how low ?

[bodyman]

how low is to low on a first gen camaro ( 1967 ) ? im not going to use bags & was wondering how low can the car be safe ? crossmember etc? pics would also be great ? thanks

[Goatman]

Just high enough to avoid manhole covers, train tracks, and speed bumps.....

[shmoov69]

The lowest point on my 69 is about 1 1/2"
It is not bagged and it has been that way since about '92ish. I have had no major troubles other than the old long tube headers that it used to have on it. I got a set of Headman intermediate length headers and they were awesome. Now, well it is just tubing since the headers go to the turbos! You can go pretty darn low IF and only if you are careful! If you drive like an idiot and are not always looking ahead, well then you will have problems. Yes, my car drags on speedbumps and some driveway entrances and such, but so what! Go slow and idle at a big angle and there is no damage other than a couple scrapes on the exhaust. But that is me and I like low cars!

[DarkoNova]

Jeez, and I thought my 3" was bad. I wouldn't be able to go to work if my car was that low!!

Matt

[zuess4u]

The lowest point on my 69 is about 1 1/2"
It is not bagged and it has been that way since about '92ish. I have had no major troubles other than the old long tube headers that it used to have on it. I got a set of Headman intermediate length headers and they were awesome. Now, well it is just tubing since the headers go to the turbos! You can go pretty darn low IF and only if you are careful! If you drive like an idiot and are not always looking ahead, well then you will have problems. Yes, my car drags on speedbumps and some driveway entrances and such, but so what! Go slow and idle at a big angle and there is no damage other than a couple scrapes on the exhaust. But that is me and I like low cars!

Good Answer!

[shmoov69]

Jeez, and I thought my 3" was bad. I wouldn't be able to go to work if my car was that low!!

Matt

Mine will actually scrape on some roads that have ruts from where the traffic runs on the asphalt. If you are driving down the highway, you expect it and don't drive in the low spots. But in town going up to some stoplights you don't see it as much and it will barely scrape. Like I said though, just gotta use your head!

[baz67]

One concern other than scraping the x-member or hedders is the front suspension bump travel.

[rockdogz]

You know those little plastic reflectors on the road that separate the lanes? When I started scraping those off the street I figured that was a little too low for me...

[Goatman]

LOL. None of your cars would last 5 minutes in Massahcusetts......




I'm jealous!

[ProTeal55]

Lower your car to get the "look" you are after, and then raise it up as need be. I had my 55'' almost one inch lower when I first started out, but realized after the first cruise around town it wasnt gonna work..

As it sits the car has the look I want, and is still driveable. Only thing I scrape are those stupid longtube headers I have (which will be replaced soon)...

[Marcus SC&C]

There actually is a technical answer to this question,sorta... You don`t want the inner pivot axis of the control arms to get lower than the pivot axis of the lower ball joints. If you get to that point and the cars still isn`t low enough for you look to tall lower ball joints (if they work out for your application) or drop spindles. If not the overall geometry goes right off a cliff. Not a big deal for a fairgrounds cruiser but very important if you ever drive the car hard around corners and I think most of us here like to drive our cars like we stole em at least from time to time.
<--- Mark SC&C

[bodyman]

any pics of really low first gen ?

[shmoov69]

You can look at my fquick page. I'm not smart enough to post pics from my phone!! LOL.

Actually I have raised my car up about and inch to inch and a half because it had started riding on the snubbers (I cut them to about 3/4" tall!! LOL! Now I can actually run a little bigger tire on the front too!!:p

[bodyman]

thanks shmoov69 nice camaro

[narlee]

Might check into "scrub line" which is basically the height you need to be so you don't hit anything (frame, suspension, etc.) if you get a flat tire.

[Henesian]

In my T/A, the crossmember is about 3.5" off the ground, and the front end is raised 1". It's okay, because I'm not running super deep pans, and the crossmember acts as a skidplate, but only in SUPER EXTREME CONDITIONS!!!! Like, going 80 on a 40 mph backroad and hitting the most insane dip in the road that makes the car do a WRC style jump(Sonoma County :() However, I don't have a problem with speedbumps/driveways, because I creep extremely slow over them like I'm staging my Mopar at the dragstrip. So, I guess I do have problems, but I've just eliminated them by paying attention to the road. But in terms of suspension geometry, I have PTFB upper arms with tall BJs on stock spindles and stock LCAs, and the car is so low that the UCAs point WAY up at ride height, which is pretty cool.