Lowered Cruisers in the Snow -Part 2

[RubyRed]

I posted this one about six months ago and didn't really get a lot of useful responses, so I thought I'd give it a try again. I'd like to hear from folks running lowered PT Cruisers in the snow (the key word here is RUNNING -as much as I like y'all I don't care if your Cruiser never sees snow, I want to hear from our all-season drivers). Do you have any problems with the front-end acting as a snow plow? Any problem with wheel-well slush accumulation? How about any problems crossing frozen plow-ridges? Any extra carnage to the chin-spoiler?

Since this has been a normal winter here at home (lots of snow, slush and below-freezing temps) and worse-than-normal in a lot of the North American continent it seems like there is more opportunity for people running lowered Cruisers to encounter some actual white-stuff in significant depths to share their experiences.

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

[Overtake]

Considering there hasn't been enough snow last year or this, around the Milwaukee area to be fair, I still will answer!
My car is lowered & last winter I had Xenon's small front air dam on! I had no problems!
Putting it up on a trailer on uneven ground in the summer, on the other hand, WILL take the air dam off!
So with the factory front end THIS winter, but STILL no snow, STILL no problem!

[WUWU20]

I'm in southern WV and we have had a busy snow season so far this year, PT is 1.6 front and 2.0 rear drop, and I've been okay so far and still running the GoodYears that came on it, I've been in as much as 6 inchs, I hear the bottom touch every now and then, but all good.

be cool, James

[PT_Hot_Rod]

My PT is lowered with the 3.25" gold line. We don't get much snow down here, but we got a little last year. I did not notice any "plowing" but it was hard to get the thing to loose control in a parking lot (until i deactivated the trac control) That is when the fun started,

[REESE]

Thanks for posting this question, because I was wondering about the same thing

[Mark1]

I have the 3 inch goldlines. no problems so far. I have to drive it almost every day. so it does not get to stay home when it snows. I have hit one snow ridge left by a plow truck, it was partialy frozen.. it made a noise but no dammage.

[2-tone]

No problems here, either..mine is lowered with Eibachs 1 1/2 in front two in back. No snow this year but last year had tons, and it went through it with no problems, no damage. A lower center of gravity is a good thing year-round.

[FLASHBK2]

I'm 1.6 fr and 2.0 rear . We get slammed with snow @least this year ! I'm not a plow...running original goodyears for winter tires ! Slush accumulates on my front/rear muds ,not the factory air dam ! No better, no worse than say my plymouth breeze or dodge intrepid ( previous cars) ! My only problem is getting underway sometimes ,but is usually solved by quick shifting/lugging ! I don't have traction control ,either !

[Comedy Cruiser]

I'm gonna take a shot at this even though my PT is not lowered but since I live in the Buffalo, NY area, I feel that I am definitely qualified to answer this...or at least lend my 2 cents!

The body pan does appear to be lower than most cars since in about 6"-8" of snow it flattens it out. If the driveway incline is too steep, my factory airdam does scrape. Have't had a problem with the front end being a snowplow even in 12" of snow.

If you lower the front end beyond 2", I think you're asking for trouble in the snow, especially gaining access to driveways that have not had the aprons plowed.

Good luck!

[RubyRed]

Originally posted by FLASHBK2
I'm 1.6 fr and 2.0 rear ... I'm not a plow...Slush accumulates on my front/rear muds ,not the factory air dam !

What prompted my re-posting this thread was the horrific slush build-up I'm getting now on a non-lowered PT Cruiser. This winter has been a return to the winters of my youth -plenty of snow ice and below-freezing temps. Since Christmas we have had only 4 days when the ground wsn't covered with snow, and when it is covered there is a lot of it. The temps have been 10-20 degrees(F)during the daytime so even after the road crews put down their snow-melt the slush lingers (Slurpee snow). Even on trips as short as 7 miles I get my wheel-wells jammed with slush and I can't imagine that lowering will help that matter any. Amazingly, there is little build-up on the air dam, just as FLASHBK2 has related.

Anyway, good responses all and thanks for your input. Once I get my sway bars installed (the cold weather came sooner than anticipated and I don't like to crawl on 20 degree concrete) I'll see what Miss Ruby feels like and decide from there. I know that a lower center of gravity makes a big difference but I have to do mods that are smart for the roads I travel, not where I wish to travel.

Thanks to all.