Rulefollow

Hi Folks,

Seeking some advice--

I am thinking about buying a home, which my wife loves, which is fine in every way, except this: my 2005 LS430 grounds out when going down the steeply sloped driveway. The driveway slopes downward sharply. After I drive over the sidewalk and head down the driveway, the vehicle will go about a yard down the slope, and then it grounds out, making a nasty sound on the underside.

Meanwhile, someone else drove his pick-up truck (with higher clearance) down the sloping driveway, no problem.

So... does anyone have a suggestion? I am hoping to find a solution that will enable me to drive my car down this steep driveway and yet not make the elegant LS430 look ridiculous.

Could I just buy slightly larger wheels and tires? If so, could someone make a suggestion for what size make/model I could try?

Or could I make some change to the driveway itself, you think?

Any thoughts on this one?

Thanks so much for your assistance. I am hoping to buy this home, but I don't want to have to sell my car to do so.

Thanks!

Aus430

Without measurements it's hard to say how much height you need. Where is it scraping? Front? Back? Both? Centre? Can you enter on an angle wheel at a time? Could you get a pic of it happening?

small height lift then possibly wheels tyres may give an extra inch
New springs perhaps?

larger height
Air bag suspension to ls will give large on demand lift (modify $)

Change driveway angle ($$? What are we talking? How much space available to change gradients? What machines do you have access to?)

New car ($$? Depends on preference)

different house (time consuming to find, but least $$ to modify car, driveway, find new car)

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

If it's happening where the driveway meets the road they sell kits to lower the dip


Example https://curbramp.us/

2KHarrier

Welcome from Wisconsin! Depending on the severity of the approach, I've seen steel grate used to even out the incline on a steep driveway.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

Have you ever driven a lowered car before? There is a certain method to use get to the begining of the dip start on the far left side approach with the car starting diagonal have the wheels already turned and facing the way you want to go then you ride the brake as you go over the dip diagonally super slow with the car. Sorry if that did not make sense if you need more clarification I will try to explain better.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EQFrKWJli_A

That video the 1:30-2:05 is the method I am talking about this should help you clear your driveway with no problems.

Rulefollow

Hi,
Thanks for your interest in my problem. I took some photos.

car is grounded out at the center in this photo, going into the garage.

Same, different angle.

Same different angle.

Same, different angle.
I don't know if they will be helpful, but what they show is that the car is grounding out on the way down the driveway, which descends steeply once one gets past the sidewalk. It grounds out in the middle of the car, not the front or the back end.
Does this help?
Not knowing any better, I did try to drive it straight in, as you can see. I don't know if approaching it from an angle would help or not.
Also, the products folks have been recommending seem to bridge a gap between the street and the sidewalk. Would they work in this case?
Any recommendations?
I really appreciate your assistance.

Rulefollow

I have had this car for a few years, but I have never had this problem before. Thanks for the tip. Do you think the angle approach you recommend would work, given the photos I just uploaded?
Thanks again!

Rulefollow

Thanks so much for your reply. Do the photos I just posted clarify the issue usefully?

jharris400

You could find a UL ls430 with the air suspension, possibly in high height mode it would clear but really I wouldn't count on it. You need to be driving that FJ cruiser in the background or even better trade the LS for a LX470.

kos

iTrader: (1)

I would be curious to try taking that at an angle, instead of straight on.

Another option would be to use a tire with a taller sidewall, but that will affect your speedometer since the revolutions per mile will change.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

It’s a longshot and suspect if you had this you’d have done it before but will ask anyway. What’s the trim level of your LS? Is it an ultra luxury model with the air suspension which you could set to ‘high’ and raise it up a bit.

edit looks like jharris posted same just above

2KHarrier

Hi Mike. Where is this? Kenosha? Judging by the wear on the crest of that concrete approach, you're not the first person to have this problem.
That's a heck of an approach, and honestly I'm not sure how to handle it.. Perhaps at an angle?

Rulefollow

Hi everyone--

To reply to some questions --

The driveway in question is in Dallas, TX;

The LS doesn't have air suspension;

Thanks for your thoughts!

jharris400

Imagine the problem this will create for guests. If this were me and I were set on this house I would factor the cost of fixing the driveway into the purchase price of the house. What do you want us to tell you? You're high centering your car, there's nothing you can do to fix that other than raise your car. Lift kits don't exist for the LS430 but if they did make sure to install the truck nuts that come along with the kit.

Striker223

There actually is code for this, you can't have it outside certain approach limits for this reason.