body lift and taller tires for my 2018?!?!

[SmaxxSmith]

Put down my deposit for a 2018 brz limited w/ P.P. last weekend. Gonna be a long eight weeks. im going to be doing mostly highway (65-75 mph) driving with this car. I also live in an area where woodchucks, raccoons and deer are my main threat. This will infuriate many here, but these are my short term plans for the car: 1 inch body lift and 1 to 2 inch total tire diameter increase. This is going to be my daily driver in the summer, at least 100 miles a day. Not taking it to the track except a few times just to try it and have fun. I saw 1 inch aluminum spacers for the body lift. Any suggestions as to if I should go with a different material? How about tires? Want to put them on the stock p.p. wheels. Im not sure of the stock tire diameter, however, I would like to basically give it a little taller gear by increasing the tire diameter. I was going to be looking for mid-quality summer/all season tires. Im a little afraid of hydroplaning during rain. Don’t want to necessarily go with “water” tires though. Any thoughts or suggestions? Im good with constructive criticism, but this is the direction I want to go with this car. Sorry, no low to the ground rocket bunny here! Thanks for your input!

[sfdai0]

I dont see how lifting will help with anything but destroy the handling and balance of the car. You might want to rethink your purchase.

[STV3]

Just buy one of these and call it a day

[Tcoat]

I live in the same conditions as Michigan (in fact I spend a lot of time driving there) and am lowered 1 1/2 inches. At over 100,000 miles I have had no issues where being raised would have changed anything.
Your car, your call, but as said you will change almost all of the dynamics and eliminate many of the pluses by raising it that much. Just leave it stock height and call it a day. There are several very good all season performance tires that would serve you well in the stock size.

[TommyW]

Buy a different car or truck.

[SmaxxSmith]

Hmm, when Tcoat talks, I listen! Ill hold off on the body lift. Thought that the extra clearance might be a big plus when it comes to a 18-20 lbs. critter at 70mph. How about the taller tires? I figure that it will give me that slightly taller gear, but will allow me to change it back with just a tire/wheel swap.

[SmaxxSmith]

Im doing all of this planning without ever having owned a brz. So understand that I have no real idea what im talking about!

[jasonojordan]

Originally Posted by SmaxxSmith

Im doing all of this planning without ever having owned a brz. So understand that I have no real idea what im talking about!

Take this very statement and run with it. If I was you I would wait till you have the car. Drive it for a month or two then decide if its something you still really want to do.

That said the extra little bit you will be lifting the car will not do much for you in terms of hitting animals. It will still likely do just as much damage. Would be better to take that money and spend it on better tires and brake pads and rotors to decrease your stopping distance.

[SmaxxSmith]

And let me be clear here, my favorite car I ever owned was a 76 vega with a 350 small block in it. All straight line. Couldn’t stop or turn to save my life. My ultimate plan is to have everything I liked about the vega (once I have 10.5:1 compression and a blower) plus all the things I didn’t have like…well…pretty much everything else. Itll be nice to be able to stop AND turn! plus, thats one beautiful body!

[jasonojordan]

Originally Posted by SmaxxSmith

And let me be clear here, my favorite car I ever owned was a 76 vega with a 350 small block in it. All straight line. Couldn’t stop or turn to save my life. My ultimate plan is to have everything I liked about the vega (once I have 10.5:1 compression and a blower) plus all the things I didn’t have like…well…pretty much everything else. Itll be nice to be able to stop AND turn! plus, thats one beautiful body!

Sounds what you really should of bought was a corvette or mustang then...lol

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by SmaxxSmith

...my favorite car I ever owned was a 76 vega with a 350 small block in it. ......My ultimate plan is to have everything I liked about the vega....

Man, you really need to re-think your purchase.

[STV3]

I had the unfortunate experience of testing my stock ride height FRS vs a very large raccoon when I was up in Vermont a few months ago. I was going a little over 70mph and long story short.....

FRS - 1
Poor raccoon - 0

Felt terrible about it but was glad to see there was absolutely no damage done to my car.

The factory ground clearance on these cars really isn't all that bad.

[venturaII]

There are better solutions available for raising your car than by using spacers. There are plenty of people here who rallycross their cars and there are threads covering the use of lift springs.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by SmaxxSmith

And let me be clear here, my favorite car I ever owned was a 76 vega with a 350 small block in it. All straight line. Couldn’t stop or turn to save my life. My ultimate plan is to have everything I liked about the vega (once I have 10.5:1 compression and a blower) plus all the things I didn’t have like…well…pretty much everything else. Itll be nice to be able to stop AND turn! plus, thats one beautiful body!

I was within a few hundred dollars of buying just such a car last year. There is a 74 Vega panel with a 327 transplant sitting by work that has been for sale for a long time. Although it is in great shape and runs really well the guy wants just a little more than it is worth and won't budge on price.


Keep in mind that even if you go FI the BRZ will never have much of what the Vega offered for pure torque. The other aspects will more than make up for that though.