[Mark65]

Hi,
Has anyone removed there lower lip on the front bumper, the black part, I need to remove it to get the clearance to use my drive as its steepish.
I only see scratch marks in the centre where it catches, so it's remove and modify or just remove. I'm not sure how it comes off.
Thanks
Mark

[CraigB]

You could just cut an inch off with some snips without needing to remove anything, though the benefit of the lip scraping lets you know your close to scraping the bumper

[neptune]

add some concrete to the lip of the driveway where it joins the road...... normally solves the problem

[BrendanP]

I don't know what the planning regulations in Australia are like, but over here in Blighty you would normally drive over a pavement to get from the road onto  a drive, and the local authority isn't going to let you lay concrete or tarmac on their property just to make your life easier.

Seriously though, what model of i30 is your car Mark35? FD, GD or PD? Looking on the parts diagrams on partsouq the strip along the bottom is held on by plastic rivscrews on the FD, and self-tapping screws on the GD. I had a look on my GD but couldn't see where they were. They may screw in from the top.

The lip is only about an inch deep, so removing it doesn't make much difference to the clearance. It may be annoying to have the lip scraping on the ground but removing it will expose the lip of the bumper moulding. If that snags on the ground it could cause a lot more damage.

[Dazzler]

add some concrete to the lip of the driveway where it joins the road...... normally solves the problem

John is correct although there was actually an advert came up on FB for me this morning for a big I assume rubber wedge to do exactly that. I didn't need it so only took cursory notice. Do a bit of googling! 😁

Well how's that 2 second search. We really are the best car club in the world.

Heeve Driveway Rec. Rubber Kerb Ramp 1m Sections for Rolled-Edge Kerb– Ramp Champ

[BrendanP]

Those rubber kerb ramps are ingenious, but I don't think they relate to Mark45's problem. In the UK we don't have kerbs like that in front of a driveway, the council is obliged to provide 'dropped kerbs' in front of a driveway such that it is flush with the road surface. You couldn't leave ramps like that in the gutter permanently, the council would take them away as trash. If you decided to have your driveway in a different place you would have to apply for permission to drop the kerb and the council would make you pay to do it. They may also refuse permission. If you persistently drive over the kerb you may get prosecuted for criminal damage.

Problem is the steepness of the drive and the rubber lip making contact with the ground before the front wheels start following the slope of the ground. I have a lip on the front of my drive, and whilst I can negotiate it in my car, I have a friend with a Vauxhall Signum that always scrapes it with their bumper. The ground clearance is slightly less and the front overhang is greater. I have some ramps I drive my car up so I can get underneath to change the oil, but with some cars I've tried it's impossible because of the low bumper clearance.

[Mark65]

Hi,
yes I go over the footpath then my drive goes up, my old Almera had no problem but the i30 is lower, its a 16 year model on a 17 plate.
Even reversing it catches.
Lol maybe bigger tyres, not sur what else to do really.
Thanks for the thoughts.
Mark

[The Gonz]

[Mark65]

  lol why didn't I think off that 

[eye30]

Where the drive meets the public pavement could you alter your drive to provide a more gentle slope.

If your drive is flags then you could alter the lie by adding/removing sand/ballast from under them.

If concrete then consider a removal of that which is causing the issue and reconcrete.

[Dazzler]

The new N-line front lips are an accident waiting to happen.

Very low and easily damaged

[BrendanP]

I did use AutoCAD to draw out the path taken by the front bumper of the afore-mentioned Vauxhall Signum to work out how long ramps would have to be to lift it about 1 foot of the ground. I think it turned out they'd have to be about 8 feet long. I think you'll have to consider that rubber strip under the bumper as sacrificial, like the strips they put under Formula 1 cars that throw up sparks as they scrape the ground.

Otherwise, you'd have to add a bit of a step on the front of your drive to lift the front wheels higher, then blend that into the existing slope of the drive. One problem is that reversing off over that step will make the suspension bounce so the bumper may smack the ground. Could be worth experimenting with planks or paving slabs to see how much clearance you need to add.

[Fury]

On previous cars I have needed to  alter the approach height of the car I was driving, when I service the I30 (FD) I need to use steep ramps, which not only grab the lower lip, but also the corners of the bumper.

