lifted beetle in heavy wind/crosswinds

My NB is very sensitive to crosswinds. For those who have lifted theirs have you noticed it better, worse or the same?

Mine is not lifted (a 2002.5 model) and I have not found it a problem in cross winds at all. A little more than my Miata, but certainly a lot less than my 1970' Beetle.

Can't say I've noticed it being any worse.....though I lifted it almost instantly after getting it!

As a newbee to the NB, can someone tell me why you would lift the car...and what advantages it has over the stock level?
I feel the effects of crosswinds as I cross a windy mountain top every day. It seems to be more susceptible than my wife's RX330.

Hey Sourmash...have you looked under the front end of your NB? Are there scrapes all over the underside of your front fascia? Is your belly pan intact? Notice that Aluminum oil pan hanging only 4" off the ground?

hevster1 said:

My NB is very sensitive to crosswinds. For those who have lifted theirs have you noticed it better, worse or the same?

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Do you know for sure that your wheel allignment is correct?

Crosswinds have a more unpredictable effect on the beetle due to it's aerodynamics... The wind doesn't act so much on the vehicle as it does the turbulance around the vehicle. I'm pretty sure this is why you feel it more, but the car remains pretty stable in it's tracking. Anyone who has seen the NB's wind tunnel test will tell you that a brick wall has better aerodynamic characteristics..

lrpavlo said:

Hey Sourmash...have you looked under the front end of your NB? Are there scrapes all over the underside of your front fascia? Is your belly pan intact? Notice that Aluminum oil pan hanging only 4" off the ground?

Click to expand...

I haven't looked at it much, other than to drive it since I got it back from the shop and it became mine. I'm sure it has scrapes, but probably not as bad as some of the northern cars....we don't have to many potholes in the south.
How much does it run to do a lift, and would you typically do this when the suspension components are wearing out?
What kind of milage do you get with the lift and the chip?

I'd save the money from lifting it and get a good aluminum or steel skid plate first. If it's protection of sensitive underpinnings you want, I'd use a plate before lifting.
I have the Evolution Imports aluminum plate. It's awesome.

I'm thinking of the Shine Real street suspension for handling. This doesn't lower or raise the car. (lowers the rear a little). It is supposed to be awesome.

First off if you look at my signature it lists panzer plate so guys it's already there. Second according to the readings the alignment is pretty close to spot on (I didn't do this one as I no longer have access to the equipment needed however I do have the expertice to read, understand and diagnose a problem, once again see the signature). The main reason I was asking is I plan on possibly towing a trailer with 2 ATV's to Colorado this summer and some of the riding area's require a bit more ground clearance than my stock NB has. This is strictly a fuel mileage thing as I own a pickup but it gets far less than the NB. Of late the winds here in the Northeast have been brutal. The NB is a bit more sensitive than my pickup, I drive it about 40k a year for work and if it was to become more sensitive yet I don't think I would do the lift. Thats why I was asking this question. The diagnosis while appreciated is unnecessary.

Ok, not an attempt to hijack here.... but I looked under the front last night (re: lrpavlo) and there is one minor scrape on the bottom of the front fascia(sp) maybe 4" wide, clearly from an encounter with a curb. There were no scrapes at all on the plastic belly pan in place, and this car has 71k on it. So, I guess it just depends on how and where you drive that makes an impact on that area. I lived in Upstate NY for 2 years, so I know what pot holes can be (I've seen some that would have swallowed BB with one gulp) and if I was still up there I would consider the panzer plate...but personally don't see the need in my particular case.

Ok, I can answer a couple of questions in 1 shot! Around here you don't see many beetles with intact plastic skid plates or front valences! I love the looks and like the handling of the 2" lift as do my realitives 3 other beetles. In fact relatives 4 other jetta/Golfs are lifted 1.5" just like mine.
This winter I used the Beetle (automatic, Smog 205 injectors, RC2) for runs into the lyme doctor @50 miles, short trips to library @3 miles, and numerous trips to get corn @ 20 miles for the corn stove with a 5x8 trailer. Trailer unloaded is @600 lbs and I get 1500lbs of corn at a time. Obviously in the snow and exceptional cold we've had and with the last trip being sooooo thankful I had a lift due to mud mileage has not been good! 32.8mpg.
Summertime I usually have a recumbent bike or recumbent tandem on the car or an 18 foot sea kayak. Granted....The beetle does suffer more from cross winds than our Golf or the Passat. But its not a problem around here even with the kayak .... we think of 40 mph winds as pretty fiercesome! I'd guess the concentrated wind funneled all of a sudden in a mountain pass could be quite disruptive! I usually get 39mpg in the summer.

With my 2" lifted bug, I haven't really noticed an appreciable difference with cross-wind (or any wind for that manner) handling.

For those of you who don't know why we'd lift our bugs....try catching your air dam once on a driveway in sub-zero weather and then find your fender has cracked because it was so brittle in the cold. SKid plates won't solve that problem.

I raised my beetle and no more bottoming out on steep driveway/sidewalk/street transistions.

Not to mention...it clears roadkill better now too

Man reading this cross wind thing reminds me of the time I drove my dad's 72 superbeelte and I did a 360 degree spin due to blizzard style conditions. I am sure the new beetle is more stable due to the front end weight. I would for sure get a metal skid plate for a beetle. Have known several folks who have had to buy new engines due to this low design. Even my dealer is intriqued with the dieselgeek skidplate.

Although off topic, there is also a steel oil pan guard for those that don't want the full monty under the car. Looks pretty trick, and that pesky drain plug isn't blocked either. Under 100 bucks if my memory serves correct.