Technical characteristics of cars consist of many parameters that somehow affect the choice of make and model of the future owner. For one, the power of the engine and the magnitude of its working volume are important, for the other, safety and comfort are priority issues, for the third, cost-effectiveness is paramount. The ability to develop high speed is often taken into account by those who often travel along highways from city to city.
One of the most important parameters for our fellow citizens is the clearance of cars or, as it is also called, ground clearance (indicated in the figure by the letter b). It is determined simply: the height is measured between the plane of the roadway and the lower protruding part of the bottom (usually a sump). Sometimes other points should be considered, for example, low bumpers and exhaust pipes.
As you know, everything is good in moderation. It is impossible to consider that the greater the ground clearance, the better. The reason is simple: the higher the clearance of cars, the higher their center of gravity is, and, therefore, the risk of turning over increases. This is especially pronounced at high speeds, when, in addition to gravity and air resistance, the lifting force begins to act on the machine . Flat from below and convex from above, the car behaves like a wing, the air above it is rarefied, and it begins to lift above the road. The adhesion of the wheels to the ground is deteriorating.
That is why sports car models so low "fly" above the ground, and to drive them on our, unfortunately, not always ideal roads is very inconvenient. Overcoming bumps, pits and potholes, you can easily lose some of the necessary details and even damage the body.
What should be the clearance of the cars so that the risk of contact of the bottom with the ground, and, consequently, breakdowns, is minimized, while not sacrificing stability? In solving this issue, it is best to focus on domestic brands of machines, the design of which took into account the features of our topography. On the "Lada", "Volga" and sunk "Muscovites", "Izhi" and "Cossacks". Their ground clearance is in the range of 12-17 cm, which allows quite successfully driving on roads (with a speed limit permitted by traffic rules), and getting to their six hundredth birthmarks on rollicking primers. It should be borne in mind that the loaded car “crouches” on shock absorbers, which by no means adds patency to difficult areas.
There are also jeeps in which the ground clearance should, by definition, be higher. True, not all of them correspond to the proud name "SUV", there are so-called "SUVs", by analogy with the generals, who have never sniffed gunpowder in their life. Their formidable appearance and impressive size do not guarantee the ability to overcome obstacles that arise along the way. The clearance of cars of this type is about the same as that of cars, and you should not embark on adventurous trips on unknown roads on these cars. Another thing is a real jeep, the ground clearance of which exceeds 20 cm.
Nowadays, the streets of almost every city are filled with monstrous SUVs, most often acquired for reasons of prestige. It is much wiser to consider the nature of upcoming trips when buying a car.