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to the car guys out there:

Is there an inexpensive way to lift a car an inch or 2? I'm not looking to go muddin' on have it ridin' on 22's. I would just like it to be easier to get in and out of.

Thanks, Wade. I saw the site you listed, and they don't cover my year (2013).

What kind of car?

If you don't mind a little stiffer ride you could just slip some coil springs over the existing shocks.

bloke wrote:' funny...

I always pictured Ryan as a lowrider type of guy.

Only because of my weight.....

bort wrote:What kind of car?

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT: Good room, great gas mileage (37mpg +). Tuba even fits in the hatch with the hard cover. Just a little low for my tastes. In fact, it looks just like this one:

TubaTinker wrote:If you don't mind a little stiffer ride you could just slip some coil springs over the existing shocks.

This car has the stiffest ride of any car I've ever owned. I couldn't take it if it were worse

You're going to want to think carefully about doing this as it is highly probable that you will void part or all of your warranty and I've always understood Hyundai to have a nice long term warranty coverage. You will also want to talk to your insurance company as they are not keen on mods that affect the driving characteristics of a car. They may charge you more or even drop you. I'm not an insurance guy, but I know there are a few on the board who could probably better give some thoughts on this. I know that by raising the car you will alter the height of the bumpers and the ins/car companies have worked hard at getting bumper heights the same - even for suvs - as the difference in height has a big effect on the amount of damage/injury inflicted/sustained.

Something else to think about is how raising a car like this will have a significant effect on aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. Cars like never before are a tight highly designed/engineered integration of electronics (microprocessor controlled), struts, springs, anti-roll, stabilizer bars, anti-lock brakes, traction control / stability control etc. Jeeps like Wade's have been around for a long time and that particular design has a long history of being raised/modified for offroading. It's not a particularly high tech vehicle (no offense intended to you owners) which is fairly straight forward to modify and it's not designed for a fast comfortable, great handling and highly fuel efficient ride like your car.

It's amazing how just even a few tweaks to a aero designed vehicle can cause major changes to it's aerodynamics and consequently to its fuel efficiency & handling. Just watch a NASCAR/Indy Car/Formula 1 auto race these days to see how even a slight change during a race can end your chances to win a race. If you think your car rides harsh now - wait till you raise it. BTW, you can significantly improve your ride and handling by ditching the factory tires. Factory tires are designed to get the most gas mileage and last a long time and be cheap for the manufacturer - they are very hard. People these days look long and hard at fuel estimates/ want the tires to last forever and for the most part can't tell a cheap tire from an expensive one. So car companies can get tire cheap. Tire manufacturers have made amazing strides in improving tires. You will be amazed at how improved your car can ride and handle with new rubber. Downside is the compounds won't last forever and they do cost more. People leave tires on way too long as they get deceived that if a tire looks ok it must be ok. Mileage is important but so is age. But it's the frog in the boiling pot syndrome and as tires wear/age folks become use to it and don't realize how their handling/braking etc have become compromised.

If your trying to improve your ingress and egress you might want to think about a new seat. They do make seats for this very purpose. Or perhaps modify how you are going about getting in and out. I own a dozen cars many of them tiny sports cars. I'm a 6/4 guy trying to get in and out of 3/4 cars - you learn alternative approaches - not always pretty but they work. Here is a place that I use for tires - they are in South Bend, IN - http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp. They handle a wide variety of brands with both their employee reviews and user reviews as well as nice educational pieces on what to look for in a tire/rim etc. Their prices are excellent and they will drop ship the tires to you or an installer. They have installers they have worked out installation deal/costs around the country or you can have them shipped to your own installer. You can also go to South Bend. I have used them probably 15 times and it has been great. One upside that is with their huge volume the tires are very fresh. It's amazing how many local shops have really old tires and age is tough on tires even when they sit in inventory. I have no connection to them other than being a really happy customer

Thanks Tofu. In fact, while eating lunch today, I decided not to raise the car, but go with a slightly taller tire. After doing a little digging, I found that the Rondo that I had is only 0.6 inches difference in ground clearance. Most of that can be made up with tires, so no reason to do the lift. A tire size that will fit will give me 0.4 inch more lift with no additional mods, plus the added benefit of a softer ride.

In the mean time, I have been changing how I get in and out. It is better, but I'll do the tires as well once they are worn out.

I used to have an 02 Elantra - lots of Hyundai specific info here:
http://www.elantraxd.com" target="_blank" target="_blank

If soft ride quality and easy in/out are what you are looking for (along with ample trunk/tuba space), I can personally vouch for the 1993-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood. Nothing else comes close, especially if you can live with 18-22 mpg.

This might be dumb, but have you considered any ways to raise the driver's seat?

Are you short enough or is there enough headroom for you to sit on a pillow or mat or something?

There is enough head room, but I would have to fold in half to get in each time to clear the door opening which is not very tall. Taking my time getting in and out of it will have to do until I get rid of the 45 series tires.

Tubaryan12 wrote:There is enough head room, but I would have to fold in half to get in each time to clear the door opening which is not very tall. Taking my time getting in and out of it will have to do until I get rid of the 45 series tires.

Ryan you want to get in with out bending over? I'm thinking it's time to trade-in for a vehicle that has been given a bit of lift and will get you to your next tuba gig on time!

Even has the ability to drive over and crush annoying viola players cars.