Despite the fashion of stenciling and low landing, most Russians are still overcome by the desire to increase the car's ground clearance. Moreover increasing vehicle ground clearance applies not only to SUVs, but also to regular sedans and hatchbacks. After all, the quality of roads leaves much to be desired not only in the regions, but even in large cities and capitals. In addition, no one has canceled yard parking on curbs, and the curbs can be very high.
MFC LFA increases the ground clearance quickly and efficiently, using spacers manufactured using unique technology using composite materials of its own design. Thanks to this approach, the client receives a multi-year guarantee and can always be confident in their quality. Most products offered in stores often have to be upgraded before installation. And the quality of the materials used on Chinese conveyors raises questions. At MFC LFA, spacers are always manufactured individually, taking into account the customer’s wishes, even for the rarest and most exclusive cars. For this reason, spacers cannot be purchased separately!
What are car spacers
A spacer is a part that is placed under the shock-absorbing springs of a car to make the car higher. From the external video it is immediately noticeable whether the car is raised. A raised car allows you to drive in hard-to-reach places, if the terrain allows.
Young people install linings and spacers to increase the height of the car, as external tuning, for example, sticker bombing. On the street you can often see classic VAZ cars “lifted up” to the maximum possible height.
Some brands and models of cars are produced with low seating and low ground clearance. When driving out of town or around the city in winter, the vehicle's low ground clearance creates unnecessary difficulties. Cars that are too low quickly sit on their “belly” and get stuck.
But, there are also drivers who, on the contrary, lower the car to the maximum, the ground clearance becomes very small and such drivers even have to sideways drive over a speed bump.
Engine crankcase protection is installed by car owners at will. The car comes from the factory without protection. Therefore, in the technical specifications of the car, the ground clearance is indicated to the bottom of the engine crankcase, for example, 23 centimeters. If you install engine protection, the ground clearance will decrease by another couple of centimeters.
Therefore, installing spacers allows you to improve some characteristics of the machine. They are installed under the springs or where the shock absorbers and car body are attached.
Summarize
I cannot advise or dissuade you from installing spacers. Much depends on the specific car, its condition, driving style, operating conditions, and so on.
The reason to refuse spacers may be the fact that after their installation the levers are lowered and are constantly in this state. As a result, the geometry is disrupted, the suspension system works differently, and changes for the worse, the previous sensitivity of the steering is lost, and the car can skid at high speeds.
Spacers also increase the load on the suspension itself; silent blocks, shock absorbers, and steering rods wear out.
It's up to you to decide. Think about where to buy spacers and whether it is worth buying them specifically in your case. It may be easier to change the wheels or the springs themselves. It's more expensive, but safer.
Share your impressions if you have used spacers. Don't forget to leave comments, invite your friends and tell everyone you know about us. This is not difficult for you, but we are incredibly pleased!
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Modifying a car to change its technical performance or appearance is not uncommon these days. The quality of domestic roads forces car owners to look for new ways to make the operation of vehicles as easy as possible and increase its reliability. One of the methods that allows you to achieve greater cross-country ability without sacrificing factory characteristics is to increase ground clearance.
For such tuning, special additional parts are used that are mounted under the shock-absorbing springs. Let's take a closer look at how to choose spacers to increase ground clearance, what types of these elements exist, and also determine the best options in terms of efficiency and durability.
What kits are there?
Depending on the make and model of cars, ready-made kits vary greatly. To increase the front part of the car, spacers containing aluminum or steel are installed on the front pillars. Front spacers are boxes with lugs with holes for bolt-on mounting. The rear spacers look like rings with special eyes.
Typically, installers at specialist service stations recommend buying aluminum spacers. Aluminum spacers last longer and maintain a given height.
But, despite the recommendations, plastic spacers are becoming more popular due to their low cost.
Ready-made kits for increasing ground clearance can be ordered in online stores. The main thing is to choose them correctly so that they fit in diameter, method of fastening and height.
What is a gearbox, for example, a rear axle gearbox? Why does a hum appear in it that stuffs up your ears?
