Is there any negatives to daily driving after installing the lift kit. for example, poorer handling, worse fuel economy.
themeat424
I don't feel any negative driving effects from the lift kit.
Handling is not affected, I'm turning at the same speeds as I did before, and feel quite confident on the sharp turns.
Fuel consumption is not affected by the lift kit. But 30" tires do affect fuel economy.
The only con I see is a stiff rear suspension. It happens because rear springs get compressed by the spacers. So the rear tends to jump up on deep pot holes. But whenever you have 5 people in the car this symptom disappears and Suzuki becomes even more comfortable then the stock one
Handling is not affected, I'm turning at the same speeds as I did before, and feel quite confident on the sharp turns.
Fuel consumption is not affected by the lift kit. But 30" tires do affect fuel economy.
The only con I see is a stiff rear suspension. It happens because rear springs get compressed by the spacers. So the rear tends to jump up on deep pot holes. But whenever you have 5 people in the car this symptom disappears and Suzuki becomes even more comfortable then the stock one
To tell you the truth I didn't calculate it. But I know I could easily drive more than 400km on a tank of gas, which was something like 12L/100km. Now it is just enough to get to 400km mark. So I think it's around 13-14L/100km now
Cars intended for racing tend to be built as close to the road as possible. The less air under the vehicle, the less air resistance and so the less fuel used at any given speed. The lower the center of gravity, the better the cornering and the less chance of rolling over.
While I regret to disagree with anyone here, any claims otherwise violate the laws of physics. You could mitigate the rollover tendency by widening the track width.
While I regret to disagree with anyone here, any claims otherwise violate the laws of physics. You could mitigate the rollover tendency by widening the track width.
Don't forget that spring rate has an effect on body roll and conering stability. Increasing the ride height with stiffer springs can negate the higher CoG.
Did you take into account the odometer error with the larger diameter tyres?
Did you take into account the odometer error with the larger diameter tyres?
Geevee, you are absolutely right in theory. But in a real life I don't feel any difference. And trust me, I'm really far away from being called slow driver.
It's only 3" higher then a stock and it's definately not the highest SUV on the road. Higher rollover risk does exist, but how much higher? - Nobody knows. Plus it is compensated by the stiff suspension.
I absolutely have no problems in handling my GV on high speeds, and I am not braking any physics laws!
And how does air under the car create resistance? I know that more air under the car pushes the car up, and thus affects its traction. But how does that affect the fuel consumption? Could you explain this, please?
Fuel consumption, as I said, I didn't actually calculated that, I just imagine its around 1 or 2 litres higher. I don't consider fuel as my major expense so I didn't bother calculating this. Odometer error is like 6% so I don't know if it would make much difference.
Regards,
Taras
It's only 3" higher then a stock and it's definately not the highest SUV on the road. Higher rollover risk does exist, but how much higher? - Nobody knows. Plus it is compensated by the stiff suspension.
I absolutely have no problems in handling my GV on high speeds, and I am not braking any physics laws!
And how does air under the car create resistance? I know that more air under the car pushes the car up, and thus affects its traction. But how does that affect the fuel consumption? Could you explain this, please?
Fuel consumption, as I said, I didn't actually calculated that, I just imagine its around 1 or 2 litres higher. I don't consider fuel as my major expense so I didn't bother calculating this. Odometer error is like 6% so I don't know if it would make much difference.
Regards,
Taras
Whatever theory says, I would still argue that there is smaller chance to rollover in my lifted Suzuki than in something like Escalade or Ford Excursion. And it's no BS, it's what I drive everyday. The key here is stiff suspention and wide tires. No disrespect to physics
Was reading all the comments and have to say that Taras' experience is totally consistent with mine. I've got 50mm spacers (2 inches?) front and rear and I use 245/75-16 tyres that provide an additional 1 inch lift over stock tyres. Overall effect is around 3 inches more height over stock. In addition, I used wheel spacers to widen the wheel tracks by 20mm (front) and 25mm (rear).
The drive after modification is no different from stock. No problems during hard cornering. I had initially feared that the turning circle would be bigger due to wider track but this proved unfounded. Don't know why though.
Taras' comment on the stiffer rear suspension is also very true. In fact, the rear is quite skittish over potholes if I drive alone. Does not happen when the car is loaded.
Other cons are slightly higher fuel consumption (8.5km/litre instead of about 9 km/litre) and lowered top speed (approximately 155 kmh instead of 170kmh for the 2.0 litre version).
The biggest advantage is the extra 3 inches of ground clearance. It is quite amazing how much 3 inches tranlates into better off-road performance.
On the balance of it all, I would recommend the lift to anyone who has any intention of going off-road. The extra performance and confidence as well worth it. In terms of on road performance, there is no real road-holding penalty, with the main drawbacks being lowered top speed and slightly higher fuel consumption.
Oh ........ I forgot to add that the minimum indoor car park height restriction for my car is now 1.9 metres.
The drive after modification is no different from stock. No problems during hard cornering. I had initially feared that the turning circle would be bigger due to wider track but this proved unfounded. Don't know why though.
Taras' comment on the stiffer rear suspension is also very true. In fact, the rear is quite skittish over potholes if I drive alone. Does not happen when the car is loaded.
Other cons are slightly higher fuel consumption (8.5km/litre instead of about 9 km/litre) and lowered top speed (approximately 155 kmh instead of 170kmh for the 2.0 litre version).
The biggest advantage is the extra 3 inches of ground clearance. It is quite amazing how much 3 inches tranlates into better off-road performance.
On the balance of it all, I would recommend the lift to anyone who has any intention of going off-road. The extra performance and confidence as well worth it. In terms of on road performance, there is no real road-holding penalty, with the main drawbacks being lowered top speed and slightly higher fuel consumption.
Oh ........ I forgot to add that the minimum indoor car park height restriction for my car is now 1.9 metres.
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