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  • suspension and gas mileage

    John Kilgore...if winning was easy, losers would do it.
    Team9Racing BMW 325i, Old Faithful (with a little evil)

  • #2
    Well yeah. Lowering a car and reducing the airflow underneath reduces drag, thus reducing necessary energy to keep the car at a constant speed.

    You could obtain this same effect by cutting the springs...although even as a drifter I can't bring myself to ever own a vehicle with cut springs. They're just SO bad.
    Nick Stone

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    • #3
      I'm not buying 8%. Sounds like a job for Mythbusters to me.

      Cutting springs makes them shorter and increases the spring rate. I can see that this doesn't have to be a bad thing. To excess, surely it is.
      Charles
      TAC/TVR
      #72 SA rallyx Impreza 2.5 RS
      #74 "CSP" time trial Miata

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      • #4
        I call marketing BS (sorry if that is redundant). I don't doubt that there could be some benefit, but 8%? Both cars I have lowered have seen no mileage increase, and one was with a magical Eibach pro-kit. I keep very good mpg records and would have noticed any significant change.
        Rod H
        Bringing a knife to a gun fight.

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        • #5
          The data is there, but I'd like to see a 3rd test just to verify. To do this correctly, you'd want to take 3 data samples and use the median.
          Matt W.
          18 SM - Lancer Evolution MR
          15 MR - Volkswagen Beetle
          Sponsors: Satellite Racing - Defined Performance

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          • #6
            There's a 10 degree temperature difference between the 2 tests. Maybe the VW ECU leaned it out a bit due to temperature.

            Correction 6 degree temperature difference.


            But still... 8%? C'mon!
            John W8
            CSP 10 Yellow Miata

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            • #7
              Originally posted by rodhx View Post
              I call marketing BS (sorry if that is redundant). I don't doubt that there could be some benefit, but 8%? Both cars I have lowered have seen no mileage increase, and one was with a magical Eibach pro-kit. I keep very good mpg records and would have noticed any significant change.
              Dont forget though rod, when you lowered the car, you also probably put stickier tires on, and that does make a difference.

              With some eco tires on the rabbit, I was getting 33 on the highway (never seen over 28), and with the star specs I was getting 25.
              M. Cholewa

              Because they heard I liked my name, so they put my name as my name so I could have my name in my name... all the time.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Cholewa View Post
                Dont forget though rod, when you lowered the car, you also probably put stickier tires on, and that does make a difference
                Nope...same street wheels and tires before and after on both the miata and the civic. No discernable change in mileage regardless of city, highway, or mixed driving.
                Rod H
                Bringing a knife to a gun fight.

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                • #9
                  Maybe you just need a german car
                  M. Cholewa

                  Because they heard I liked my name, so they put my name as my name so I could have my name in my name... all the time.

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                  • #10
                    Got two already, but one is confused and thinks it is english
                    Rod H
                    Bringing a knife to a gun fight.

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                    • #11
                      You clearly didn't lower it enough
                      Nick Stone

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                      • #12
                        Tire rub is not aero.
                        M. Cholewa

                        Because they heard I liked my name, so they put my name as my name so I could have my name in my name... all the time.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Cholewa View Post
                          Tire rub is not aero.
                          Yes, it seals the gap so air can no longer flow between the tire and inner fender, reducing turbulence
                          Nick Stone

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                          • #14
                            at the cost of how much friction? (forward momentum being turned into heat?)
                            M. Cholewa

                            Because they heard I liked my name, so they put my name as my name so I could have my name in my name... all the time.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Cholewa View Post
                              at the cost of how much friction? (forward momentum being turned into heat?)
                              Dude...I was kidding.
                              Nick Stone

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