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I'll be moving in with my girlfriend in the next couple of months and I have my own garage space , although an issue I saw very quickly is how steep the driveway is coupled with the slight incline of the sidewalk.
It's hard to demonstrate the angle from a Google streetview, but lets just say a 2009 Corolla's midmuffler kisses the area marked with a red X with the rear tire coming over the curb circled in red. I'm afraid driving at an angle will not be enough for my car.
As you'd imagine, a slightly lowered S2000 will have no chance in making it over the hump regardless of how much steering angle I give it. Going to stock suspension would be the obvious & cheapest route, however I'd still be dragging frame getting in & out of the driveway.
I'd imagine something removable & something that doesn't block the sidewalk would be perfect. So, I come to AcuraZine for suggestions or perhaps an answer - how would you guys rectify something like this?
Ramblers,
As you'd imagine, a slightly lowered S2000 will have no chance in making it over the hump regardless of how much steering angle I give it. Going to stock suspension would be the obvious & cheapest route, however I'd still be dragging frame getting in & out of the driveway.
I tried to find that video of Keith (KeyChain, that drives the 6th gen Accord down in SoCal.) He had to use quick release clips to take his bumper off everytime going into his driveway.
Not much to be done with this. Even if you re-poured the driveway and the apron it wouldn't change it much.
The best thing to do would be some lumber and plywood ran from the crest of the apron out to the street to lessen that drop.
Without totally re-doing the driveway, I don't really see a way around it either.
As for the plywood suggestion, the thought of doing this 2 times a day 7 days a week would be a PITA, but seems to be the only option at this point.
Thanks for the suggestion though !
Originally Posted by Flipster23
Tyler don't sale your S damn it....
That driveway is steep.
I tried to find that video of Keith (KeyChain, that drives the 6th gen Accord down in SoCal.) He had to use quick release clips to take his bumper off everytime going into his driveway.
x3 on what Justn said...
Thanks bud, I wish there was a better alternative.
What's funny is, my car is far from slammed .. it actually has a pretty conservative rideheight for lowering springs
You live in San Diego? I would just park on the street. Not like you have weather to deal with.
Originally Posted by thoiboi
But he has to deal with crappy CA drivers hurting his baby.. (which I hate)
Parking on the street wouldn't be the end of the world, but I'd also like the ability to conveniently work on my car inside of the garage where tools are close & there's shade covering.
I sort of shot myself in the foot in this situation, but a new car won't be too out of my future .. it'll surely have some ground clearance without any option of lowering it
I pulled in and out of a much steeper driveway with a much larger hump, and only cracked my radiator once. Going sideways is going to be your only hope, aside from putting some wood down. Otherwise, I think airbags are in your future.
I asked a few project managers what their thoughts were and they recommended I round off the top with a few concrete grinding & shaping tools. Typically, sidewalks & driveways range anywhere between 4-6" thick - dropping the center hump down a few inches should give me the clearance I need to pull in.
I found the equipment & a person to do it, the job should run me about $500-$600
I'll post pictures when the job is complete, hopefully sooner than later. I don't like having my car street parked, that's for sure.
Yeah, assuming it doesn't bother my neighbors and it's done quickly I don't see it being an issue.
You can see a little lip on the left side of the driveway that we need to grind down anyways ... we just so happened to take off another couple inches on accident
I've e-mailed the Street Service of San Diego to see what my options are (more to the point, what fines would be associated with modifying a sidewalk)
From what I can gather so far, I have 3.
1: Modify our driveway temporarily / permanently without touching city property.
- Not really a whole lot I can do to permanently modify the driveway without completely ripping it up & re-pouring the slab.
- I have 1 idea that I've been brewing around in my head the last couple of days, although it'll take more material hunting & planning. You can purchase 100lb 4' x 6' industrial & heavy duty rubber mats that are 1" thick. Stacking a few of those just after the hump would effectively raise the front tires enough to clear it. Adding a few pieces of 1x8 cuts of plywood underneath would add even more room. (ghetto solution, but could work).
2: Modify our driveway & city property without their permission.
- Simple & easy with the added risk of being fined or reported.
3: Obtain a permit (if approved) & hire a contractor and have it inspected later.
- I doubt it'll be approved because their sidewalk conforms to city sidewalk regulations (drainage, handicap accessibility, etc) and the driveway is essentially the homeowners problem.
Or you can raise the car up which is what my wife's step sister's husband suggested that I do when I mentioned that the driveway in our future house makes it difficult to enter with my car. But we all know raising our cars isn't an option here on azine.
I doubt they would deny you the permit for such a minor "replacement". I believe your case would fall under improvement 5. Make sure the plan meets the requirements of San Diego Municipal code Section 142.0560(j), draw it up to dimensions, and I doubt they would deny it.
Can you "accidentally" drop some wet concrete at the curb to make a permanent ramp?
Do it in the middle of the night and throw some sand on top of it so it looks "worn" when it dries and maybe no one will notice?
I would do this first. What do you have to lose? the $50 in readymix concrete? Just dump it down at the circled spot in your pic and shape it how you need it. Don't forget about water running down the street. If the city tears it up, you lose $50. Re-evaluate. Do the work on July 4th at 9PM and no one will even notice, they will all be looking at fireworks.
The grinding is done, but I have phase 2 of the project to complete in the next month or so.
Bear with me, but here's a rough illustration (not drawn to scale, but it's pretty darn close) of what I plan on doing. The driveway is roughly a 15° grade and extends about 14ft. Based on the research I've done, brickwork should not have an issue sticking assuming the surface prep is done correctly with the right adhering materials.
If I start the brickwork 6" - 1' into the driveway, it will essentially round out & extend the hump.
Keep in mind (as the driveway currently sits), my car makes it in the garage. I have roughly a half inch of ground clearance, but my issue is my car teeters back & fourth when the rear tires are on the sidewalk & my front tires are in the driveway due to the steep grade. It makes for some interesting entry & exit maneuvers, but it's also really hard on my car's bushings & chassis.
I am determined and cannot wait to get this project done. A usable garage is an necessity for me.
05-06-2015, 01:50 PM
Ramblers,
, although an issue I saw very quickly is how steep the driveway is coupled with the slight incline of the sidewalk. 
