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How To: Navigating Sharp Dips & Rises

19K views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  rdslon01 
#1 · (Edited)
This how-to "navigating sharp rises, crossing dips and/or similar elevation changes" works for all Corvettes, though the lower a car is, AND/OR the bigger the splitter, the greater your potential risk.

With my stage 2 Z06, lowered 3/8" so that each lowest part of front corners of the splitter/winglets have only 4 5/8" clearance (on a flat level surface), just came across, while leaving the public street, in order, a dip, then a really bad combo of a rising concrete "driveway apron," then, finally, upon entering the parking lot, the asphalt driveway dropped off sharply. (Neither of the first two pictures shows the severity of this situation.)

Vehicle Asphalt Car Sky Property

View from opposite direction (successfully went out over this mid-day today).

Sky Cloud Asphalt Morning Architecture

There are many deep scrapes at edge of this particular asphalt driveway (becomes asphalt once you get past the apron), there are many many scrapes, some up to 1/2" deep. You are looking at them (though again reverse perspective).

Asphalt Road Infrastructure Road surface Sky

This picture immediately below helps to understand the degree of this situation, for not only does the parking lot rise significantly, but as shown, does so as to completely "hide" the driveway apron (basically traversing a steep rise up, upside down "V", sharp drop).

Sky Cloud Blue Residential area Town

As is always the key, approached it very slowly and at a 45 degree angle, and MADE IT. Closest point of hitting was not the corners of my splitter, but where the skirts start just behind the front tires. It is important to note that on a Z06 with skirts (probably similar for a StingRay with skirts), the vertical clearance betwen the bottom of factory skirts and the ground is 1" less right behind the front wheels as compared to just where the skirts end just in front of the rear wheels. On today's challenge, my outside-the-car-spotter Annie, said there was about 5/8" between the bottom of the skirt at its front edge and the driveway, about 1" just below my splitter/winglet corners.

This thread is not about what I did, but sharing some keys to help others avoid car underside damage. Again, as most of us already practice, the critical keys in avoiding damage are:

1) If you have an adjustable MSRC suspension, set to "track setting" before you start over dips and rises that you are concerned about; thanks Buzz for teaching me this!;
2) Go incredibly slowly, the slower the better!!!; and,
3) Go across all dips and rises at a 45 degree angle.

And a fourth measure/option, though have not needed to use it yet, is if your outside-your-car spotter (and have your windows down while doing this) says and hand-gestures STOP, would be to get out my "go under your wheels, height clearance boosters." Thought I was going to need them this time. This cheap option, which travels with me at all times inside my detail bag, is the following:

Went to Home Depot and bought one 18" square of Envirotile rubber tile ($6.99). Cut it lengthwise, so it is now have three pieces about 6"X18". They are approximately 7/8" thick (made of recycled rubber tires). This idea is one I learned from Chip; thank you!

Envirotile, Cobblestone 18 in. x 18 in. Terra Cotta Rubber Paver, MT5000638 at The Home Depot - Tablet

Again they are unused in my over 3,000 miles, and the two I travel with are still pristine clean in my detail bag, ready if/when needed when my spotter says, STOP!

While I have rarely touched the factory rubber, under splitter, corner flexible air dams, my splitter remains factory pristine.

I have also installed Curb Alert on my car. Works to assist/in conjunction with, the above measures.

Good luck!
 
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#3 ·
Good information!
 
#4 ·
You're a brave man Mr. Elegant!! I would of kept driving if I encountered such a scary looking driveway entry. I've also noticed how close the skirts get to certain driveway easements. Just because the front splitter clears, does not mean you're out of the woods! I've started to enter parking lots, just like the one you've photographed, and had to back out and abort the effort.....I'm a big chicken!!
Thanks for all the pointers! All duly noted!

Derik
 
#6 ·
John, good info, I've always had a tendency to angle when pulling into or out of any business, (learned that from my own driveway)

akpancake, nothing wrong with a little Dukes of Hazzard every once in awhile!!

SF
Rick
 
#8 ·
In view of a recent conversation from a new, slightly damaged C7 owner, as he did not know to how navigate dumps and dips, and our many new wonderful members, thought this "vertical curve" how-to thread could use a little more attention.
 