The photo below shows a set of spacers to increase the ground clearance of an AUDI car.
Types of spacers to increase ground clearance
To determine for yourself which spacers are best to install to increase ground clearance, you need to study the features of each of the available types.
- Aluminum products have high strength indicators. They can withstand high loads and are not subject to corrosion, which allows them to be used in any climatic conditions without fear. The disadvantage is the high price.
- Polyurethane spacers are not inferior to aluminum in terms of protection and reliability, but at the same time they have greater elasticity, tear resistance and an affordable cost. High plasticity allows them to deform under strong impacts and significant loads, and then return to their original state.
- Rubber parts have the elasticity of polyurethane analogues, but are significantly inferior to them in strength and reliability. Their rupture can occur under any relatively high load. The advantage can be called the price, but taking into account the durability of the material, this is a dubious advantage.
Pros and cons of spacers
We discussed the main advantages of the installations above: increasing ground clearance, protecting the car body from damage and dents, and saving time when driving over obstacles.
But, there are also disadvantages to operating a car with installed spacers. These include:
- Due to the change in body height, the center of gravity also rises, causing directional stability to also change. Everyone knows that the lower the car, the more stable it is at high speeds and when cornering. Therefore, after increasing the ground clearance, it is recommended not to drive.
- The rigidity and reliability of the machine structure may also change.
- Steering gear parts may wear out faster.
- The performance of shock absorbers may also deteriorate.
- If you use polyurethane spacers, then if the polyurethane wears out, the steel part of the spacer will wear out the seat on the car body.
Advantages of rubber gaskets
Rubber spacers withstand various negative environmental influences (acid, salts, water, etc.). The comfort and driving dynamics of the vehicle do not deteriorate. There is no corrosion of the seats where the rubber spacers are installed.
Disadvantage of rubber gaskets
- rubber can deteriorate in frost and extreme heat;
- the resource is less than that of spacers with metal.
Aluminum spacers are considered the most reliable, since although they oxidize and corrode, they last a very long time.
Spacers made of ABS plastic are protected from corrosion and serve for a long time. Its price is average, approximately 1500 rubles. No shortcomings have been identified yet.
Do you know what swap is? An engine swap is sometimes a very necessary method.
Useful recommendations for lift installations and suspension spacers:
- Do not install aluminum spacers without treating them with anti-corrosion agents.
- Do not raise the front of the car more than 2 centimeters.
- On some cars, shock absorbers are installed far from the springs. For cars of this design, it is better to install spacers under the springs themselves. This installation will protect against imbalance.
- The rear of the car can be increased to such a height that it is no higher than 3 cm of the front.
- It is not recommended to lift the clearance by more than 30 mm.
- Spacer sets must have their own bolts and nuts.
How to choose spacers to increase ground clearance
In the process of choosing spacers, you should first of all take into account the parameters that affect the efficiency, safety and durability of tuning.
- The shape is selected individually for each car. In order to achieve full compliance of the selected products with a specific car model, before purchasing you must consult with the manager, providing information not only about the car, but also about changes in the chassis, if any.
- Lifting height . On most cars, an increase in ground clearance of more than 30 mm causes wheel alignment/camber problems. It is recommended to increase the ground clearance by no more than 20 mm for the front wheels and within 30 mm for the rear suspension.
- The material plays an important role in the formation of performance qualities. To increase ground clearance, spare parts made of metal, regular rubber and polyurethane, which is a top seller, are used.
Other parameters do not actually affect the characteristics of the car and are chosen solely based on personal preferences.
How to install spacers yourself?
Installation on the front and rear suspensions is different. The installation procedure for the front suspension is as follows:
- Place the car on level ground.
- According to the rules for replacing a wheel, we lift one side of the jack in compliance with safety regulations (installation of anti-recoil devices - shoes, supports under the bottom of the car in case the jack breaks).
- We remove the wheel.
- Disconnect the brake hoses and stabilizer struts.
