded and will still probly use hydros but just curious.

[tatts]

[ QUOTE ]
all i can say is "catastrophic failure"...if you have one with a bagged or juiced car, can you get home?

hydros are pretty easy to fix in order to get home, now bags a whole different story.

[FrameDragger]

Low?

[FrameDragger]

Ok, so the bags cured this... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Hellfish]

thanks for all the advice guys! I'm not planning on lowering it a great deal, maybe 2" or whatever 1 coil gets me, but I live in Chicago, the city, not the suburbs, and even the smoothest streets here are chock full of road hazards. I cant afford air bags, hell, I cant afford air shocks! I just want for the car to stop in the intersection of cool and practical. I may eventually replace cut coils with lowered springs, but it will be awhile before that dough surfaces.

[mama_tried]

http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/a460/riverside63/DSC_0719.jpg
http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/a460/riverside63/DSC_0720.jpg


Not an American Hot rod, but rolled it an 1 1/2in off the ground non bagged. Save the cash and bag it!

(Crap this is old, disregard) Newb here.

[Zombie57Ranchero]

Two words-Air Bags.

Bagging my 57 was the best thing i ever did!

[shooter54]

I have bags on my Newport, but I hardly even air them up anymore unless I have to. I just smack shit all the time. If something breaks, I'll fix it. The roads here in Portland are terrible-I bet yours are no better. It's just part of driving a low car. I used to be super careful-to not scratch up my precious baby--Now I just say fuck it, it's too much work to have to worry about every dip in the road. Meanwhile, I do have some good battle scars in a few key areas of my undercarriage, and my $90 exhaust tips are both flat on the bottom, but what are ya gonna do?

[LOST ANGEL]

2004 says thank you!

[mrjynx]

Anybody who would scrape and damage the underside of their car because some nobody online said "hurr bags are for fags" is a fucking idiot.

[BadMotorFinger]

Overhere in Belgium we probebly have the worst roads in Europe. I'll be bagging my '51 Packard for sure.

[LOW LID DUDE]

A while back here on the HAMB a guy told us he was driving his leadsled into a service station dragging the front and rear through the dip in the driveway.A guy came rushing out with a floor jack saying that is too bad your tires went flat,I will jack it up and get er fixed for ya. LOL. All the exits in my neighborhood now have HUGE speed bumps that I have to carefully menuver over.They call them SPEED CONTROL,YEA I agree. Like a farmer in Kansas told me,your car is wayyy too low,it would be worthless driving here on our country roads.I told him I agree with him, thats why I don't live there.LOL. He did say ( but ) she sure is purdy.he was being nice.

[R Frederick]

2004 says thank you!
2004 called, they want their thread back.:D

[Acme Speed Shop]

You will just neeed to know what to look for in terms of driveway angles, size of speed bumps, etc. The fact is; there are some places I just dont go because the car wont make it in. My son's HS is one of them, I have to drop him off out on the street because the car won't make it in the driveway.

I have scraped most of the paint off of the rear skirts (more than once) and still miss judge sometimes.

It aint easy looking good.

[coolbreeze1340]

I run one car pretty low. My exhaust was flat in a few spots and getting a jack under the rear or front required parking on 3" planks. I raised the front back up by 1" and the same in the rear. I also run air shocks in the rear. I only run 40lbs in them but I can add air when loaded or if I need to jack the rear up.

[chaos10meter]

Back in our area, East Coast and many, many years ago, a pack of cigarettes standing upright under the rocker or Lake Pipe was the standard height to shoot for or if you were more adventurous it was the pack laying on it's side.
Anyone else ever hear of this ?

[Lone Star Mopar]

I kinda liked some of the attitudes back then a little better!

[PunkAssGearhead88]

I kinda liked some of the attitudes back then a little better!

I kinda liked everything back then better!

[big creep]

no the saying goes" bag it fagget!"


as they like to say in Cal. if you cant drag it your a faggot. most of those neighborhood bumps are not that bad. I drag my wagon alot and no issues frames are strong and it does not take much of any angle to keep the rear qtrs from touching

[Strange Agent]

Ah... the unseen aspects of being a cool kid.

[Custom_Crestline]

Well, Indy doesn't really compare to Chi-town, but my car does okay. Yeah, there are places where I can't go (mostly due to sneaker plugs and the off chance of catching one and trashing an exhaust manifold), and steep drives are a beezy (as well as big curbs and big speed bumps), but as everyone has said, its just the dilemma of having a static-dropped car. My car is a bit shorter than yours though, so you may run into problems.

FWIW, my car has 4 inch blocks, old springs, and I think a whole loop or 1.5 loops off the front, with A-arm spacers to drop the spring pocket an inch. Essentially its around a 4 inch drop in the front, and around a 5 inch drop in the back, I'd say.

[EchoOfGecko]

I love that bags are either not hardcore enough to be cool because you don't have to scrape over everything, or they're too hardcore because you might be stranded when you have a catastrophic failure. we all drive 50+ year old cars, who cares about being stranded somewhere, this isn't anything new. Get AAA.

Personally, I have a lot more respect for the dude that fabricates a complicated bag system with 4-links and bridges and the whole nine than some dude that chops a few coils and calls it a day.

As for not being hardcore enough, I drive a super low car daily (not my Ford), I've busted trans pans, oil pans, chopped the hell out of the sidewall of tires, all the cool hardcore stuff. Fuck that, I want to have my cake and eat it too. IMO, it's "cool" to have a car that looks good and yet can still get into any driveway or over any speedbump I point it at.

[big creep]

funny you say that, on my other car I've busted my oil pan too many times to count! its next to get bags! and triple A premier is the only way to go. 1- 200 mile tow and 3- 100 mile tows, i dont know how you guys dont sign up?

I love that bags are either not hardcore enough to be cool because you don't have to scrape over everything, or they're too hardcore because you might be stranded when you have a catastrophic failure. we all drive 50+ year old cars, who cares about being stranded somewhere, this isn't anything new. Get AAA.

Personally, I have a lot more respect for the dude that fabricates a complicated bag system with 4-links and bridges and the whole nine than some dude that chops a few coils and calls it a day.

As for not being hardcore enough, I drive a super low car daily (not my Ford), I've busted trans pans, oil pans, chopped the hell out of the sidewall of tires, all the cool hardcore stuff. Fuck that, I want to have my cake and eat it too. IMO, it's "cool" to have a car that looks good and yet can still get into any driveway or over any speedbump I point it at.