Lowered suspension Prius Prime

Black all the way.

 

As long as what is broken isn't related to what is modified LOL.

 

Air dams and skirts don't block the grill, and the battery gets its cooling air from the passenger cabin.

My understanding is that Toyota would have to show the modification or part was responsible for the defect or damage.

 

Air dams might not block air flow but they certainly divert it. You are assuming that there is nothing related to air flowing under the chassis? But I would suspect there is a high probability that something depends on the car having the clearance it has. everything is so interdependent. Nothing is just the way it is without an engineering reason. This isn't like modifying a 57 Chevy.

But in all truth, I'm guessing just like you are.

 

Some cars are bottom breathers as it were, even if they have a grill, but diverting air with a dam doesn't create a true vacuum underneath. If air is drawn from there for the radiators and condensor, then the fan(s) should be able to overcome any diversion to the air flow. The cooling system should be oversized in order to have the car work in a desert.

Clearance is a balance between frontal area for areodynamics and not taking serious damage from road debris, pot holes, and speed bumps. Most manufacturers will err on the side of getting over common speed bumps, but I understand a Corvette, and likely other supercars, requires the juggling of braking and accelerating to clear them

 

Rsr down sus t580d is verified to fit the prime.

 

Right now I am wishing the car was an inch higher off the ground. I just found out that I must have scraped something backing out of a drive way because I have a piece of plastic underneath the front of the car dangling down. I am devastated that my brand new car already has a boo-boo.

 

This is even without lowering I'd surmise?

 

You are correct.

 

No.........let us know what it was (front or back?)

 

pics

 

Says front. On third gen the frontmost under piece can take a beating from curbs: pushing onto them easy enough, then hooks as it's dragging off.

Ok, posted while he's posting pic, similar scenario though: pushes on, snags coming off. Need to raise the front end, get replacement fasteners, hopefully holes not too torn out.

 

Man, that must have been a hell of a scrap. I ran over a dead deer with my Prius 2011. It tore up a bunch of stuff. I stopped at the Toyota dealership and they put it up on the hoist. Those servicemen saw bits of fur, bone, and blood all over. They cleaned it up for me. I felt sorry for them having to do that.

A lot of the under stuff is just covering, I think.

 

The under covers help get the car its low Cd.

 

Keeps the warmth in engine bay too. And keeps it cleaner.

 

@Jasonheng15 , i'm glad you took the initiative to be the guinea pig on this! I'm picking up my blizzard white Prime next Saturday (i live in Florida so I have to go out of state to find one for a price I can justify) and I'm looking into lowering it right from the get-go. I'm curious if you have any measurements on tire clearance (full lock left or right) and what your opinion is on the change in drive comfort?

 

Around here, I have to hit driveways at an angle already. I can't imagine what it would be like 1 inch lower....

 

I am going to a friend's house tonight for mushrooms/crappie. He has a very steep driveway. I am concerned about what will happen when I try to go up it. Going to take it slow and at an angle. Will report if I scrape really bad.

 

Personally, I would really like to see a white car on Air Runner and BBS LMs with a little less rear camber.

Good to know - I'd be concerned about blowing the shocks since the stroke length has changed so much.

This is a bit of a thread resurrection, but I'd like to see if you two made any progress. I'm thinking of picking up a prime as a toy project car.

Lots of going over speedbumps at an angle. Worse than speed bumps is when road construction leaves sections of road with 1"+ drops - you have angry people in traffic behind you while you try not to cause $Wth$ in damage to the car. Adjustable suspensions help a lot (I'm looking at you, 650S!).

OP: I find the username amusing because a Model S can be lowered (by about an inch, coincidentally) by removing spring perch spacers at the top of the suspension if you have the standard coil suspension.

 

The other reason to NOT have a lowered suspension is tackling snow clad roads in the northern latitudes. It sure if nice to have that extra clearance on roads and driveways that have not been (adequately) cleared.