Lower your car to save gas?

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by metromizer

That turbulant air under the car acts to increase the total frontal area, or the size of the hole the vehicle must punch through the air. Lower the car = Reduce the <effective> frontal area.

Something else to consider: You have to be careful lowering your car... it's easy to screw up the alignment, create a servere bump steer condition, and do all sorts of things that can result in increased rolling resistance, negating the net effects of reduced frontal area, and maybe going the other direction by wearing out the inside of your tires prematurely (read: cost you more to drive per mile)

x2

Essentially, any time you take apart components of an independent suspension, you need to realign it. Solid axles and torsion beam axles don't require such care, because there's not really anything to misalign.

At worse, an out-of-alignment suspension can compromise your FE, but more critically, it can compromise your handling and safety. So, if you lower your car, bite the bullet and spend $100 or whatever it costs these days to get it straighened out. Your wallet, car, and body will thank you, even if you don't realize it.

[nascarnation]

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