View Full Version : ground clearance
cansmith
02-01-2004, 01:58 PM
i was wondering if anyone new of a method of increasing the ground clearance on the xc70 - i lift kit, larger tires...any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
littlewaywelt
02-02-2004, 05:16 AM
Have you noticed how the gound clearance seems to completely disappear with a few hundred pounds in the cargo area? Some of the Jeepers here might have an idea for you. Not sure I'd want to risk damaging the awd system if you have VC awd. You might send an email to the Paris Dakar volvo team. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
AWD*V70XC
02-02-2004, 01:29 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (cansmith @ Feb. 01 2004,20:58)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">i was wondering if anyone new of a method of increasing the ground clearance on the xc70 [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You say you want to increase the ground clearance but you do not say by how much? & why would you want to do this to such a beautiful car?
If memory serves me right the XC70 has a higher ground clearance than the XC90 but I have never seen anyone in that forum complaining about the height of their car.
If you have self leveling you will never notice the ride getting higher, which it does as you drive away from a standstill.
As you are posting in the latest of the XC70 forums I assume you have a resent car in terms of years and would strongly suggest you do not alter the car if it is still under warranty except maybe going up a wheel size.
Could I ask why you want to be so high when you have a few pounds in the back? it is not as if the car drags on the ground http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Chipshot
02-02-2004, 01:42 PM
I have noticed how my perception of ride height diminishes whenver I am following a lofty SUV. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
NeuDaddi
02-02-2004, 02:18 PM
Yes, but ride height and ground clearance are two different things, of course. I could care less about ride height, really, but I wouldn't mind higher ground clearance.
If there is a big snow bank in front of me, I'd rather have the clearance to make it over the bank than merely be able to see over the bank. Next time you are in a parking lot or sitting in traffic, take a good look at all those SUV drivers sitting up above you. Many of them have a lot less in the clearance department. Of course, they don't care all that much and they don't find out what clearance means until they are stuck at the end of their driveway.
cansmith
02-02-2004, 03:40 PM
we live in alberta canada - ie snow, snow, snow. that is the only reason for requested increase of ground clearance. any thoughts. has anyone used a larger tire??? without changing the mechanics of the vehicle?
Welcome aboard cansmith! http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
What part of the 'Wild Rose' do you call home?
I don't have any experience to share with you in regards to improving ground clearance, but I do know what you mean when you say 'snow, snow, snow'. The drifts in your neighborhood must be quite high if you're wanting more ground clearance. At 8.2" the XC's GC is on par with the Allroad and the MDX and almost everything else out there. With the addition of a set of winter skins, I feel that our all-weather Viking is prepared for anything that Alberta winters can throw at it...well, almost anything. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
littlewaywelt
02-03-2004, 06:01 AM
Unless you're into rock crawling you won't notice much difference in having greater ground clearance or the ability of a lift to allow you to run larger tires. This certainly isn't the ideal car for off roading <plug> there's only one Jeep </plug>. This car has clearance on par with most suvs out there. A big lift on a rock crawler would be 5 inches. That would have very little to no benefit for urban driving or light trail usage. A lift of a few inches won't make a difference in the car's ability to push through heavy or deep snow. The only thing a lift will do here, is make the car more unstable in emergency maneuvers.
Chipshot
02-03-2004, 06:33 AM
Hey, why not lower the snow instead of raising the car?
Are there any snow plow kits available for the XC70? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
littlewaywelt
02-03-2004, 07:13 AM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Chipshot @ Feb. 03 2004,08:33)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hey, why not lower the snow instead of raising the car?
Are there any snow plow kits available for the XC70? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
A snowplow would detract from the elegant lines of the car. I'm thinking some kind of super radiant heater in front of the tires. -Maybe turbo out the exhaust in front of the car to melt the snow. nah, that would be too slow, perhaps something with lasers.
ifnt420
02-03-2004, 07:50 AM
I find that with 8.2inches of Ground Clearance it's more than enough for most leisure off-roading. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
I believe it's more than the Ford Explorers too!! http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AWD*V70XC @ Feb. 02 2004,12:29)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If memory serves me right the XC70 has a higher ground clearance than the XC90 but I have never seen anyone in that forum complaining about the height of their car.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I've driven both on backcountry roads and the XC90 clearly has more overall clearance. Not much more but when combined with the better approach & departure angles and beefier suspension it really makes a difference. On double-tracks the XC70 scrapes the underside on brush more; on rutted or rocky roads it taps the ends while the XC90 just cruises over.
AWD*V70XC
02-03-2004, 05:25 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Art @ Feb. 03 2004,04:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What part of the 'Wild Rose' do you call home?
The drifts in your neighborhood must be quite high if you're wanting more ground clearance. I feel that our all-weather Viking is prepared for anything that Alberta winters can throw at it...well, almost anything. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
When I lived in Central Alberta and commuted to Edmonton on a daily basis I never encountered any snow that would stop me from going about my business.
The only sorry thing is that Volvo never had any XC's around when I was there so I had the choice of one of three cars, a VW camper, a Honda Civic or a dam ugly Ford P/U. And the winner was alway the FWD Civic. I used the Ford to make tracks in the morning to get to the main road and then went back for the Civic. That little car never let me down, hot or cold, I am just sorry I did not have the luxury of my present XC70, way back then.
I cannot remember anyone every complaining about being 'stuck in' because the snow was so high http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/huh2.gif but as you are looking to raise the height of your ground clearance maybe you could lookout the small ads for one of those buses they use in the Yukon, they have clearance of about 2.5 feet or so and at that height you would not get much trouble from other road users either http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif but I guess you might have a problem parking that yoke in town.
Leave well alone, start you car in the morning and get the snow blower out (get yourself a decent snow blower) to crave a path to the road, then on your forth pass and return to the house your car will be nice and warm to go to work in, you will be fitter and your driveway will melt quicker when the milder weather returns. You'll also have the smartest house in the neighborhood. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AWD*V70XC @ Feb. 03 2004,17:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I cannot remember anyone every complaining about being 'stuck in' because the snow was so high http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/huh2.gif but as you are looking to raise the height of your ground clearance maybe you could lookout the small ads for one of those buses they use in the Yukon, they have clearance of about 2.5 feet or so and at that height you would not get much trouble from other road users either http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif but I guess you might have a problem parking that yoke in town.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
How about a Snocoach? http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif
Whoops, forgot the pic. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blush.gif
AWD*V70XC
02-04-2004, 02:53 AM
Thanks Art, you are a mind of resources, thats the very one I was thinking about.
ifnt420
02-04-2004, 08:16 AM
You might be interested in these All Terrain rubber tracks for the winter snows. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif
MATTRACKS (http://www.mattracks.com/html/105_series_.htm)
http://www.mattracks.com/assets/images/m105m1_tsm.jpg
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