Speed bumps?
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Cruising
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Speed bumps?
First time owner here. What is the secret to driving over speed humps/bumps and getting up the driveway without tearing off the air dam? Man this thing sits low! I understand from the owners manual that the air dam is hinged and scrapping is normal but sheesh, I just hate the sound.
AKA "The CLOWN"
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 6,261
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From: Chicago South Suburbs
The front airdamm is spring loaded and is designed to flex, the sound seems bad but you are not hurting anything. When going over curbs and speed bumps, approach them at a 45 degree angle, this will help with little scrape. If you want you can cut the airdamm a little bit. My car is lowered and I cut off 2 inches on mine. I have no problem with overheating issues and it does not scrape on curbs that much. Hope this helps you out!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I had to negotiate some serious speed bumps at Nellis AFB. Always at an angle
The air dam sounds bad when it scrapes but it's designed to take some stick. I have one road here in England that is straight but has some serious "undulations". I ground out at about 70 every time and it sounds like I've taken the air dam off the car. It seems to survive.
Last edited by DeeGee; Jan 24, 2011 at 01:26 PM.
Burning Brakes
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From: Chantilly VA
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Melting Slicks
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From: upstate N.Y.
Welcome to corvette ownership. It's a great fit for neurotic car owners. Just wait until you come up a little too far head on to a curb when you park. Not only does the air dam make noise, you get a ride on you frame a bit too. But not to worry too much, there are many things you can buy for your vette.
Drifting
Joined: May 2010
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From: Somerset Kentucky
My driveway has a bit of a steep entry angle and I always scrape when coming and going and the sound drives me nuts but I won't stop driving my vette because of it. Like the guys said; slow, angle, easy does it. Enjoy your car.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,793
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From: Santa Maria Ca.
Mine always scrapes in and out of my driveway,angle or not,and it hasn't hurt it a bit in over 2 years of daily driving-that's what they're made for.
The front frame rails handle parking curbs real well,too,since, even after all this time,I still seem to think the front end of the Vette is about 6 inches shorter than it actually is...
"Fangs" from SacCity Vettes made that a bit less of a problem lately,though.
I don't do it all the time,but it still happens way more often than it should...
The front frame rails handle parking curbs real well,too,since, even after all this time,I still seem to think the front end of the Vette is about 6 inches shorter than it actually is...
"Fangs" from SacCity Vettes made that a bit less of a problem lately,though.
I don't do it all the time,but it still happens way more often than it should...
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The airdam is plastic and it bends backwards (it's like a stiff flap), I'm more worried about the parking blocks that you can't see when you pull into a parking spot.
Drifting
Joined: May 2010
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From: Somerset Kentucky
