Non-IS friendly sloped drive - any good ideas?

Maxz · December 27, 2023

As my kids get older and therefore heavier, the IS is starting to scrape as it reverses off the drive. Anyone got any clever ideas how I could put a stop to this? I have the tires pumped to the max 3.6 at the front and 3.8 at the back. The long wheelbase of this vehicle is it's downfall for me! Don't want to be forced into an SUV just yet if I can avoid it! 😭

wharfhouse · December 27, 2023

I feel your pain. The IS is a low car - I have chewed up one of undertrays on the sleeping policemen humps down a road I travel reasonably regular. With 4 people aboard the car has bottomed out on road humps a number of times. Unfortunately I don't have any solution except to be aware and try and traverse such things at an angle if possible.

PaulWhitt20 · December 27, 2023

Could you raise the front of the car up eg by parking on a scaffold plank propped up on a brick to make a small ramp for the front wheels?

IS300FSPORT · December 27, 2023

Dont get in the car until your off the drive :teehee:

Rabbers · December 28, 2023

You might want to look at a thread on this topic IS300H Ground Clearance & Steep Driveways started on this forum by sc489 on 6 March 2015. Several of us had this problem but, regrettably, no solution was forthcoming.

IS300FSPORT · December 28, 2023

This may help...

Maxz · December 28, 2023

3 hours ago, IS300FSPORT said:

This may help...

That looks like a great idea. Another annoyance is I have a block driveway, so both drilling into bricks and securing these given the blocks separation moves over time (they are held in place only by sand) is probably not going to be viable. If I had a concrete or tarmac drive, would probably be in business with this.

What I am going to look for is a long piece of rubber or other polymer with a humped profile, that I can just lay on top of the block drive. Heavy enough not to be blown by wind or moved by the car and being rubber/polymer should have enough friction with the blocks not to move around too much.

Per Wharfhouse, I am going to try pulling off at an angle, which I saw mentioned on other forums also. Per IS300FSPORT, I laughed but actually make wife and kids get in only after I have pulled out the drive, if we have suitcases or any other heavier than usual load in the car, otherwise 100% the undertrays or worse exhaust will be damaged.

Thanks for the ideas! If anyone knows why I could buy a big lumped of humped rubber approx the width of an IS300h, let me know!

Maxz · December 28, 2023

Sorry to add, I also saw on forums ideas in regards to buying tires that have the longest height (expressed as Aspect Ratio on the tire coding). Need to work out if a higher or lower ratio means a longer height. I am due new tires soon, so my choice might actually be driven this time by which tire would give me the best clearance (need to recheck but I think my Advance has the 17" rims as standard).

Boeryeoes · December 28, 2023

4 hours ago, IS300FSPORT said:

This may help...

This is the way to go in my view. Effects of higher walled tires will be very limited íf allowed at all in your country.

Maxz · December 28, 2023

I guess switching the wheels for 18" rims no benefit either, as the height/aspect of a tire to fit an 18" rim is factored down to end up giving the overall same diameter anyway! 🙄

ColinBarber · December 28, 2023

1 hour ago, Maxz said:

Sorry to add, I also saw on forums ideas in regards to buying tires that have the longest height (expressed as Aspect Ratio on the tire coding). Need to work out if a higher or lower ratio means a longer height. I am due new tires soon, so my choice might actually be driven this time by which tire would give me the best clearance (need to recheck but I think my Advance has the 17" rims as standard).

The standard tyre size for the 17" rims is 225/45. If you were to move up to 225/50 then you would gain 11mm height and you would reduce the speed on your speedo by 3.4% - which would actually make it more accurate than standard (although the odometer would be less accurate).

You would need to notify your insurance of such a modification.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=225&aspect=45&diameter=17&wheelwidth=7&offset=45&width2=225&aspect2=50&wheel_size=17&wheel_width=7&offset2=45

IS300FSPORT · December 28, 2023

Look on amazon Rubber speed humps idealy heavy duty so not blown away by wind.

Example

VEVOR 3 Pack of 2 11000lbs per Axle Capacity Protective Wire Cord Ramp Driveway Rubber Traffic Speed Bumps Cable Protector

https://amzn.eu/d/eRWe2bU

HighlandJohn · December 28, 2023

@Maxz Good a solution as the ramps detailed might be, be careful if you need to place/fix them to the pavement outside your property.

The LA might take a dim view, as might any pedestrians who happen to trip over them.

Just saying....

IS300FSPORT · December 29, 2023

If I have this positioned correctly, (yellow line) just before it bottoms out place the ramp on the drive so the exit wheels lift, no need to go on pavement (red line avoid) As long as it is on your own drive I don't think it is a problem for the local authority.

Maxz · December 29, 2023

20 hours ago, IS300FSPORT said:

Look on Amazon Rubber speed humps idealy heavy duty so not blown away by wind.

Example

VEVOR 3 Pack of 2 11000lbs per Axle Capacity Protective Wire Cord Ramp Driveway Rubber Traffic Speed Bumps Cable Protector

https://amzn.eu/d/eRWe2bU

Nice, I could even spray them a similar red to the blockwork to blend, will look into in the new year.

IS300FSPORT · December 29, 2023

24 minutes ago, Maxz said:

Nice, I could even spray them a similar red to the blockwork to blend, will look into in the new year.

Keep us updated pls interested in seeing if this works out.

GMB · December 29, 2023

There are some particularly nasty speed bumps at the entrance to the Middlebrook shopping/ parking fine centre. The cars go over them ( just about ) at very low speed but the bike frame actually hits the damn things. I have to go right next to the kerb to find a lower bit.😖

Maxz · January 27

On 12/27/2023 at 10:06 PM, wharfhouse said:

I feel your pain. The IS is a low car - I have chewed up one of undertrays on the sleeping policemen humps down a road I travel reasonably regular. With 4 people aboard the car has bottomed out on road humps a number of times. Unfortunately I don't have any solution except to be aware and try and traverse such things at an angle if possible.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, thank you Wharfhouse! Seems going in a straight line is not always the best idea. Given there is a slight raised section of the pavement and drive, if I snake the car out following the line I've attempted to draw below, I can get the centre of the car over the ridge with four passengers without scraping anymore. Luckily only required if there are 2+ people in the car. Obviously my neighbours or anyone walking past probably think I am a bit of a nutjob instead of just driving straight out, but if it saves the underside or exhaust from any damage, better the road less travelled...

In_a_state · January 27

Similarly, I scrape with the left side on my in-laws entrance so I need to pull in from the right side, straight in is terrible for the left-hand-side plastic guards.

I do think the back sits a bit low because of the aged shocks, it's dated end 2015 and has 210k km on board.

I've searched for pictures of early models and the height seems to be around the same as mine. What's your opinion, does the height look lower than it should for these rims? Attaching a pic of my car.

wharfhouse · January 27

3 hours ago, In_a_state said:

Similarly, I scrape with the left side on my in-laws entrance so I need to pull in from the right side, straight in is terrible for the left-hand-side plastic guards.

I do think the back sits a bit low because of the aged shocks, it's dated end 2015 and has 210k km on board.

I've searched for pictures of early models and the height seems to be around the same as mine. What's your opinion, does the height look lower than it should for these rims? Attaching a pic of my car.

Not all - they are just naturally low cars - easy to scrape the undertrays.

Mr_Groundhog · February 3

I would like the look more if they had a tiny bit more clearance. I guess it is a question of taste since some people pay to have their cars lowered instead..... to me very low cars look like they're heavier so it's just an image in my head and I cant be bothered with modding the suspension anyway.

But I think a bit more clearance (front and rear) would look good.