- Unscrew the 3 nuts on the upper support of the front strut. Then the bolts are knocked out of the rack and new ones are installed.
- A spacer is attached to the new bolts and all parts are assembled in the reverse order. During assembly, the transverse strut spring will get in the way, so you should press it until it reaches the fastener hole.
Installation of spacers on the rear suspension of a car is carried out in the following order:
- Remove the thresholds. The ones under the trunk lid and next to the rear doors.
- Move the rear seats as far forward as possible. By the way, if you suddenly plan to make built-in heated seats, we recently looked at how to do it, what types there are, what the effect is.
- Remove the trim and trim in the trunk, and the trim on the side panels next to the seats.
- Raise one rear side of the car with a jack.
- We remove the wheel.
- Unscrew the upper and lower support nuts.
- We remove the support.
- We knock out the old bolts and install new ones.
- Install the spacer and begin assembling the parts in reverse order.
What to consider when lifting a car
The ground clearance of passenger cars ranges from 14 to 21 cm. SUV cars have a ground clearance of 18 to 25 cm. Off-road cars have a ground clearance of up to 35 cm.
In addition to installing spacers, you can raise the car by installing longer springs and shock absorbers. If you change the length of the springs and shock absorbers of a new car, the warranty will be void. In this case, it will no longer be possible to repair the car for free.
In general, since the center of gravity changes after increasing the ground clearance due to the use of non-original factory parts, it is a case that the warranty on the car ceases to be valid.
Conclusion
For passenger cars with low ground clearance, installing spacers to increase ground clearance is a beneficial solution. The main thing is to choose correctly, install correctly and operate correctly.
It is beneficial to install aluminum, rubber, silicone spacers. They just have different lifespans and affect driving differently. Aluminum ones are more durable, rubber and silicone ones are universally soft and do not affect control, but wear out faster.
In order not to significantly change the driving characteristics of the car, you should not raise the car more than 3 cm.
How is vehicle clearance determined?
There are no clear rules among automakers for determining vehicle clearance. The measuring process in each individual case occurs completely differently. Most people overestimate the figure, and some underestimate it. Typically the lowest point is the front suspension arms. Although it is customary for SUVs to rather measure the distance from the ground to the gearbox. After all, it is bridges that often become an anchor when overcoming difficult off-road conditions. Based on the experience of MFC LFA specialists, it is possible to form a certain gradation of cars based on their ground clearance
✅less than 120 mm – sports and supercars
✅from 120 to 150 mm – most passenger cars without a special package for bad roads
✅from 150 to 170 mm – cars equipped with a package for bad roads
✅from 170 to 210 mm – crossovers
✅over 210 mm – SUVs
However, there are exceptions. For example, the Mini Countryman, being a crossover, barely has 150 mm under the bottom. At the same time, the competitor Subaru XV with its 220 mm is entering the territory of SUVs.
It will be useful to watch a video from our colleagues. It describes in detail all the features of measuring vehicle ground clearance.
The most important increase in ground clearance is for owners of foreign cars that do not have a package for bad roads and are not equipped with air suspension. An extra 2-3 cm will protect them from eternal breakdowns in the spring and on regional roads, and will also allow you to easily climb even the highest curbs without fear of damaging expensive front levers, including those made of soft aluminum, and the paintwork of the front bumper. In addition, not all cars are equipped with engine protection. If there is insufficient ground clearance, hitting a homemade concrete speed bump can cause damage to the engine and transmission.
According to statistics, the most popular spacers are for increasing the ground clearance of Ford Mondeo 3, Ford Focus 2, Volvo and Nissan Pathfinder, as well as Kia Sportage 3 and Passat B3. In addition, customers are interested in increasing the ground clearance of Ford Mondeo 3, Renault Duster, Hyundai ix35, Kia Seed Station Wagon, Suzuki Swift 2012, Honda Civic 4d, Kia Sorento 2010 and Kia Carens. Spacers to increase ground clearance can be purchased in Moscow along with the installation at the LFA MFC.
