If you are fed up with driving too cautiously on the infamous Indian roads then you must be wondering how to increase the ground clearance of a car.
Well, this is exactly what I am going to tell you in this article. I am going to share 6 ways through which you can raise the height of your car.
Not only this but I will also tell you if it is legal and safe to do so or not.
So keep reading!
Table of Contents
Can You Raise The Height Of A Car?
Yes, you can raise the height of your car using a number of ways.
Indian roads turn into an off-road adventure in the rainy season. And I think this is one of the main reasons why compact SUVs like Tata Nexon, Mahindra VUV 300, Renault Kiger, etc are selling like hotcakes ever since their launch.
However, if you don’t own a compact SUV then you must know about the pain when your car gets scrapped at a speed breaker or pothole.
It has happened to me many times. And all those times I wished for a compact SUV. But since their demand is on the constant rise, therefore, their prices have also increased drastically.
So I cannot purchase a compact SUV. However, I can increase the ground clearance of my existing car.
But the question is: Is it possible to do so? Can I increase the height of my car?
Well, the answer to this question is a yes. There are some ways through which you can raise the height of your car.
How To Increase Ground Clearance Of Car?
You can increase the ground clearance of your car by:
1. Increasing the tyre pressure
2. Upgrading to high-profile tyres
3. Upgrading to bigger alloy wheels
4. Bigger suspension
5. Stiffer suspension
6. Ground clearance increase kit
Let’s look at these methods of increasing the ground clearance of a car one by one.
1. Tyre Pressure
You will be surprised to know that your car’s tyre pressure can increase or reduce its ground clearance by a significant margin.
Low tyre pressure in car tyres can decrease the car ground clearance by 5 to 10mm. Therefore if you increase the tyre pressure you can actually raise the height of your car. And this is actually the cheapest way to increase the ground clearance of a car.
Increasing tyre pressure will also result in your car returning higher mileage. In fact, this is one of the tips that I have mentioned in my Mileage Booster e-book. This e-book contains more than 15 tips to help people increase the mileage of their bike or car free of cost. You can also get one for yourself for FREE by clicking on the button below.
However, the downside of increasing the tyre pressure is reduced comfort and low traction on the road.
2. High Profile Tyres
You can also upgrade your car tyres to high-profile ones to increase the overall height of your car.
High-profile tyres are the tyres that have bigger side profiles. These types of tyres are generally used in the SUVs to provide more comfort.
However, there are some drawbacks to switching to extremely high-profile tyres. Your car body can touch the tyres in case your suspension bottom outs. This can reduce the life of your tyre and if the impact is greater then the tyre can also explode.
3. Bigger Alloy Wheels
Along with high-profile tyres, you can also upgrade to bigger wheel sizes or alloy wheels. Upgrading to just 1 inch bigger wheels can significantly increase the ground clearance of your car.
However, like high-profile tyres, bigger alloy wheels can also create problems. So do not upgrade to extremely bigger wheels.
4. Bigger Suspension
Upgrading to bigger suspensions can also raise the height of your car.
Suspension is what keeps your car in the air, right? If the suspension bottoms out then the ground clearance of your car decreases and vice versa. So if you replace the existing suspension with bigger ones then it will be much higher in the air.
However, a bigger suspension will also affect the handling and ride quality of your car.
5. Stiffer Suspension
As discussed, if your suspension compresses then the overall ground clearance of your car decreases. Therefore if you replace the existing suspension with stiffer ones then they will not get compressed as much. As a result, you will not scrap your car much.
This will not increase the height of your car. However, it will prevent your car from getting scrapped on speed breakers and potholes, which is exactly what you wanted to do in the first place, right?
You can also use suspension assisters if you do not want to replace the suspension setup of your car. These assisters help your car suspension to not get compressed much. The lesser the travel of the suspension the more will be the ground clearance of your car.
You can check out the best suspension assisters by clicking on the button below.
6. Ground Clearance Kit
You can also use the ground clearance kit to increase the ground clearance of your car.
These kits generally involve spacers that are added to the bottom of your car suspension. As a result, it lifts your suspension up by a significant margin. This further results in the increased height of the car.
How Much Ground Clearance Can Be Increased?
So we have looked at all the methods that you can use to raise the height of your car. But the question that arises is: how much ground clearance can be increased using these methods?
Well, the answer to this question depends on which method you are using and how many methods you are using.
If you use almost all the methods then you can actually increase the height of your hatchback or sedan to the level of a compact SUV.
Let me tell you how much ground clearance can you increase using each method.
- By increasing the tyre pressure, you can actually increase the ground clearance of your car by 5 to 10mm.
- High profile tyres can raise the height of your car by 10 to 30mm.
- Bigger alloy wheels of just one inch can increase the overall height of your car by 25mm.
- Bigger suspension can raise the ground clearance of your car by at least 20mm. It mainly depends on the size of the suspension.
- Stiffer suspension can reduce suspension travel by at least 10mm.
- Ground clearance kits can increase the ground clearance of a car by at least 30 to 40mm.
Is It Legal To Increase The Ground Clearance Of Car?
No, it is not legal to increase or decrease the ground clearance of a car by a huge margin.
Before you start implementing the above mentioned methods to raise the height of your car, it is important that you know whether it is legal to do so or not.
Well, it is legal until and unless you overdo it. Increasing the ground clearance of your car by a small margin will be legally acceptable.
However, if you turn your hatchback into a monster truck then obviously it will not be legal.
Is It Safe To Increase Ground Clearance?
Yes, it is safe to increase the ground clearance of a car by a little bit. However, increasing the ground clearance by a large margin can be dangerous.
The thing that you need to note is a car goes through a rigorous research and development process. From its performance, ride, handling, and safety everything is tested extensively before launching it.
While testing its ride and handling, its ground clearance is also tested. Ground clearance can significantly impact the ride and handling of a car. This is the reason why your car’s ground clearance is the way it is. At this ground clearance, it provides the optimum level of safety, ride, and handling.
Therefore if you raise the height of your car by a large margin then it can affect its handling and other things negatively. And this can be dangerous.
So don’t just go and implement all the methods that we have discussed above.
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FAQs
What Is The Cheapest Way To Increase Ground Clearance?
Increasing the car tyre pressure is the cheapest way to increase its ground clearance.
How To Raise Car Height?
You can raise your car height by 1. Increasing the tyre pressure 2. Fitting high profile tyres 3. Upgrading to bigger alloy wheels 4. Upgrading to bigger suspensions 5. Choosing a stiffer suspension 6. Using ground clearance increase kit
Does Tyre Size Increase The Ground Clearance?
Yes, a bigger tyre size can increase the ground clearance.
