Tires/Rims to Raise Ground Clearance

Make sure there's tires available in the sizes you're seeking. Taking the 215/65R17 for example, just a quick peruse of Michelin's be offered at TireRack, I don't see any 17" with that high a profile, they're mostly 45 through 55 profile.

I gather this is to cope with your steep driveway. I'm struggling to avoid comment on your approach, I'll just say, in your shoes, I'd explore all alternatives.

 

I believe on the 17" wheel, the largest size you can go on the tire would be to a 50 series tire. 215/50/17. Anything else would rub.

 

Can you place a 2 by 10 or 12 in the gutter to soften the abruptness of the driveway approach angle?

Seems to me raising the height of the car means changing the circumference of the tire which means all the electronic calculations that simulate a gearbox would be off.

 

A picture of the driveway situation would be helpful. Is it a hump or dip you're dealing with?

 

The easiest solution is to buy a Rav4

 

Yeah, it's a little nuts that you need an all-terrain vehicle to negotiate your driveway, but there it is.

Up the hill from us the builders got away with VERY steep driveways. Most noticeable are ones that climb steeply, then level out. At the crest you'll often see gouges from exhaust pipe flanges and what have you. And when you get a bit of snow or ice (getting rarer) they're near impassable, sans four wheel drive, lol. I think what happens is the builders work right up to the limit of regulations, and the reg's are too slack.

If you're renting, relatively mobile, and really want a Prius: put it on the back burner for now and start looking for somewhere with a level driveway? Better too for carwashing, etcetera.

 

I don't know what his driveway looks like. They make blacktop in bags. Maybe he could buy a few bags of that. Spread the blacktop out and tamp it down. Nice and easy permanent repair job. Certainly better than trying to modify his car and causing a lot of problems.

 

Why not lift the car?

(just an example)

Air Lift 1000 Air Spring - JCWhitney

 

How about this product; Bridjit Curb Ramps - Product Info

 

I started thinking about that too, that someone might walk off with them.

Wonder: could you convince the city to come by, put in some asphalt?

 

If they are used where there is snow the snow plow is going to do a number on them the first time around, if the teenagers don't get them first.

 

They will weigh 150 to 250 pounds, so it will be non trivial to walk away with them solo. Screwing them into the asphalt is going to make clean up much more work.

 

I just had an engineer figure out how this would affect your odometer reading, going from 15" to 17" wheels: speedometer will be off 16%, and you gain just 1" not 2" in height or ground clearance. There may be serious ways it will affect computerized trans too. Better way, I think??-is to get height by suspension changes. I want to increase height just to mitigate SUV/truck oncoming headlights, so any cures, I'm interested on a 2012 Prius 4. Joe

 

UNIVERSAL STRUT SPACER KIT 2″ LIFT FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS | Rim Fitment Specialists