[GEOS07335i]

I just got a 2007 335i with the sport suspension. I can't get it down my steep drive. I know what a dumb ass. How much lower does the sport suspension sit? Do I have any options?

To make matters worse it's sitting 30 profile tires. I need about an inch of clearance.

[PichaDis11]

Originally Posted by GEOS07335i

I just got a 2007 335i with the sport suspension. I can't get it down my steep drive. I know what a dumb ass. How much lower does the sport suspension sit? Do I have any options?

To make matters worse it's sitting 30 profile tires. I need about an inch of clearance.

Dumb ass question for you then. Have you tried getting out an angle?

[robthewrench]

The sport suspension is only about 1", maybe less, than the stock suspension. When you state you can't get it down the driveway, I assume you mean you are scraping either the front air dam (mostly likely) or rear dam, or both.

I assume you have tried entering / leaving the driveway at a slight angle. The front air dam is easier to clear if you go over a bump/incline at something close to 70 degrees instead of 90 degrees (straight ahead).

What size rims and tires are you running? A 30 ratio ratio sidewall is not the stock tire size on 18" rims. Stock tires are a 225/40/18 front and a 255/35/18 rear.

[John 070]

I guess it's time to move?

[Zach335i]

Sell the car in the driveway so it's the next owners problem:

[John 070]

Ok, being serious, can the exhaust scrape? I was leaving someone's steep driveway a couple of years ago in my E92 335 ZSP, and the scrape sounded metallic...

[Bluewater328iT]

First, put the right tires on your car. Second, look at the driveway and see if it can be modified.

My driveway slopes from the street and down to the garage. When I go in or out with a sports suspension car, and sometimes with a non-sport suspension car loaded with 4 people, the car will scrape when going over the hump between the street and my driveway. I probably will eliminate the hump, which has been caused by putting black top over black top over the years, by pulling up at least the end of the drive all the way to the dirt and reinstalling a thinner layer of black top or maybe Belgian blocks for a more permanent solution. This is an issue for me before I lower my car.

Lastly, you could look into putting different springs and shock/strut set that would raise the car. That would degrade the performance of your car, and I would look into driveway modification first.

[doru]

You could buy a 10" wide wood plank (by 2" or so) long as the car is wide and place it at the bottom of the driveway. Some car stores have some contraptions made out of recycled plastic just for that. This assuming you drive up/down the driveway, and the angle is steep or there is a big steep bump from street to driveway (like sidewalk not adjusted for driveway). Maybe your situation is different.

[Jarrod]

Had to pour a concrete lip and still need to enter the driveway at a ~30º angle to avoid scraping. Mine scrapes in the center, as if the car were going to high-center as the driveway falls away before the rear wheels are fully up onto the sidewalk.

[GEOS07335i]

I've got RPM R-505 Hypersilver wheels 19" on 265/30/19 245/35/19. It hits in the middle like I scraped off the plastic tabs that attach the side moldings. You go over and as you start to go down it scrapes a bit. I need to maybe call a mason and see if he could level the high spots. it sits pretty low. Unfortunately now it sits at the top of the driveway.

Maybe if I got 50 sidewall tire on the 18" it would clear.

[GEOS07335i]

Originally Posted by Jarrod

Had to pour a concrete lip and still need to enter the driveway at a ~30º angle to avoid scraping. Mine scrapes in the center, as if the car were going to high-center as the driveway falls away before the rear wheels are fully up onto the sidewalk.

This is exactly what's happening. I don't have a lot of options

[Jarrod]

Originally Posted by GEOS07335i

This is exactly what's happening. I don't have a lot of options

Gotta find a way to get those rear tires climbing before the front of your car heads down the driveway. Years ago my neighbor had a Testarossa. He poured a 2-foot wide wedge of concrete all the way across the entrance and then had it tarred over, to match the asphalt on the street.

This reminds me that I recently saw a video where a guy had his car bagged JUST SO HE COULD GET INTO HIS DRIVEWAY WITHOUT SCRAPING. Yikes.

[WhiteBeard]

Your tires are low profile, but they are not the issue here - they are only 5mm (0.2 inch) lower than default 225/40/18 tire. Sport suspension is about 0.75 inch lower than stock non-sport. So combined together it gives you just about 1 inch you need. However, sport suspension with your tires should drive anywhere without problems. People only start having issues with scrapping when lowered 1 inch more than you on coilovers. So I think it's your driveway that has too much steep angle - probably was built for domestic trucks. I would just save money and use something like this:

[doru]

Originally Posted by WhiteBeard

Your tires are low profile, but they are not the issue here - they are only 5mm (0.2 inch) lower than default 225/40/18 tire. Sport suspension is about 0.75 inch lower than stock non-sport. So combined together it gives you just about 1 inch you need. However, sport suspension with your tires should drive anywhere without problems. People only start having issues with scrapping when lowered 1 inch more than you on coilovers. So I think it's your driveway that has too much steep angle - probably was built for domestic trucks. I would just save money and use something like this:

That's exactly what I was referring to. Cheap and effective.