#9 ·
Nice, John - the 45 degree approach is the most important, I think. That, and going glacially slow....I have a splitter, am completely lowered on stock bolts and have never scratched it. But then again I am very careful to look forward and my curb alert also goes off when it sees the ground coming up quickly.

But you also have to be smart about splitters. When I go up to see my daughter every year in the fall and am going to drive 2000 miles, the splitter comes off, as I never know exactly where I'm gonna be. It bolts back on when I get back home.
 
#12 ·
Great tips. What a Corvette trap that driveway is. Several items: I know that driveway from trips to Sedona.
1. Why does Race mode help with the dips? I thought my super-dooper electric shocks made the car lower in Race mode?
2. I have a Curb Alert that has been hit a few times. No problem to recalibrate but it is slowly being destroyed.
It is the lowest point on my Z51 with the front lower "winglets" removed. I saw a post on the CF the other day from a guy who put his Curb Alert in the grill.
I didn't know it would work from there but his does. I'm going to try it.
3. I purchased a set of what I call "front lower roller skates" from Granatelli Motorsports. They work well.
Bumper Savers: Granatelli Motorsports (copy and paste - sorry). They are pretty easy to install and have a unique mounting arrangement.
 
#14 ·
Regarding the question about shocks in "race" mode, how does that work?

Actually, do not go to race mode but just use your driver mode selector and go to Tr (track) mode IF you have MSRC. The reason why track mode can help in crossing certain speed bumps and similar, is that it increases your shock's compression rates -- meaning that when you go go up/over a speed bump, your increased compression rates reduces your car's body (splitter and skirts) downward rebound as your wheels climb up and over the speed bump, and by going SUPER-slowly and by going at a 45 degree angle, this reduces (but of course doesn't totally eliminate) the chances of your splitter and/or your side skirts impacting the top of the speed bump. And for the same reason, when your wheels impact the flat ground after going over the speed bump, the increased compression rate helps keep your car's body as high as possible.

My Z has 4 5/8" clearance at both the bottoms of its stage two splitter's end plates, and coincidentally have the identical 4 5/8" clearance just behind its front wheels under the extreme frontmost part of its factory rocker skirts. While I am careful and sometimes choose a second entrance or exit in and out of a few places, have not hit anything yet other than the flexible, curved, outer rubber, under aero dams (and they too are still fine with almost 7,000 miles on our car).
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the response and answer John. When I said "race mode" I meant TR mode. I drive in TR mode a lot. Makes the experience better for me. I am no longer a racer and I have no stage 1+ components on my Z51. I even removed the two front side deflectors. I think they look funny all be themselves. IMHO of course. The only thing hanging down is the Curb Detector and I am going to relocate that per another poster's advice. Thanks again- I follow you on both forums. Bob
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the tips and tricks. I have to say that the reason I didn't buy a Z06 to begin with is that it wouldn't quite get into my driveway without scraping. But.....I am moving down to Lake Havasu, AZ fairly soon and am going to buy that Z06 now because I will be able to select the proper house with the proper driveway and the proper garage. You have to have your priorities in order when selecting a house. :wink:
 
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#20 ·
Back in California, I had to zigzag in to get Caroline from the street into the garage. The rapid change in slope in the driveway over a distance shorter than Caroline's wheelbase necessitated the zig-zagging. If I remember well, it required the following: drive up, angle the car, put it in reverse, back up until the rocker panels have cleared, stop before driving into the yard, turn wheel and pull up, turn wheels go back in reverse again, turn wheel and pull forward again, put in reverse and back down into the garage.

There was no way to get her in the garage nose-first.

By the way, Mrs. rdslon01 has decided that we are going to stay in North Carolina for a while. She also has decided we are going to have a house built here. One of the things I have mentioned to the builder is "you have to put it in the contract that I can get my sports car in the driveway without scraping."

Yeah, definitely it is the case: you DO have to set your priorities in order when selecting a house!
 
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#17 ·
There u go...buying a house to fit the car!
We bought a house one time because our 10 ft Christmas tree would fit in it!!!!!
 
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#18 ·
And we are one step closer. We just got an offer on our house today.
 
#19 ·
Congrats! AZ is a beautiful state. Some would argue, because it is mostly desert! Was stationed in Yuma, AZ and travelled to Phoenix and Tucson for work as a civilian! Would love to retire there!
 
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