To those that have lowered Vipers

[g3t_t0rk]

How do you guys do it?! I'm at factory ride height and I want to drop the car down just an inch but even at stock ride height, I'm scraping the front bumper air dam! How do you guys live with a lowered Viper?!?!?!

Here's a pic of the terrible wheel gap

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[WDW MKR]

I'm in the same boat as you. No way in hell I can lower the car and still get in/out any driveway in my area. One thing has helps with the wheel gap is taller wheel/tire combo. Switching to the GEN3/4 sizing increases the rear OD a good bit and closes off some of that gap. I also went a little taller in the front.

 

[NI-KA]

I have an exposed gutter at the entrance to my driveway. The driveway then proceeds uphill. The inexpensive way I deal with this is to place a couple composite deck boards in the gutter to reduce the scraping that can occur.

There are also manufactured "driveway gutter ramps" that you can use if you want to spend a little more.

If you are looking for a good set of coil overs to lower the car I have these available in the classifieds:

http://classifieds.viperclub.org/showproduct.php?product=6799&title=gen-2-acr-dynamics-with-hypercoils&cat=46

or

http://classifieds.viperclub.org/showproduct.php?product=6800&title=eibach-lowering-springs-for-gen-2-with-konis&cat=46

 

[Dom426h]

Im an inch lower. Was constantly scraping and the corners especially looked like crap from the previous owner so I cut the airdam completely off and blended the cut to 2" higher on the corners so that i can enter stuff at an angle and clear. No prob.

 

[eucharistos]

pics, dom?

 

[g3t_t0rk]

I'm in the same boat as you. No way in hell I can lower the car and still get in/out any driveway in my area. One thing has helps with the wheel gap is taller wheel/tire combo. Switching to the GEN3/4 sizing increases the rear OD a good bit and closes off some of that gap. I also went a little taller in the front.

Yeah but I have HRE 540r's that I like quite a bit. I can't find any of those wheels in 19x13 with the Viper bolt pattern lol

Im an inch lower. Was constantly scraping and the corners especially looked like crap from the previous owner so I cut the airdam completely off and blended the cut to 2" higher on the corners so that i can enter stuff at an angle and clear. No prob.

Yes, pictures please!!

 

[LifeIsGood]

I replaced the OE spring caps with aftermarket ones (IPSCO). It lowered my RT/10 3/4". I also have 19"/20" wheels.

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[Viper98912]

Agree, I want to lower mine slightly as well, but already scrape everywhere.

 

[STUGOTS]

Chin guard from snake oyl LOL

 

[Fatboy 18]

Many roads are no go zones for me with the front splitter and lowering caps, also petrol stations where the kerb drop to the road is the wrong angle. Sometimes I have to reverse out the same way I entered!

I removed my OEM shocks and put in spring lowering caps after adjusting the shocks to stiffen them up. I run 18 inch wheels with Pilot sport tires

Steep driveways are impossible.

A couple of months ago I got thrown out of a park in London as the road had 7 speed ramps between the entrance and the car park, because I had to drive the car at a crawl and at an angle using both lanes of the road to get over the humps. The park police turned up and told me to get the hell out! Its great holding up traffic in London

As for the chin guard, its a great help but as of today I only have the central finger left, the other two fingers have worn away!

 

[fe4snake]

If you run the stock 18" tires F/R you will have more problems than if you run 19" F/R or 19" F w/ 20" R. I ran 19" F/R with mine and a set of adjustable F/R Penske with very little problems.

 

[RedEnuf93]

Sorry... I lost it.

What was your question again????

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[tito#14srt]

Sorry... I lost it.

What was your question again????

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lol now thats low hahaha looks killer bro!

 

[Jeffsss]

I lowered mine about 3/4 inch with ISPCO lowering caps. Just watch what's ahead. Take curbs at angles. I live in fl so roads being flat helps

 

[KDR83]

Just watch where I go, also depends where you live. In Miami I would not be able to be as low as I am in Tampa

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[denniskgb]

I have eibachs and caps. Stock shocks were turned for stiffer ride from factory soft setting. There are days when I hate it and then I love this set up. No rubbing however. My front end is scratch free. I really watch the road when I drive. My car sleeps on a 9000lb quality lift in my garage I always inspect the underbelly for signs of rubbing, non so far. Big no to steep driveways of course. I also had a realignment done after the install. It is a must.

