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| Thread ID: 124695 | 2012-05-13 23:53:00 | A Question for the Car Mechanics | Roscoe (6288) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1275140 | 2012-05-13 23:53:00 | Surprising how often I see (and hear) people scrape the front of their car as they exit a driveway across a gutter but it does not always happen when the rear of the car goes over the gutter. I have always put my front wheels carefully in the gutter before I take off but not to worry about the rear of the car as the depth of the gutter does not seem to have the same effect on the rear. Why is that? Is it because the shocks are softer in the front than the rear? If so, why? |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 1275141 | 2012-05-14 00:07:00 | That is a very interesting point. It has something to do with the relative angle of the slope when entering or exiting the gutter. Pac n Save in Taupo has a notorious approach angle when entering the carpark from the St. If I am not careful, the towbar always scrapes. So I have learned to go in on a slight angle, and exit on a slight angle. Then it doesn't scrape. Measure the front and rear clearances and see how different they are. Mine are 30 cm front and 24 cm rear at the lowest point.(Honda accord 1990). LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 1275142 | 2012-05-14 00:15:00 | Simply the car design - front approach angle not as sharp as the rear - eg the bumper or kit on the front generally is lower than the rear. | wratterus (105) | ||
| 1275143 | 2012-05-14 00:21:00 | Depends on the model of vehicle, have a Falcon XR6 and most driveways have to take on a slight angle to stop the front spoiler scraping The other problem is angle parking due to car being lower in the front is the contacting the front on the concrete footpath lip,most cars fit over it |
Lawrence (2987) | ||
| 1275144 | 2012-05-14 00:46:00 | Never had the problem in an E93A | prefect (6291) | ||
| 1275145 | 2012-05-14 00:47:00 | We have a problem on our drive with any car having a towball. If they reverse down our drive it digs into the road, if you drive out front first it bangs on our drive, at our last house had same problem so got some diamond plate from a skip on a site I was working on and spanned the gutter problem solved. Just wish I could hold of some more for this house | gary67 (56) | ||
| 1275146 | 2012-05-14 00:47:00 | Engine/Driver weight + Drop = more heavy than the rear of the car. I have a reasonably low car but can usually get out of most driveways without scratching - doing the whole 45 + degree slip out. |
lordnoddy (3645) | ||
| 1275147 | 2012-05-14 01:13:00 | I dont think the grounding out does much damage so ignore it | prefect (6291) | ||
| 1275148 | 2012-05-14 01:54:00 | Two factors... whichever end of the car protrudes furthest from the wheels will be more likely to ground. also, the heavier end will sink harder into the dip if it is not taken slowly enough and ground. Engine ends are typically heavier by far, and will sink into the gutter until the springs counter the downward momentum. |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
| 1275149 | 2012-05-14 02:33:00 | "whichever end of the car protrudes furthest from the wheels will be more likely to ground." Correct! It is the length of the overhang (Distance from Wheel centre to extreme end of vehicle) which causes the problem. Minimum overhang, such as a Mini, no problem. Large overhang, bottoms out every time. |
Richard (739) | ||
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