Bottoming out.
 

I just drove about 1500 miles in my 2006. Bottoming out was a real issue just pulling in and out convenience stores,fast food etc. Even hit hard on a few roads getting repairs. A couple times it hit so hard on the left front I stopped to check for damage. Even if not hitting hard it dosen't take much for the front air defector to scrape. Hits more on left side then right. Is this normal?

Do you mean bottoming out on a part of the car other than the air deflector? I've never had anything bottom out other than the air deflector and that's normal. It happens every time I back out of the drive way and over speed bumps and certain deep dips in the road. I hate the sound of it happening but I'm used to it and know it's not really hurting anything. Those pieces are easy to replace and fairly cheap.

What's the history of your car? Has it been lowered?

- Mark

Looks stock to me. Dosen't look lowered to me. It hits HARD sometimes. If it was just a little scrap of the air deflector thats no biggie. I mean it wallops. I just figured out how to check if its been lowered. Just watch the lowering video. Guess I can check those bolts to see if they have been moved. Any suggestions?

my opinion is, if you're hitting that hard, you probably need to raise your car, front and rear to keep the same "rake." regardless, I'd do a little check under the front to look at your radiator supports. you start hitting those hard enough and you could do some other damage.

Does this look lowered? http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/.../newcar002.jpg

A loud scrape isn't anything to worry about. A loud thunk is something to worry about. The front air dam hitting the ground is normal and it can make a loud scrape. The radiator support or any metal parts hitting the ground isn't normal.

Bill

Not trying to sound sarcastic, but have you tried slowing down! Vettes are notorious for scraping in the front. You enter driveways and speed bumps at an angle or any other irregularity in the road. And most importantly SLOW DOWN when going over it.

Do not know what that little plastic piece is called that you scrape, it sounds terrible but you should not really be hurting anything. That is what it is there for. I have read several comments on this forum before about this.

If you are truely "bottoming out", then I would think you are taking bumps too fast.

Either you are going too fast through these dips etc or something is wrong with your car. I have a ZR1 and it's never scraped, thumped or anything else except for the air dam rubbing on severe dips even when going real slow.

You may have an issue with something

Try living in a neighborhood where BOTH approaches to your house are lined with speed bumps. Oh and there is a bit of a dip at the driveway.

Bought the house before the Vettes.

Here's the thing - the C5 scrapped horribly. I mean I routinely scraped the radiator supports. The C6 doesn't bottom out nearly as bad. I mean I no longer have to come to a complete stop to negotiate the speed bumps.

And I always take driveways at an angle.

Same here. I have a 2006 Z-51 Coupe and I always enter my driveway at an angle. I have a friend who I meet for breakfast on Saturdays and I just stop in front of his house rather than going into his driveway.

Yes, it looks like it has been lowered a bit.

DJ

You bet I slow down when possable. I'm not a fast driver. Scraping of the air dam I'm well aware of. Sometimes turning into a business with heavy traffic doing 45 plus mph I can't angle it or slow to a crawl without fear of getting run over. The other day with the flow of traffic going over railroad tracks I slowed,others just went over. Vete hit HARD. on the other side of the crown of the crossng. Thought I left some parts in the road. Tuesday I'm going to put it on a lift and look at ride height bolts. So it dosen't look too low in the photo? The other day in Florida I was talking with a guy driving a Nissan 370Z. I commented about the hard hits, He said , I have the same thing happen. He commented there were times he thought the radiator would come through the hood. My sentiments also.

I just did a quick measurement right to left on the front. Same. I'll get in the air next week and look at the ride height bolts. I could imagine someone saying "I can lower that for you in a few minutes" while getting tires or serviced. I bought it with 19k on it and no mods and nothing looked like any repairs done to body etc. Car fax was clean. It runs and drives excellant,everything works as it should. Only complaint is that hitting hard certain road conditions. Went to a family gathering and the house has a qtr mile drive. Its gravel. In good shape with not much of a crown. It scraped a fair way up that drive. Not just the front air dam. I creeped up and back out that driveway. Wife said that went with owning a 'sports car".

If you've made hard SOLID contact at the front end (not the scraping of the air dam), you'd better put it on a lift and check your radiator support. That part is aluminum and very weak, it doesn't take much to bend or break it at the mounting points. You'll need the lift, you won't see where it mounts from ground level, its way up under there, behind the front bumper. The good news is that the part is reasonably cheap from a vendor, and if you're inclined at all, you should be able to knock it out. I know all this because I hit mine ONE time, and noticed the air dam hanging funny, turned out to be a busted support. Good luck.

Thanks for he heads up. I'll look cause I definitely have made hard sold contact and more then once. What vendor just in case?

These consistent "hard" hits are not normal. Scrapes are normal. I am no expert. But, your Car looks to be lowered somewhat. I would check that especially if you bought used. :yesnod:

Yes, it looks lowered. I'll bet it is lowered as far as it can be on stock bolts.

Compared to my 2007 convert it looks to be at least 1" to 1 1/2" or more lower than mine judging from the space between the top edge of the tire and the edge of the fender opening.

Yep, my stock 08 vert definitely sits higher than that.