# Lowered vehicles: Why?



## SinnerGTI (Jan 22, 2005)

Hello, 

I've seen a lot of modded veedubs in this forum with very low suspensions. They look pretty cool. 

But, besides looking awesome, what are the pros and cons? 

Better drag coefficient, thus, higher speed? better drivability? better mpg numbers? 


Thanks for your answers


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## PSU (May 15, 2004)

Looks good and makes you fit in. 

That's it honestly for most people. Purely aesthetic anymore.


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## bluesbrothers (Sep 6, 2002)

SinnerGTI said:


> Hello,
> 
> I've seen a lot of modded veedubs in this forum with very low suspensions. They look pretty cool.


 its not very often someone answers their own question in the first line of their post


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## OddJobb (Nov 6, 2004)

If done right: lower center of gravity for better handling. And by right, I do not mean 9.5 inch wide wheels with over-stretched tries and 4% of camber.


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## Scum Frog (May 30, 2011)

OddJobb said:


> If done right: lower center of gravity for better handling. And by right, I do not mean 9.5 inch wide wheels with over-stretched tries and 4% of camber.


 Agree. otherwise it is all for looks, and actually has a negative impact on performance.


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## stratclub (Feb 3, 2007)

Best performance *downgrade* you can do..............


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

bluesbrothers said:


> its not very often someone answers their own question in the first line of their post


 1800 billion billion


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## vswager (Dec 15, 2012)

Slammed VW = mass hot chicks


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## Sixtysomething (Aug 7, 2003)

I don't think lowered VWs look awesome at all. If you can't drive more than 10 mph without scraping against the pavement, what's the point ?


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## rhodri45 (Feb 19, 2012)

when done right using a good coilover setup, corner balancing for the height you put the car at, NOT TOO LOW (if you scrape you're probly too low), do a couple track days and change camber over different days, do some auto-x and track days with different sway bars, swap bushings over and over again til you find the handling you want, you can achieve a lowered vehicle that does have many gains over stock suspension, while looking good since you're a tad lower than average. only at this point is it useful AND pretty. 

corner balance.


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## daiqingheng105 (Jun 17, 2013)

I would







also like to know?


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## lucasg88 (May 21, 2013)

Like dave Chappell said about having diamonds in your poo.. " its the most baller thing you can do"


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

Lowering it on coils is good for stability and handling. Bags are just kids with no friends who want attention. 

I've seen kids buy Bags that have broke ass cars leaking oil and full of rust, and they get reps at car shows because of it. They sacrifice buying a nice clean reliable mk5 for a rebuilt, old, high mileage one so they can save money for the airride. 

The system and the 3 piece wheels are worth more than their car.


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

06jettaSEL said:


> Lowering it on coils is good for stability and handling. Bags are just kids with no friends who want attention.
> 
> I've seen kids buy Bags that have broke ass cars leaking oil and full of rust, and they get reps at car shows because of it. They sacrifice buying a nice clean reliable mk5 for a rebuilt, old, high mileage one so they can save money for the airride.
> 
> The system and the 3 piece wheels are worth more than their car.


OK


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

VR_Kraut said:


> OK


Why are you stalking me bro? 

It's obvious bags are just a fad. They damage cars, they're not aesthetic, they're not performance enhancing, they're just a dumb idea someone had and started marketing them on various forums to insecure little kids who need attention and now they've become rich. Every time I see someone advertising bagriders in their sig I just laugh. They even found tools to give them free advertising. 

I'm all for lowering on coils but bags are just messed up and most people who have them are obsessive/compulsive that's why they won't be happy with their rides until they're 20" off the ground and it spawns negative behavior because people who don't know what they're doing could get hurt.


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## HellaSlammed (Jun 13, 2013)

Theres no pro to it only for looks


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

Ok


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

opcorn:


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## dub-or-nothing (Jun 24, 2013)

Whoah, so much hostility. Why does a car have to be all about performance? Why not a cruiser? Those are built with the sole purpose to cruise and show off. Bags offer a way to not only have a unique ride, but adjusting them allows for you not to scrap your undercarriage. So not all is bad. When it comes to bags if done right.


