Lift a 2GS?
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4
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From: Oregon
Lift a 2GS?
Recently got a beautifully maintained 2004 GS430 with 80K.
I live on a crazy hill. In order to get the car safely down the hill, I need to back the car out of my driveway into a neighbor's driveway before shifting into D and heading down. The first and only time I tried that, I scraped the frame under the front bumper. Ugh.
I've searched around and found threads about dropped suspensions, but not much on lifting a GS. Not surprising but... yeah.
What are my options here?
I live on a crazy hill. In order to get the car safely down the hill, I need to back the car out of my driveway into a neighbor's driveway before shifting into D and heading down. The first and only time I tried that, I scraped the frame under the front bumper. Ugh.
I've searched around and found threads about dropped suspensions, but not much on lifting a GS. Not surprising but... yeah.
What are my options here?
Honestly, options aren't great. I'd make an attempt to find a better line in and out of the driveway and do some literal ground work to try and resolve this issue. If you can pull into your driveway successfully, I'm not sure why you cannot pull out. Perhaps try backing into your driveway... only practical if there's not a lot of traffic on your road, I understand. Any sort of lift is going to be custom. You might be able to figure out some sort of a spacer to put between your body and the top of the spring/coil that could give you a half inch to an inch lift. However, aside from having a less than pleasing aesthetic impact, it will also throw your alignment out, which will likely be difficult, if not impossible to get back in specification without a lot of extra parts and or modification (read: money). Overall handling would also be negatively impacted, however relative to everything else, probably your least concern. I'd be selling the GS and driving a different car before I lifted a GS.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 558
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From: NJ
Wow. I’ve gotta steel drive way too and I have to attack it from a 45 degree angle to avoid scraping the front lip (coil overs and low profile tires).
But if you’re scrapping the frame then that’s a first. Just sounds hard to do unless your hitting a curb or something.
Might just be better off parking on the street; with another vehicle behind ya.
But if you’re scrapping the frame then that’s a first. Just sounds hard to do unless your hitting a curb or something.
Might just be better off parking on the street; with another vehicle behind ya.
Pole Position
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 579
From: CA
These are popular to lower, have you made sure yours ins't already lowered? Might look for colored springs or coil-overs. If you see something that looks aftermarket, might just need to go back to stock springs. Worth a look.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4
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From: Oregon
Good idea! Checked with the first and only owner: it's stock.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Well, I'm not sure if it was the frame to be honest. It was something that sounded heavy and metallic (as opposed to fiberglass, like a body panel). So you're probably right.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
I'd make an attempt to find a better line in and out of the driveway and do some literal ground work to try and resolve this issue. If you can pull into your driveway successfully, I'm not sure why you cannot pull out. Perhaps try backing into your driveway... only practical if there's not a lot of traffic on your road, I understand.
The arrows show how we drive an SUV with a decent ground clearance in. Straight in, then a three point turn in the neighbor's driveway.
Today, with this car, I back all the way up the hill and then into the driveway. That means passing driveways, in reverse, with my head cocked around. That's actually preferable to backing it out of the driveway, because hitting the 17° slope in reverse means that there is a massive blind spot behind the whole car. A backup cam would help and we'll probably look into that too.
All that said, the other driver in the house, who shall not be named, isn't happy with either a backup cam or reversing all the way up the street into the driveway, so we started talking about lifting the car, and that's where we are now.
Any sort of lift is going to be custom. You might be able to figure out some sort of a spacer to put between your body and the top of the spring/coil that could give you a half inch to an inch lift. However, aside from having a less than pleasing aesthetic impact, it will also throw your alignment out, which will likely be difficult, if not impossible to get back in specification without a lot of extra parts and or modification (read: money). Overall handling would also be negatively impacted, however relative to everything else, probably your least concern. I'd be selling the GS and driving a different car before I lifted a GS.
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 89
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From: TX
I made complimentary ramps from wood to change the angle for some old truck tire ramps I use for working under the car - make something similar you can throw in your trunk or somewhere nearby if you don't mind the inconvenience might be cheaper. Probably have to put something on one side to help it grip the concrete so it didn't shoot out. I used pieces of 2x4s to work against the opposite force - all screwed together accordingly of course.
But I would probably try doing a 180 in the street in front of the driveway before backing in since these cars, at least the I6, have a great turning radius, though I'm guessing you've tried that.
But I would probably try doing a 180 in the street in front of the driveway before backing in since these cars, at least the I6, have a great turning radius, though I'm guessing you've tried that.
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