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Help - Driveway slope for new house and parking pad
1. To reduce number of steps into house from garage I am asking builder raise garage level. Without raising garage this is a non issue.
I am hoping someone that is much smarter than I on this topic can answer this quickly as I need to make a go no go on driveway issue quick.
From the measurements I was given it will be about 1.5 in/ft. drop over 23 ft the incline would be 7.1 degree. It will be about a 36 in drop in total
do I have other questions I need to ask?
From eye balling some finished driveways in neighborhood it looks like the above should be OK but would be a major problem if my eye ***** are wrong!
Will this work for C7 Z06's? we have 2 - both my wife will have one. I have an ACS splitter stage 1 on the front of mine hers is stock.
2. Also, due to lot size and easements there is limited space to place a pad next to driveway (extend the driveway width to easement line)
we will have little to no extras space to say have tires on grass - with the raised driveway there would be a drop at the easement line
How wide does a pad need to be practically park to Z06 (or my DD would be similar size)
The pad would slope down the same as driveway above.
Thank You
Rick
Roundabout answer: my house is a corner lot - on a hill. The road is sloped about 8 degrees, and has a 4 degree crown.
The elevation change from from street to garage is approx 7-1/2 ft.
I can fit a 2LT C7 (No side skirts or add on splitter), base C5, and a minivan (with walking space between) in my driveway...so a 7-1/2 ft drop over 3-1/2 carlengths..
IIRC, The "level" app in my iphone said the apron of my driveway is about 8 degrees, the bottom section of my driveway is about 16 degree, the middle is 11 degrees, and the top is about 8 degrees. The garage itself is 0.
The 16 degree slope + apron is about the same length as the minivan.
At an entry (or exit) approach of 30-45 degrees, the wind deflector on the bottom of the nose will drag on both the 7 and the 5 about 1/2 way up the 16 degree portion of the driveway... The nose/body proper does not drag on that 16 degree angle or across the transition from the 16 to 11 degree section.
No issues on the 11 degree section, and no bottoming out from the 8 degree section to the garage.
to that end, I would think you would likely be ok on a 7 degree angle.
Of course, if you know your neighbors, you can always measure/test their driveway...
aj98
thank you for a very detailed thoughtful answer - as you say it does sound like my slope should work fine......hoping to hear others chime in with the same answer
i think they will try to make mine reasonably straight incline vs dips But they probably do not know until the do it
This is new construction and do not know neighbors But also I was afraid if I drove up one of the driveways I would not get back down without damage - "scarety cat" i am with the cars
makes sense I suppose ...probably why I find myself doing much more angled transitions here in Chattanooga as there are some older streets on hills that are not corvette friendly
Angle in (head in), angle out (backing) --- the slower you go (to minimize loading the suspension) and flatter the angle the better --- especially with a Stage II/III front splitter.
In my experience, it's not the incline, but the transition that may pose problems.
Ask your asphalt or concrete contractor. These guys do very sophisticated slope calculations to make large parking lots drain correctly, and I'm sure that they can answer your question. (It should be included in the cost of the contract, no extra charge.) It's always good to hire actual expertise.
Angle in (head in), angle out (backing) --- the slower you go (to minimize loading the suspension) and flatter the angle the better --- especially with a Stage II/III front splitter.
I have Stage 3 Aero on my ZO6 and a mildly sloped driveway, the issue is not the slope, but the entry/exit over the drainage swale to the street. I find that slow speed and about a 45 degree angle gets it done without any scrapes.
My garage sits about 4 ft higher than where my driveway transitions up and I have no issues. Like mentioned before it has everything to do with the transition itself. These pics don’t really show how steep it is but my house sits about 20 ft above the road over 400 ft of driveway.
Last edited by JDSC8VETTE; 06-07-2019 at 07:09 AM.
Hoping someone with an engineering mind/experience can give me a few ideas
The one day I am out of town during the build they pour the driveway - guessing the simplest, cheapest way possible straight up!
I may have to hire engineer and redo driveway after closing or just park on the pad outside.
As you see I had them pour extra pads for our DD (or now maybe one of the Z06s)
With the PM as a guide I drove the Z06 up the steepest incline angling in and driving slow, 3 issues:
i have next to no extra clearance coming up into or out of the garage
barely scrape the plastic piece under my splitter (better than hitting splitter)
I can not see coming into garage as car is pointed up sitting back in the C7 - felt like I was driving in San Francisco
I have not tried to put my wife's Z06 into the garage space on the right side I'm guessing it will be much easier.
The street slopes up as I drive up toward the drive way. Do I come up onto driveway and then into garage headed up the street, do I back up into the garage (If I even can)
What way is the best to come out of garage - back car slowly down the way it came in or angle it where back end is headed up the street??
A C8 might work much better with center of gravity and raising the front end 2 inches
yes i know .... with 4 cars already ....now my BIG problem is how to deal with this driveway ..... the builder's driveway guy clearly did not care that we had corvettes
Frankly, the transitions look pretty good getting on to the driveway and up to the garage itself.
The only question is whether the breakover angle once you get into the garage causes the side skirts to hit at the driveway apex as you make your way into the garage.
Thanks....i know they do not hit as i have, slowly with a spotter, pulled in. however i can not see with front end pointed up. I was told i had an inch to spare.
Was hoping for better access
Our dd pulled in just fine
Originally Posted by LIStingray
Frankly, the transitions look pretty good getting on to the driveway and up to the garage itself.
The only question is whether the breakover angle once you get into the garage causes the side skirts to hit at the driveway apex as you make your way into the garage.
It's too late now but the 2 single garage door garages are a real problem. My daughter can't get her minivan into hers because of the smaller garage door.
As far as entry, might try backing in that way you can have mirrors auto adjust down, I don't like the auto adjust backup feature but for your purpose it might be perfect.
I was going to mention getting at least an 18" garage door as a good choice, but it looks too late for that. Opening car doors without enough space on both sides becomes a PITA.
06-06-2019, 02:55 PM
Help - Driveway slope for new house and parking pad
I have Stage 3 Aero on my ZO6 and a mildly sloped driveway, the issue is not the slope, but the entry/exit over the drainage swale to the street. I find that slow speed and about a 45 degree angle gets it done without any scrapes.
