can't make it down my new driveway :(
Originally Posted by Suretu
Here's a ghetto sketch of the situation. It's not even close to scale.
The first problem is that there's a slight uphill slope to the sidewalk, and the city says we can't change the sidewalk.
So as soon as the front wheel gets over the top threshold, the body bottoms out.
We've added a concrete "ramp" for a ways, but it's not as easy as it looks to get the ramp to proper height to allow clearance at all points, but not be so high that it'll affect the garage ingress!
The first problem is that there's a slight uphill slope to the sidewalk, and the city says we can't change the sidewalk.
So as soon as the front wheel gets over the top threshold, the body bottoms out.
We've added a concrete "ramp" for a ways, but it's not as easy as it looks to get the ramp to proper height to allow clearance at all points, but not be so high that it'll affect the garage ingress!
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From: Orlando, FL
Originally Posted by Suretu
You guys are quick to reply, and pretty damn funny too 
I don't have pictures at the moment... I'm in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania for work for the next couple days. I'll try to grab some shots when I'm back later this week and post them.
I've thought about renting a spot in a garage in the neighborhood, but that kinda defeats the purpose of having bought a condo with a dedicated space! =)
But... I just spent all the money on the condo!
Just to add a little more color... the close of escrow (which happens in a few weeks) is contingent upon my vehicle making it down the driveway, so the seller has motivation to make sure that things work here too
I don't have pictures at the moment... I'm in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania for work for the next couple days. I'll try to grab some shots when I'm back later this week and post them.
I've thought about renting a spot in a garage in the neighborhood, but that kinda defeats the purpose of having bought a condo with a dedicated space! =)
But... I just spent all the money on the condo!
Just to add a little more color... the close of escrow (which happens in a few weeks) is contingent upon my vehicle making it down the driveway, so the seller has motivation to make sure that things work here too
Now I really like the lift idea!
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Orlando, FL
Originally Posted by 98MODMTR
move to a flat state....like Fl.
Flat state or not, a house I looked at a while back would have had the same problem as his, but mine would have been an uphill to the house. I had a Maxima at the time and it was bottoming out.
An Airbag Suspension should cost you no more than $2K, Adjustable Shocks will hit you at about $1,500.
BINGO!!! I just had an Idea!!!
Buy a Trailer with ramps,
that will go over everything.
Put in an Electric Wench System in the garage and up near the curb.
Park the Z on the Trailer and Hoist it down in to the garage each night!
BINGO!!! I just had an Idea!!!
Buy a Trailer with ramps,
that will go over everything.
Put in an Electric Wench System in the garage and up near the curb.
Park the Z on the Trailer and Hoist it down in to the garage each night!
Oh Yeah, These Guys Design and Build Air Suspensions for the Z
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....air+suspension
He Says you can get it set up to Raise the car for clearing Driveways;
https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....air+suspension
He Says you can get it set up to Raise the car for clearing Driveways;
Dakota digial makes an add-on unit that you can set 3 different heights into the unit. It uses height sensors to adjust the height to your setting. That add-on is 725.
They make a more simple unit that will raise the car on startup to your preset height using pressure sensors and that unit is 510.
Standard kits are manual control.
They make a more simple unit that will raise the car on startup to your preset height using pressure sensors and that unit is 510.
Standard kits are manual control.
Last edited by sq40; Nov 6, 2006 at 08:36 AM.
These are just some of my observations. I build luxury condo's on the East Coast and I have to say I haven't really encountered this problem with a non-modified vehicle.
1) Look up your local jurisdictions building traffic codes. There may be (and typically is) a code dictating slope restrictions on entrances. If you wanna take the short cut and really see what the deal is, just call up your local building officials make a complaint and make them inspect it. Most likely at this point they're giving you a line of b.s. about "not being able to do anything about it". Just keep pressing them.
2) Are there any other vehicles that can't make it in or out? I would be surprised if your Z is the only vehicle that cant make it.
3) I can't imagine a developer building nice "luxury condos" where his homeowners can't get there nice vehicles in and out of.
Not very good for sales.
1) Look up your local jurisdictions building traffic codes. There may be (and typically is) a code dictating slope restrictions on entrances. If you wanna take the short cut and really see what the deal is, just call up your local building officials make a complaint and make them inspect it. Most likely at this point they're giving you a line of b.s. about "not being able to do anything about it". Just keep pressing them.
