Ground Clearance

[nismo]

I suspect this is a bit of an old chestnut but here go's

 

What is the average ground clearance on a Westfield, any body ever modified there sump or bellhousing on a speed bump?

 

Where I live I am surrounded by the bl**dy things those evil red slabs with sharp angles, I even have to drive our SUV with caution going over them

[alexander72]

Calling smokey mo to the board room.... I wish I knew how to do the clicky things that people use :-)

[Norman Verona]

James, the "clicky" thing, assuming you mean a link, is easy. Get your object on the screen and swipe and copy the address. Then do your post and type a relevant word (I use THIS or HERE). Then swipe it to highlight it and then click the chain icon (9th from left on bottom row of icons). Paste the address you copied in the box and job done.

 

Like THIS

[alexander72]

Thanks Norman I will try it now 

[pickmaster Andy Lowe]

I have 3"

Ohhherrrr madam

Speed bumps should be 3" or less if positioned after 1995 I think

Speed humps should be long enough for the front and rear of a westie to be on it at the same time

But I do end up crossing them at 45 degs

One day I'm going to measure properly and report the illegal one to the council

As they are an obstruction of the public highway and illegal

[Welly Jen]

I suspect this is a bit of an old chestnut but here go's

 

What is the average ground clearance on a Westfield, any body ever modified there sump or bellhousing on a speed bump?

 

Where I live I am surrounded by the bl**dy things those evil red slabs with sharp angles, I even have to drive our SUV with caution going over them

I don't know what the clearance is on my car, but for isolated speed bumps I usually drive the passenger side wheels over the top. The exhaust is on the right on my car, so this keeps the sump and exhaust clear of the bump. Not so good for any passenger of course. The lowest point on Mr Toad is the bell housing, followed by the sump.

 

The only damage I've done is to the front number plate. I didn't spot a full road width ambulance rattler in time and hit it at 30mph. The front suspension compressed and the numberplate hit.

 

A cement works I was visiting had a bump designed to slow down loaded cement trucks. This could only be crossed in the Westy with two wheels on the kerb. A private road, so a mountain rather than a bump.

 

Jen

[nismo]

Thanks Folks

 

You have confirmed what I thought about putting one wheel over the bump as opposed to straddling them.

 

There was a post over on piston heads from a caterham owner who says he dented his sump on cats eyes  ??

if that was in fact the case I think he needs to seriously look at his suspension geometry.

Edited November 26, 2013 by nismo

[stu999]

It could be possible at speed, at the bottom of a dip in the road for example, causing the suspension of all four wheels to bottom out..,

[Norman Verona]

Not sure about Westfields but the Caterham handles worse if lowered too much.

[User0083]

I swing as close to curb as I can get,

Hit speed bump at as steep an angle as I can,

Then once front too wheels are on, swing as much opposite lock as it needs to head back to the curb.

So this kinda thing (curb) > (centre line)

There's loads around here and where I lived last year they stuck one at entrance of gates!

[Evo,s 7SE]

The ones that are separate on the road just straddle them one side on bump other side on road the ones that are all across road take slowly and as wheels mount the hump there should be enough clearance to lift the lowest part enough

I had about 70 mm to sump before going dry sump and never grounded any thing out

Hope that helps

[nismo]

Thanks mate, that's quite reassuring. 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Calling smokey mo to the board room....

you called

I've posted this in the past for a thread asking about ramp transitions (so please ignore the bit at the bottom) but it illustrates quite well that sump clearance is not so much an issue as we may think.

The engine sits quite a long way forward and not far aft of the front axle, therefore as the front wheels ride up over and over a bump, the engine and sump will also be lifted up. The problems i find occur further back toward the centre of the car where there is the transmission hoop hanging down and also the dropped floors for the seats. It is these that I normally find are hitting bumps or the ground

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

Here's my sketch - not as good as smokeys car though !

 

[nismo]

Thanks guys you info in invaluable