State of Stance: Lowering and tyre stretching
Reducing a car's ride height is one thing, but understanding “stance” and embracing the slammed lifestyle is a whole different cut of cloth. The car-enthusiasm here in Bangladesh has a come a long way, and teenagers and adults alike now show a far greater understanding, and more importantly, more respect for the cars they drive.
Of late, cars in the capital have been seen going to a whole new low, the good kind. Enthusiasts don't just stop at mere lowering springs anymore. They go the full nine yards. Car people like us folk, are more or less familiar with the ideas of fitment, stance, and flush. But have we yet dared to go there? Keeping in mind Dhaka streets' horrid conditions, I'd say anyone brave enough to have a car with a ride height of two inches off the ground is salute-worthy. The scene outside the country, mainly in Far-East and Western countries, is very different. Some say the orient is where fitment originated, with JDM culture, to be precise. The lifestyle spread like wildfire (yes, it is indeed a lifestyle, and not simply car customization). Blessed with beautiful flat roads and the absence of potholes, enthusiasts abroad believe in a saying:
“A car can never be too low. The road is always too high!” –
At least that's what my cousin from Florida tells me. Deep-dish fat rims, camber kits, stretched tires, and coil-over suspensions are all too common for them. The idea is catching on very fast here too. Interviewing the Allion's proud owner, I gathered valuable insight into what inspired him to lower his car. “It earns you respect”, he tells me. “Everyone will stare automatically”. Why? Because he went to certain lengths to which most enthusiasts wouldn't dare to go.
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The car has noteworthy features. Coupling Tanabe Sustec lowering springs and deep-dish BBS RS 18” rims, it has one of the tightest fitments for any family-sedan being driven here. What's fitment you ask? It's what you get when you leave no room between your wheels and the fender-wells for even your finger to squeeze through. Yeah, you get the picture! Having 9J sized rear rims also add to the rear visual appeal. The rims seem to stick out to give the car that extra “it-factor”. Lowering the ride height also gives the rear wheels slight negative camber.
In layman terms, camber is the degree to which the wheels are slanted, when the wheels seem the bend outwards on the bottom and inwards on the top, making it appear as if they gave out with weight. The modest side skirts are a healthy addition too. They breeze over the tarmac, almost kissing it.
For most teenagers here, getting the green light from home is the biggest obstacle. You have to spend hours convincing your family on why you want to do it, with most attempts going to vain. To them, it will be pointless, and dangerous. But not necessarily so, if you do it right.
You see, the fear lies with the misconception that the car will scrape the floor constantly. It won't, because lowering springs or coil-over are usually stiffer than regular OEM springs. This means you won't have to worry about bouncing, or body roll. As a matter of fact, they enhance control during corners, and ease steering at high speeds.
But one would be lying if they claimed that it would be a very “healthy” choice for Dhaka city roads. Because in all honesty, lowered cars are like high maintenance girlfriends (they won't go everywhere, and demand the highest quality products). Streets here are festered with potholes and foot-high speed bumps. For a car on stiffer springs, even a pebble will hurt. Ride comfort and functionality is compromised on, and the car will feel shakier, like a wet dog on a cold morning. Uneven slopes will be increasingly difficult to drive over and there is always the possibility of scraping that precious front bumper. It hurts when that happens.
But is it all worth the trouble? Absolutely! For any enthusiast, going this extra mile gets you instant respect. Great diligence is shown in stancing out your car, and also displays a driver's skill, because not just anyone can handle a lowered ride. In my personal opinion, it's a lifestyle very few dare to lead, and even fewer come out un-scraped. Get it? (Pun intended).
Special Thanks To Wahid Tausif & Shah Minhazul Kabir
Lets Talk about the does and the don'ts
Do
Get the original stuff. Dholaikhal will have more springs than you can imagine, but be careful and get a set of the real ones. This will ensure proper stiffness.
Get nice fat rims if you want the aggressive look.
If coil-overs are within budget, GET THEM. That allows for near perfect ride height adjustment.
Modest side skirts complete your look.
Low(est) profile tires. This is all about the looks and less about the practicality.
Don't
Don't cut the springs to lower your car. That will make it jerkier and cause the car to bottom out.
Don't over-do the camber. This will accelerate tire wear and causes undue stress on some of the suspension parts like ball-joints and tie-rods.
Don't use fat front and rear lips. This will only make driving a slammed car harder.
NEVER drive over a pothole like you're driving a regular car. Your rims will take the full force of the bump because the tire profile doesn't allow for enough air to absorb the shock. That shock could often bend bigger rims especially the replicas which we often buy due to budget constraints.
We asked the owners a few questions, excerpts are printed below.
Wahid Tausif:
Advice for other enthusiasts who want to try it out?
“Get the best branded lowering springs you can find, with a good stiffness. Don't try to get different brands and do not cut the original springs.”
Shah Minhazul Kabir
Did you have trouble managing the right parts?
“Buying the parts was a lot of trouble. I got the genuine parts from Dholaikhal, but it took me a long time to find the right size and condition.
Wahid Tausif
i)So what inspired you to do so?
”The Stock height was too much, and it didnt look pretty with my 18's On.”
ii)How did you get your folks to agree to something like this?
“umm, Just show your dad after everything's Done. My dad was cool with it.”
iv)Where did you order them from?
“Was Imported.”
v)Were you there during the installation? Do mechanics here understand how to get it right?
“Yeah i was there. Not really, everything went down cool.”
Keeping in mind the terrible road conditions here, weren’t you worried at first?
“Of-course Yes, Hell alot. But at the end- People should get used to it.”
Reactions? From friends, family, peers, other car enthusiasts?
“Oh well, My Friends went crazy, Still having a disappointed Mom but Yeah my dad is fine with it.”
Advice for other enthusiasts who want to try it out?
“Get the Best Branded lowering springs with a good stiffness. Dont try to get different Brands and yeah Do not Cut the original springs.”
How do you feel about it so far?
“Talking about the Feel? ah Yes my Handling is just too good.”
Shah Minhazul Kabir
So what inspired you to do so?
“I always wanted my car o look different. Not many Xe Saloons had what my car has. So I wanted to take my modifications to new levels”
How did you get your folks to agree to something like this?
“My parents knew I was a car freak, ever since I was a small boy. I always shared my ideas and fanaticism with them. When I wanted to do it, they let me, but didn’t want to at first”
Did you have trouble managing the right parts?
“Buying the parts was a lot of Trouble. I got the genuine parts from Dholaikhal, and it too me a long time to find the right size and condition.
Where did you order them from?
“I bought them first hand. I searched them out myself”
Were you there during the installation? Do mechanics here understand how to get it right?
“yes, always. You have to make sure they get it right. The mechanics had to be briefed thoroughly about the look I wanted”
Keeping in mind the terrible road conditions here, weren’t you worried at first?
“Not really. I knew what I wanted, and was ready to do anything to get it. I didn’t care about what would happen later”
Reactions? From friends, family, peers, other car enthusiasts?
“Everyone stares in awe. They’re really surprised at first at how easily I’m driving a car so low. I drive it regularly, so everyone asks me how I manage.”
Advice for other enthusiasts who want to try it out? How do you feel about it so far?
“Do it if you can handle it. It takes precision, and care, and a lot of passion to be able to drive this without blowing your temper”
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