[GEOS07335i]

There is no substitute for a picture so here six pic's. Let me know what you guys think or what my options are. I already know I'm a dumb ass so lets leave the stupid comments out please.

The only issue with what Whitebeard is saying is what do I do on the way up and over.

Now i know it looks bad. I chipped away at the driveway on multiple occasions with a sledge hammer to get it as level as possible. You might think that it would hit when the tires are in the low spot. But it hits well after the front tires are past the low spot and before the rear tires hit the low spot. I was going to fill it in again but dont think that's the issue. It want's to teeter in the middle.

[Jarrod]

Originally Posted by GEOS07335i

You might think that it would hit when the tires are in the low spot. But it hits well after the front tires are past the low spot and before the rear tires hit the low spot. I was going to fill it in again but dont think that's the issue. It want's to teeter in the middle.

I knew exactly what you meant but wow I didn't realize the magnitude of the slope downward. That's a tough one. I think the only things you could do would be to somehow rework the front several feet of the driveway so the sharp peak is more of a gradual slope (keeping your car mostly flat or rolling downward at all times - AND/OR - somehow widen the entrance so you can take that peak at a steep angle. That keeps the front of the car higher up on the downward sloping side, as your rear wheels are still approaching the high point. Once both rear wheels are close to the top you can then turn in straight and not scrape.

....I'm guessing your drive was built like that to keep rainwater running down the street from emptying into your driveway?

[WhiteBeard]

Dude...holy mother of steep driveways ....after seeing your driveway.......just sell the car


JK, you have to choose man - either install coilovers/bags or rework your driveway entrance - both are PITA, but correcting driveway is probably a better investment in the long run that will stay with you

Could have been worse still:

[GEOS07335i]

I have a couple of concrete guys coming over to the house today and give me estimates. This will determine if I put the car up for sale or not.

[doru]

The problem there is that big tree. Has the roots crossing there, if I see it correctly in the pic.
To have it done properly, one must dig that knoll, cut some of the roots (hopefully tree won't fall over during storms), then fill in with gravel and compact. To be cost effective, you would want blacktop. Concrete is one arm, one leg and the first born.

You could rent a small Cat and dig yourself (after getting city permit - not sure how it is in your neck of the woods), then have some gravel hauled over (and some sand). This is not much in terms of $$$. Not sure how much the charge is to get the dirt hauled away. Then ask a construction company for compacting - need special equipment, time is under 1 hr, but most of the cost would be transport. Then the blacktop.

Concrete you need to feather it at the edges and it will break and chip away in no time. Unless, you dig - you need to go deep, then pour it in. But you will have to do almost all I mentioned above. And it will cost quite a bit.

[GEOS07335i]

Originally Posted by doru

The problem there is that big tree. Has the roots crossing there, if I see it correctly in the pic.
To have it done properly, one must dig that knoll, cut some of the roots (hopefully tree won't fall over during storms), then fill in with gravel and compact. To be cost effective, you would want blacktop. Concrete is one arm, one leg and the first born.

You could rent a small Cat and dig yourself (after getting city permit - not sure how it is in your neck of the woods), then have some gravel hauled over (and some sand). This is not much in terms of $$$. Not sure how much the charge is to get the dirt hauled away. Then ask a construction company for compacting - need special equipment, time is under 1 hr, but most of the cost would be transport. Then the blacktop.

Concrete you need to feather it at the edges and it will break and chip away in no time. Unless, you dig - you need to go deep, then pour it in. But you will have to do almost all I mentioned above. And it will cost quite a bit.

Wow that's a real dose of reality. Sucks to be me right now. I called a couple of driveway specialist today and setup some time later this week for an estimate. I hope they have better news but everything you said makes sense.

[VTECaddict]

Hard to judge how wide the driveway entrance is in the pictures. How sideways can you get your car on the entrance?

Try backing up into your driveway, backup straight and aim your left rear wheel towards the area where the red circle is, and get your right front wheel as close to the green circle as you can.

Once your right front wheel is where the green circle is, cut your wheel all the way to the left and keep creeping back slowly. The front of your car might go over into that brick walkway thing, that's fine. You will have to use your own judgement as to when to straighten the wheel again so you don't hit the shrubs or the tree, but the key is to try and get your left rear wheel and right front wheel to go over the yellow ridge as close in time as possible. You may have to move forward and readjust your angle or start over again to find the right angle that works best.

If you can find a position/angle that works, then try to mimic that same path on the way out (driving forward).

[GEOS07335i]

I had one guy stop by and said 3600 to fix it. I'm going to get a few more quotes.