However, If I put a raised block under the approach,  ( a 50 mm / 2" paving stone) JUST before the ramp, which is just before the bumper and lip hit, it changes the approach angle by enough so it doesn't even touch.

So depending on where the "blocks " would need to be,  you may be able to put something temporary on the approach, like hardwood wedges , or some sort of solid block, at a marked distance, then just remove it  when done.
 
Bit of a hassle, but better than ripping  the lip -  It is surprising how small it needs to be to change that approach angle.

[BrendanP]

Post-script: On wednesday evening I very stupidly drove over a kerb. In the dark and rain I mistook a section of dropped kerb for a car park entrance, slithered around on a grassed area, then dropped off the kerb on the other side. As the rear wheels dropped off the kerb the car landed on my recently-fitted towbar and pushed it up into the underside of the bumper. After raising the car up on ramps I took the plastic under-tray off and had a look for damage. No cracked welds or bent/twisted metal, and after slackening off the towbar attachment bolts, it dropped down back to where it should be. If the car has been rear wheel drive and the kerb a little higher, I might have been left stranded.

[Dazzler]

Post-script: On wednesday evening I very stupidly drove over a kerb. In the dark and rain I mistook a section of dropped kerb for a car park entrance, slithered around on a grassed area, then dropped off the kerb on the other side. As the rear wheels dropped off the kerb the car landed on my recently-fitted towbar and pushed it up into the underside of the bumper. After raising the car up on ramps I took the plastic under-tray off and had a look for damage. No cracked welds or bent/twisted metal, and after slackening off the towbar attachment bolts, it dropped down back to where it should be. If the car has been rear wheel drive and the kerb a little higher, I might have been left stranded.

Ouch, lucky the damage was minimal!

[Mark65]

On previous cars I have needed to  alter the approach height of the car I was driving, when I service the I30 (FD) I need to use steep ramps, which not only grab the lower lip, but also the corners of the bumper.

However, If I put a raised block under the approach,  ( a 50 mm / 2" paving stone) JUST before the ramp, which is just before the bumper and lip hit, it changes the approach angle by enough so it doesn't even touch.

So depending on where the "blocks " would need to be,  you may be able to put something temporary on the approach, like hardwood wedges , or some sort of solid block, at a marked distance, then just remove it  when done.
 
Bit of a hassle, but better than ripping  the lip -  It is surprising how small it needs to be to change that approach angle.

Unfortunately I cant as i would be using it every day, we had snow over the past 3 days and as it got worn down on the roads it leaves a high spot in the middle of the road as it does, well i could hear it hitting the lip, if we get a bad snowfall and it freezes like is has in the past I can see is getting cracked or ripped off .

[BrendanP]

I attached a sketch of what I mean by trying to build a ramp on your drive to lift the front of the car as you drive onto it. The angle of the front lip of the ramp needs to be gentle enough so as not the catch the bottom of the bumper, and so the car doesn't bounce too much as you reverse off it. If your bumper is catching the drive whilst your front wheels are still on the pavement, you would have to lower the surface of the drive where shown in the shaded area. Obviously, you cannot extend any ramps out onto the public pavement.

In an ideal world you would dig your drive up and re-lay it with a more complex curved profile to ensure it maintained clearance throughout. Then all you need is to find some  contractors capable of laying a drive to accuracies of less than an inch!

[Dazzler]

That brilliant Brendan. The biggest problem with these vehicles which are prone to bottoming out on driveways (like my Hybrid Camry Sport) with a steeper trajectory is when you are distracted in unfamiliar territory. 

[sn]

Gidday Mark,

I have exactly the same problem as you - the angle of the driveway crossing into my work is notorious for damaging vehicles.
My GD wagon scraped over no matter what angle of approach or speed.

After a bit of research on this forum I contacted a Russian crew on EBAY that make suspension lift spacers, gave them the VIN for my wagon and ordered a 20mm lift kit.

The kit actually gave a little more than 20mm, and has solved the problem of bottoming out, the kit was very good quality, easy to fit [I did the whole job in an easy afternoon] jack, axle stands, and a couple of spanners and sockets.
The hardest part was swapping the 3 bolts out of the top of the front struts - tapped them out with a hammer while supporting the other side with a socket. The new, longer, bolts were tapped back in - as the new bolts were a touch thicker I opened up the holes a touch with a drillbit, and then tapped the new longer bolts in with my trusty hammer - while supporting the other side with a socket.