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

The new Air Lift performance air struts (MkV/MkVI) have camber and dampening adjustments and also allow the front sway bar to be hooked up.

For those who run Racelands or even FK Silverlines, yes...it's for aesthetics. But to say that lowering a car is pointless and not good for performance is erroneous. And to go even further and say that air is destructive and pointless, is ignorant and also erroneous.


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## dub-or-nothing (Jun 24, 2013)




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## Frizzle Fry (Jun 14, 2013)

*Air Suspension*

If there are no pros to airbag suspension, why would they ever be used by OEM's? Let's see; Range Rover, Lincoln, Lexus, Audi, VW, to name a few. Suburbans, Tahoes, Avalanche, Expeditions all have factory rear air options. How about Busses and Big Trucks? Why do the truck rental places like UHaul and Ryder advertise air suspension on their equipped trucks? It's certainly not the more economical option, so there must be something else to it...

The fact is that when properly selected components and installed correctly airsprings can offer performance enhancements as well as an adjustable stance.

There are plenty of posers with sketchy bag installs out there, but don't let that cloud your understanding of the technology.

As far as just being low, all you have to do is look to road racing suspension to know that there is a legitimate performance application. Again, proper engineering is key, and missing from 90+% of the street customs out there.


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## stainlineho (Aug 20, 2011)

06jettaSEL said:


> Why are you stalking me bro?
> 
> It's obvious bags are just a fad. They damage cars, they're not aesthetic, they're not performance enhancing, they're just a dumb idea someone had and started marketing them on various forums to insecure little kids who need attention and now they've become rich. Every time I see someone advertising bagriders in their sig I just laugh. They even found tools to give them free advertising.
> 
> I'm all for lowering on coils but bags are just messed up and most people who have them are obsessive/compulsive that's why they won't be happy with their rides until they're 20" off the ground and it spawns negative behavior because people who don't know what they're doing could get hurt.


"Hey look at me, since I don't like your mod choice, it is obviously made for a KID!":thumbdown:

I don't care for air ride either, but hell the dude is now a kid because he likes it? C'mon.


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

Frizzle Fry said:


> If there are no pros to airbag suspension, why would they ever be used by OEM's? Let's see; Range Rover, Lincoln, Lexus, Audi, VW, to name a few. Suburbans, Tahoes, Avalanche, Expeditions all have factory rear air options. How about Busses and Big Trucks? Why do the truck rental places like UHaul and Ryder advertise air suspension on their equipped trucks? It's certainly not the more economical option, so there must be something else to it...
> 
> The fact is that when properly selected components and installed correctly airsprings can offer performance enhancements as well as an adjustable stance.
> 
> ...


Most of these applications you named seem to be SUVs, towncars, or heavy duty machinery. There is nothing bags can do to enhance performance that coils or magnetic shocks can't do, so in applications that are not for luxury/comfort, or off roading/utility work airride is redundant. 

Anyway the legit form of this technology has nothing to do with kids slamming their cars to win car shows or take cool pics in the parking lot, using tire shine so they can bottom out, using magazines and heat gun to flare their fenders, stretching the **** out of tires and going to other extremes that involve cutting and welding. 

As far as "kids" doing it, bags started out the same way as Mexican youth created the concept of Lowriders in the 50s (sandbags, drop spindles, cut springs) to go against cultural and political statements of the prevalent Anglo culture. 

Now it seems the biggest proponent of bags are white boys.


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## Sixtysomething (Aug 7, 2003)

While some mods are tastefully done and others, not so much, I wish more VW enthusiasts would keep their cars stock, because some day the MKIVs, Passats, New Beetles, regular Golfs/GTIs, etc. will become the vintage Volkswagens at future shows and be worth more if left original or restored with OEM parts.