 

[MoparMap]

The gen 1 and 2's are a fair deal worse at clearing things it seems. My mom's 94 is stock and will still occasionally scuff the bottom lip if you go just a tad too fast over a bump. I've lowered my gen 3 between 1/2-1" (I think from what I can tell parked side by side to a stock one), and have still never hit aside from a really stupid dip I should have paid more attention to. Scuffed something on a brick road once as well, but I think it was either the belly pan or the rear diffuser.

 

[AJ02]

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I've only got Eibachs and I seem to scrape on everything. Crappy roads here in N. Tx. Especially fun on my 1/4 mile gravel driveway.

 

[Grisoman]

I'm dropped quite a bit on 19's F/R with lowered coil-overs and find that angling inclined approaches/departures is a must. Speed bumps are definately out most encounters. I must say I've changed my routes since being lowered to avoid being 'trapped'. As long as you're just scraping the lip 'wear bar' you're fine; oil sump is a different story so be mindful of that. Just wear that bar down and be done with any future scraping.

 

[FrgMstr]

Chin guard from snake oyl LOL

Hehe, if you take mine off now, you can still see the outline of it! That and the fact that I have had to beat it into submission a few times. I am not really sure why I keep it on, but at the last Texas Mile event, the front fascia tore off at the bottom (running multiple 180mph+ passes over two days). The only thing that kept the fascia from being ripped to shreds was the "chin guard." So it surely has some value.

I did the 3000 mile round trip Dustball Rally last month, and I have no doubts that I would have torn the car up with it 1" closer to the ground. Hell, we even bent the tow hook in back that is mounted to the frame. Maybe I don't baby it like I should....

 

[impalassed]

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Stock Gen 1 suspension.

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Again same suspension. Gen 3 18's front 19's rear. Nitto NT05's 285x35 F 335x30 R

Would like to lower it a bit... however the gap was greatly reduced with just this change. Sorry no good comparison photos of before and after taken at he same angle. but you can see the difference.

 

[FrgMstr]

No doubt it looks better, I cannot deny you that. I especially love the Red on Red look. That kicks ass. But if you went out and drove with us on some of the twisty road trips we make, you would not be happy with the outcome. Interestingly, the Corvette guys stopped driving some of the same mountain roads we drive due to them tearing up the front fascia of their cars....at stock ride height.

 

[Luisv]

I lowered the car. It made a positive difference in handling with only a slight degradation in ride comfort. As for scraping, sure, I hit a bit more but I am careful and it's not a huge deal.

I did a write up of the change. In there I give before and after measurements. After a few hundred miles the ride settled a bit more. Details are there..

http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/660417-Eibach-Springs-Lowering-a-2002-Viper-GTS

 

[g3t_t0rk]

I lowered the car. It made a positive difference in handling with only a slight degradation in ride comfort. As for scraping, sure, I hit a bit more but I am careful and it's not a huge deal.

I did a write up of the change. In there I give before and after measurements. After a few hundred miles the ride settled a bit more. Details are there..

http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/660417-Eibach-Springs-Lowering-a-2002-Viper-GTS

Thank you for that post!

 

[impalassed]

Not sure I follow you FrgMstr... you referring to stock springs being too soft to handle the roads you reference? If its a matter of ground clearance if anything I gained... albeit very minimal. Stock tire specs - 25.66" F 26.23" R. Now I have 25.91" F 26.89" R. And thanks... there a lil black on there too.... ya know just to mix it up a bit...

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[Rare Snake]

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I went down around 1" to 1/4" at the beginning of this summer. I've left the ride fairly stiff, and I try to be careful... but there I some places I just know not to go. Even with constant defensive driving, I still hear it touch the road now and then. Our roads/highways are pretty nasty up here, and people think I'm nuts for lowering it, but I love the way it sits. Other than the usual chin scraping, when I was getting used to it I scraped the driver's side sill on a raised fill lid at a gas station and had to replace the screws I sheared off. I go around those lids now, lesson learned.

 

[virginiavenom]

ditto on the no-go roads. I'm an inch down basically and I have problems only at a few locations. I became good at what I call crab crawling.

 

[SEASNAKE]

I have the eibachs on my car and have driven it extensively. Eventually you can gauge where you can and can't go without scraping. My problem is that the car does pretty well until the tires have worn about 1/2" way, after than pretty much no speed bump is safe. I rub the bolts on the transmission plate the most.

On the plus side, eventually it doesn't bother you as much and the car looks & handles much better.