Does Lowering Your Car Void Warranty?
The trend of lowering cars is growing in popularity among car enthusiasts. Is it the right choice for you? If you find lowered cars appealing and want to modify your car to look and perform the same, you have a few things to consider before doing that to ensure you can maintain its performance and handling. Safety is also a concern because there are potential risks involved when lowering your car. And most importantly, does lowering your car void warranty?
There are plenty considerations involved when modifying your car, especially the suspension. This guide aims to educate you about how this process works and what you must consider to avoid damaging your car or losing your warranty.
Reasons to Consider Lowering Your Car
Car enthusiasts have many reasons for wanting to lower a car. The primary reason for many is that it gives their car a new look and feel. A lowered car gives off that sporty appearance that many aspiring race car drivers want to achieve.
Improved handling is also something that vehicle owners want to experience by lowering their car. When you are closer to the ground, it provides better stability and stance to the vehicle.
A lower center of gravity is also safer because there is less chances of rolling over.
Benefits of Lowered Suspension
• Improved Handling – A lowered vehicle handles better as it sits closer to the ground. It gives you confidence when making tight turns and navigating corners, although it depends on the vehicle and the suspension parts used.
• Increased aerodynamic – Lowered cars have less air going beneath it, which greatly reduces the amount of drag for that vehicle.
• Lower center of gravity – The lowered suspension increases stability since the vehicle is closer to the ground.
• Improved aesthetics – For many car owners that choose to lower their car, they do this for its visual enhancement. It gives the car a sportier look.
Drawbacks of Lowered Suspension
• Lower ride quality – When you lower your car, you must update its suspension and shock springs. Depending on the parts used, it can significantly impact the overall ride quality. The bumps in the road could be more noticeable and the ride will be less comfortable.
• Handling issues – While there are claims that lowering your car improves handling, this isn’t always the case. You could still face handling issues, such as slow in navigating corners or risk of hitting speed bumps.
• Increased wear and tear – Since standard suspensions help to control the amount of bumps and hits that your car experiences on the road, lowering it could lose out on that benefit. As a result, your car is more likely to suffer from premature wear and tear. Over time, you will notice there will be more creaking and rattling noises as the internal components will gradually loosen.
• Bottoming out – The lowered car will have difficulty driving on certain angles and at low speeds. It is a common occurrence for the front or rear bumper and the underside to hit the ground. The contact with the ground is not good; it can cause damage to the vehicle’s internal components, especially if it happens quite often.
• Uneven or extreme tire wear – Lowered suspension results in uneven or extreme tire wear.
• Ongoing maintenance – Lowering your car is not a one-time job. It needs ongoing maintenance to ensure all components are properly working as they are at a higher risk of damage.
Things to Consider Before Lowering Your Car
More car owners are choosing to lower their car because of its sleek and stylish appearance. But there is more to this process than installing lowering springs or coil overs. It’s crucial to understand the complexities of this process to help you decide if the benefits outnumber the drawbacks of lowering your car.
Choosing the Right Suspension
The right suspension components serve as the foundation of a successful car lowering endeavor. Lowering springs is suitable if you want an adjustable ride height and performance for your car. Consult with an expert to help you find the right suspension to match the driving conditions and the intended use for your vehicle.
Alignment
Alignment is another thing to consider when lowering your car. Improper alignment cause various problems, such as difficulty in handling the car that greatly increases the safety hazard when driving.
A professional alignment service is a must when you are lowering your car. It ensures the proper wheel position to increase the tire’s lifespan and maintain vehicle performance.
Lowering Suspension
Aside from having the right suspension components, you must also consider lowering the suspension if you want to lower your car. Adjusting the suspension helps achieve your desired ride height without sacrificing functionality to achieve balance in performance.
Does Lowering Your Car Void Warranty?
In most cases, no, your warranty provider cannot void your warranty if you lower your car suspension.
However, it could potentially void your warranty or have your claim denied if your modification resulted in an extensive damage to your vehicle and other components.
On the flip side, do lift kits void warranty? You must also think twice about using lift kits for your vehicle. There are pros and cons for increasing the suspension as much as there are in lowering your car suspension.
Can You Improve Handling Without Lowering Your Car?
Improving handling is one of the consequential effects of lowering your car due to the lower center of gravity. However, not all vehicles can be lowered, such as if you drive an SUV. Another thing to consider is if you drive in areas where there are lots of speed bumps and potholes. In this case, are there other ways to improve handling without lowering your car?
The best way to improve handling is to switch to grippier tires. The new set of tires provide better performance in terms of handling without necessarily lowering the suspension. Your tires perform just as crucial of a job to your handling as the shocks and springs do.
How Much Does It Cost to Lower Your Car?
The cost of lowering your car greatly varies from $150 to $1,300. It depends on the amount of adjustment on the suspension and how low you want to go. Costs also differ based on the suspension and internal components that you install on your vehicle and the labor costs.
Final Words
Lowering your car seems exciting and gives your car that race car appearance. However, there are plenty to consider before you do this to ensure you don’t compromise your car’s performance and engine. Take into account the information mentioned here to help you guide in lowering your car and deciding if it’s a smart move.
The most important consideration is the possibility of your warranty being voided. If you cannot afford to risk it, make sure you consult with your warranty provider first to ensure that you can optimize your driving experience.
FAQs
Are lowered cars harder to drive?
Yes. Almost everything you encounter on the road will be more difficult to handle than with a regular or higher suspension due to the reduced ground clearance.
What issues could arise from a lowered car suspension?
There are many issues that could result from lowering your car, such as premature suspension wear, tire wear, and wheel alignment issues, to name a few.
Does lowering a car make it faster?
Not necessarily. Due to the lower center of gravity, your car is at risk of hitting bumps and potholes more significantly. Unless you are driving in a perfectly smooth road, which isn’t the case in real life, then you will have to be extra careful in driving a lowered car (which means you should think twice before increasing speed).