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## HellaSlammed (Jun 13, 2013)




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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

At this height:


Ride Height by santorum, on Flickr

Suspension
- Air Lift AutoPilot v2 management
- Air Lift Performance Series front air struts
- Air Lift front sway bar endlinks
- Air House 2 rear air springs
- Bilstein sport rear shocks
- Viair 444c compressor
- AccuAir exo compressor mount, large
- AccuAir exo tank ring
- 5 gallon skinny aluminum tank
- Dorbritz Design d-cups
- Frame notch, by CBTuning
- Neuspeed 25mm solid rear sway bar

Wheels
- Bildon racing studs; 50mm M14x1.5
- Otis Inc. LA lug nuts; M14x1.5, cone seat
- Gorilla wheel locks; M14x1.5, cone seat
- 42 Draft Design 13mm spacer
- 42 Draft Design 15mm spacer
- Klutch Republik SL14, 18" x 8.5", et42
- Nitto NT Neo Gen, 215/40ZR18 XL 89W
- JOM Tuning Ventilset

Brakes
- OEM .:R32 front and rear calipers
- OEM .:R32 front and rear rotors
- OEM .:R32 front and rear pads
- OEM .:R32 front and rear dust shields (rear shields modified slightly to fit)
- USP Motorspsorts stainless steel .:R32 brake lines (with blue sleeve)

Form and function can coexist.

MkV R32 and Rabbit on air on US129; Tail of the Dragon.


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## Frizzle Fry (Jun 14, 2013)




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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

I want a Panamera really bad!


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## Rod Ratio (Jun 6, 2012)

VR_Kraut said:


> At this height:
> 
> 
> Ride Height by santorum, on Flickr
> ...


:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Frizzle Fry (Jun 14, 2013)

VR_Kraut said:


> I want a Panamera really bad!


Bring the wagon and I'm in (even with the illegitimate application of air suspension :bs.


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

Oh lord that's nice!


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## forumname (Aug 30, 2008)

It's an odd deep seated emotional thing to upgrade. Typically, lowering makes the car look rediculous. There's a reason why ALL carmakers make the wheel well run parallel to the tires. Most lowered cars ignore this. 

Typically, you're better off not wasting your money, but saving up for a car that actually handles well out of the box.


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## vswager (Dec 15, 2012)

06jettaSEL said:


> Bags are just kids with no friends who want attention.


:laugh:


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## dangerine49 (Dec 24, 2012)

There's a car in my neighborhood that I've seen a couple of times recently. It's a Honda Civic with vanity plates that read DATSLOW. It's got extra wide tires that look like they have a 15 degree camber and this car is no more than 3 inches off the ground. Both times I saw it the car wasn't going more than 10 mph. It's got to scrape any kind of incline at all. Ridiculous...


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

dangerine49 said:


> There's a car in my neighborhood that I've seen a couple of times recently. It's a Honda Civic with vanity plates that read DATSLOW. It's got extra wide tires that look like they have a 15 degree camber and this car is no more than 3 inches off the ground. Both times I saw it the car wasn't going more than 10 mph. It's got to scrape any kind of incline at all. Ridiculous...


Three inches? Then he's doing it wrong. :laugh:


















I have about 1.5" to my subframe and I drive the hell out of it.

Seems like a lot of you have no grasp on reality and don't realize that not every person that lowers a car is a "kid" and part of "the scene". Some of us are adults that just like the ways things look and feel. I don't air my Passat out everywhere I park and I don't drive it dumb low. It handles better than OEM and any coilovers I've owned.

And just to fire you guys up, I installed my air suspension when the car had only 270 miles on it.


















And my wife enjoys her lowered R32 as her daily driver.


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

I think it is you who does not have a grasp on reality. The majority of lowered cars are owned by kids. I've been to numerous car shows and it's all kids, teens, tweens, beiber fans, etc instagramming and twittering pics of slammed cars. 

You and your wife make up less than 1% of "enthusiasts" aged 30+ who like bags. That is the reality of it. I bet you are the oldest guy in your local car club, and probably the only one with kids. 

But what do I know, I drive an overpriced nissan!


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## christofambrosch (Jul 5, 2011)

I never said I was the majority. But it's ignorant for anyone to assume that anyone who bags or lowers a car is an immature kid.

I also don't tell people to "lower it" or insult/question people's decisions on their cars. Who the hell cares? If it's not what you would do, keep your mouth shut and do things to your car differently. Don't like bagged cars? Don't buy it. Don't like coilovers slammed? Don't adjust yours like that. Simple.

Different strokes for different folks. Just leave it be. Stop trying to convince every atheist that Christianity is the only right way to live, etc.


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