2) Are there any other vehicles that can't make it in or out? I would be surprised if your Z is the only vehicle that cant make it.
3) I can't imagine a developer building nice "luxury condos" where his homeowners can't get there nice vehicles in and out of.
Not very good for sales.
Last edited by Driven1; Nov 6, 2006 at 08:45 AM.
I agree with others here. If you MUST keep both the car and the condo and MUST park in the garage, air suspension is your only practical option.
For the love of God, don't raise the Z. You will take away one of the 3 things that make it a Z; its handling.
For the love of God, don't raise the Z. You will take away one of the 3 things that make it a Z; its handling.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: denver
cheezy trick... but if you took a large piece of 1 inch thick plywood, about say 2 feet long and 4 feet wide, you could place it at the entrance and have your car drive over it, that way you wont bottom out, would be a pain to do each time though.
You can also buy some patch concrete and place a moderatly large amount of it at the top (where I bet you're scraping worse, are you scraping on the bottom too?) to widen the edge out before it drops, that way you'll be less likely to scrape as well.
Also, make sure that you take those sharp corners at an angle, rather than straight on, that will help prevent you from scraping as well.
strange idea that wont really work: put a large peice of plywood on the top corner so that it's balanced in the middle, attach it there to the concrete, then have a weight on a mechanicaly driven pully that you can set down onto the side closest to the garage. Put the weight on it and have it lean to meet the slant of the drive way, drive your car onto it and keep going until it tilts like a teeter totter and then drive off of it... lol
you could also install a hydrolic lift at the garage level, drive onto it, have it raise your car up and drive off (like a car elevator).
Though, the real way to solve this problem, has already been mentioned, get the city to look at the angle of the drive way and make sure it's right, if not fix it. See if other people have the same problem, and get them to modify the drive in a legal way... .
You can also buy some patch concrete and place a moderatly large amount of it at the top (where I bet you're scraping worse, are you scraping on the bottom too?) to widen the edge out before it drops, that way you'll be less likely to scrape as well.
Also, make sure that you take those sharp corners at an angle, rather than straight on, that will help prevent you from scraping as well.
strange idea that wont really work: put a large peice of plywood on the top corner so that it's balanced in the middle, attach it there to the concrete, then have a weight on a mechanicaly driven pully that you can set down onto the side closest to the garage. Put the weight on it and have it lean to meet the slant of the drive way, drive your car onto it and keep going until it tilts like a teeter totter and then drive off of it... lol
you could also install a hydrolic lift at the garage level, drive onto it, have it raise your car up and drive off (like a car elevator).
Though, the real way to solve this problem, has already been mentioned, get the city to look at the angle of the drive way and make sure it's right, if not fix it. See if other people have the same problem, and get them to modify the drive in a legal way... .
I know it's after the fact, but you didn't notice the huge slope into the garage when you purchase the condo? If the slope is exactly the angle that you drew in the picture, there is no way I would not notice it.
If I ever moved into a condo from my house, I'd definately look at the parking situation before purchasing, since that is a huge aspect of the purchase.
Did you not even bother to look at the parking situation or did you get the Zed after the fact?
I have an uphill driveway, when I test drove the 350Z, I drove it to my house to see how much clearance I had and if it could fit in my garage nicely. I also measured how much I could afford to lower the car after that too.
If I ever moved into a condo from my house, I'd definately look at the parking situation before purchasing, since that is a huge aspect of the purchase.
Did you not even bother to look at the parking situation or did you get the Zed after the fact?
I have an uphill driveway, when I test drove the 350Z, I drove it to my house to see how much clearance I had and if it could fit in my garage nicely. I also measured how much I could afford to lower the car after that too.
Contact the local authority/owner of the building. Over here they HAVE to make everything suitable for a 'normal' stock car.
A neighbour with a ferrari F430 couldn't make it over any speedbump in the area, so he couldn't drive home. They adjusted all of them so the ferrari can clear them
A neighbour with a ferrari F430 couldn't make it over any speedbump in the area, so he couldn't drive home. They adjusted all of them so the ferrari can clear them