When the tyres are due for replacing I will be going up a size, which will give a bit more ground clearance - and at the same time correct the speedo.


The only affiliation I have with the Rusky manufacturers of the lift kit - is being a very happy customer
tema4x4-au on eBay

[Dazzler]

Gidday Mark,

I have exactly the same problem as you - the angle of the driveway crossing into my work is notorious for damaging vehicles.
My GD wagon scraped over no matter what angle of approach or speed.

After a bit of research on this forum I contacted a Russian crew on EBAY that make suspension lift spacers, gave them the VIN for my wagon and ordered a 20mm lift kit.

The kit actually gave a little more than 20mm, and has solved the problem of bottoming out, the kit was very good quality, easy to fit [I did the whole job in an easy afternoon] jack, axle stands, and a couple of spanners and sockets.
The hardest part was swapping the 3 bolts out of the top of the front struts - tapped them out with a hammer while supporting the other side with a socket. The new, longer, bolts were tapped back in - as the new bolts were a touch thicker I opened up the holes a touch with a drillbit, and then tapped the new longer bolts in with my trusty hammer - while supporting the other side with a socket.


When the tyres are due for replacing I will be going up a size, which will give a bit more ground clearance - and at the same time correct the speedo.


The only affiliation I have with the Rusky manufacturers of the lift kit - is being a very happy customer
tema4x4-au on eBay

Well done my health has picked up drastically so im way more active in a lot of ways that are keeping me a way from the forum. But always happy to see posts like this.

As ci administrator i now pronounce you as member of the day. I won't get a lot more time to read posts today so i doubt I'll find a better one   

[BrendanP]

Do you have to take the strut apart to fit the longer bolts for the lifter kit? I imagine you have to compress the spring and undo the top nut to take the top plate off.

[sundiz]

I was looking hoovies garage video from youtube. He bought old gallardo and took it to a shop to check it out. They lifted it up and noticed that someone had bolted skateboard axels and wheels to the bottom of the front bumber 

[sn]

Russian 20mm lift kit fitted.
Standard size tyres fitted [50% worn] wagon unloaded apart from two kids booster seats, close to full tank of fuel.
rear - centre of hub to top of wheel arch = 380mm / gap of 65mm
front - centre of hub to top of wheel arch = 370mm / gap of 55mm

[sn]

Do you have to take the strut apart to fit the longer bolts for the lifter kit? I imagine you have to compress the spring and undo the top nut to take the top plate off.

I have a pair of spring compressors - but I cant recall taking the top plate off.... 
[My brain cells arent co-operating again.]

I pulled out the whole strut assembly, I remember knocking the original bolts out, opening the holes a smidgen, and tapping the new bolts most of the way in - then using a socket as a spacer with a thick washer and a nut to pull the bolts firmly home.

I do recall that loosening the sway bars gave me some much appreciated wiggle room for getting everything back in place. 

Even if you do need to strip the top plate off - once the strut is out of the car it will be an easy job.

This whole lift kit installation is pretty simple [like me], all you need is a flat floor, axle stands, basic tool kit, and someone to keep you fed, watered, and reach that damn socket that insists on rolling juuuussst out of reach.

I am full of arthritis, missing a few fingers, and crawling under cars is something I havent done much of for quite some time - and the whole job from start to finish only took me around 3 hours on a Sunday arvo.

The next day it was down to Ian Diffens for a wheel alignment, and all is good!

[sn]

OK crew - due to a tekscrew that did a number on the l/r tyre, and a chunk of glass taking a lump of sidewall out of the r/r tyre I had to bite the bullet and buy a set of tyres quite a bit earlier than anticipated   

So, off to Ian Diffens in Ozzy Park for a set of 205/60 R16 tyres, instead of standard 205/55 R16

Now the speedo reads exactly the same as both my GPS and the local roadside radar speed checker + a bit more than 10mm increase in ground clearance.

The extra 10ish mm radius of the tyres also reduces the increased gap between the tyre and wheelarches [increased due to the lift]