Lowering a Hybrid

[Mr Ghostrider]

Well I'm new to the forums and I just got a '09 HyHoe about a month ago.
I'm normally the guy that lifts my truck big enough to get a set of mudders to fit. My last ride was a Hummer H3 with a laundry list of mods..both custom built and purchased...but the truck retained its "stockable" status.

My original plan was to do the same on the HyHoe and get some air flowing under its skirt (and to see a hybrid shredding up a mud hole)...but once I started driving it...I sort of got used to the 22mpg I was getting..and now that gas prices are $4.15/gal..75 mile daily commute ...going back to 8mpg just doesnt sound fun. So i started looked at taking this one to the streets!! Plus with a background in college as a member of the Solar Race Car team...I know a few ins and outs of efficiency and design.

I have a few friends around here who have bagged duallys to sit in the weeds and theyve been teaching me what it takes to drop a truck but nobody has real knowledge of the Hybrid suspension and related quirks so its all a shot in the dark to drop it and keep it riding stock.

I've been googling like mad for the last few weeks and I finally came across this thread! I just read all 17 pages word for word waiting to hear how happy you were with your lowered Hybrid so I could find out what effect it had on the MPG and then go drop mine!! ...but then...I feel like I just read a fairy tale where the princess marries the evil villan and lives off of a cocktail of whiskey and anti-depressants...

But after I get over this tragic story I just read..I'm strangely not deterred! I want to pick up where you left off and carry the torch for the HyHoes that are just too tall.

Still looking to get rid of your suspension parts?! I want to take a go at it!

 

[soulsea]

Hi G ... first off welcome aboard.

And the kit has indeed been sold.

That said I'm glad you're willing to take over the torch on this. After all just because I was unprepared for the results of sporting 24s and a 2-4 drop doesn't mean it wont work for someone else.

Keep in mind the difference in stock ride heights and calculate your drop accordingly. If you're going big on wheels expect some slight trimming, and also expect some Hybrid specific adjustments to the drop configuration.

The issues I encountered were all resolvable if one is committed to the project and has some mechanical understanding ... as I had neither I decided to stop.

But damn she looked good!

I'm here if you have any questions.

Cheers!

 

[07Burb]

makes me all weepy every time I think about it

 

[soulsea]

makes me all weepy every time I think about it

lol, well now you can live vicariously through Ghost.

Btw, I miss her looking like that too ... but DC streets weren't kind to her.

 

[07Burb]

Ghost, do you mind if I just follow you around every where you go while you slam your HyHoe??

 

[Mr Ghostrider]

OH it looks so nice when I see a LoHyHo...I can just picture mine!

Mine is white...going to have matte black rims (sort of my ongoing theme).

Yeah wheel and tire choice is the first thing I need to nail down. I am taking a very scientific approach and I want to maintain or improve its Hybrid status while making it look HOTT....this means keeping as close as possible to maintaining stock wheel weight and overall diameter to maintain gear ratios and unsprung/rotational masses in check!

Sad to hear your parts are sold already..guess that means I need to budget out the whole thing... if you were to start all over again...any parts you know you would do different or do you think you were on the right track...just needed more modding?

 

[07Burb]

OH it looks so nice when I see a LoHyHo...I can just picture mine!

Mine is white...going to have matte black rims (sort of my ongoing theme).

Yeah wheel and tire choice is the first thing I need to nail down. I am taking a very scientific approach and I want to maintain or improve its Hybrid status while making it look HOTT....this means keeping as close as possible to maintaining stock wheel weight and overall diameter to maintain gear ratios and unsprung/rotational masses in check!

Sad to hear your parts are sold already..guess that means I need to budget out the whole thing... if you were to start all over again...any parts you know you would do different or do you think you were on the right track...just needed more modding?

Ghost, If you want a good set up at a good price for lowing your HyHoe hit up Norcal SS on here. He's got great stuff at good prices and he's very good at working with his customer's and making sure their ride is taken care of

 

[felixgun]

Hi G ... first off welcome aboard.

And the kit has indeed been sold.

That said I'm glad you're willing to take over the torch on this. After all just because I was unprepared for the results of sporting 24s and a 2-4 drop doesn't mean it wont work for someone else.

Keep in mind the difference in stock ride heights and calculate your drop accordingly. If you're going big on wheels expect some slight trimming, and also expect some Hybrid specific adjustments to the drop configuration.

The issues I encountered were all resolvable if one is committed to the project and has some mechanical understanding ... as I had neither I decided to stop.

But damn she looked good!

I'm here if you have any questions.

Cheers!

Ah so that's what happenned. Good brief synopsis.

Now where's the factory 22's?!?!

 

[Mr Ghostrider]

Ghost, do you mind if I just follow you around every where you go while you slam your HyHoe??

NO problem..the beauty is you can follow me all day and not have to smell exhaust!! (As long as I slam under 30 mph and accelerate very economically...)

 

[soulsea]

Now where's the factory 22's?!?!

Better pics soon ... she's dirty.

---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------

if you were to start all over again...any parts you know you would do different or do you think you were on the right track...just needed more modding?

Let me get a comprehensive post together so that you don't have to look everywhere ... I'll do it a little later on this evening.

Gotta take fatbottoms to the park now ... also my bulldog.

 

[felixgun]

Better pics soon ... she's dirty.

---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------



Let me get a comprehensive post together so that you don't have to look everywhere ... I'll do it a little later on this evening.

Gotta take fatbottoms to the park now ... also my bulldog.

Looks good! Love the factory look

 

[07Burb]

Those oem 22's look really nice man

 

[sumo]

Those oem 22's look really nice man

+1. Now it need a drop

 

[soulsea]

+1. Now it need a drop

Tbh, I'm anxious to see how Felix's 2" rear drop pans out ... pending his experience I might down the road reconsider a more subtle approach.

 

[sumo]

Hybrids must have a different suspension compared to a non Hybrid. Maybe the cause of uncomfortable ride?

 

[soulsea]

Well, they don't have air ride, lots of stuff is different like no spare, different resonator location, hood/liftgate made of lighter alloy, all the hybrid drive stuff, lower stock stance, aerodynamic styling, and many other weight relief variances that are not easily discovered.

On the other hand the ride quality issue could be solved as easily as better shocks after the drop ... I dunno.

 

[sumo]

that what i was thinking maybe different shocks

 

[B.G.]

Nice choice in 22's Sumo.. Lookin fwd to more pics! As for lowering, I got my rear springs in today and should have my spindles in by friday. I will post up pics and impressions hopefully this weekend. Itll be sitting on stock wheels, but ill post up when I throw my 24s on Trying right now to negotiate a deal on some 26" forged wheels. After I got the 24s I realized how bad I want 26s! Anyone want to by some 3 piece forged black24's??

 

[07Burb]

Just a 2" year drop is such a minor mod to the suspension but makes such a big difference I think that'd be the way to go Soulsea that's what I'll be doing eventually too

 

[Mr Ghostrider]

Anyone want to by some 3 piece forged black24's??

Got pics of those 24's?! I'm looking for some matte black 24's and having a hard time finding the ones I'm picturing...well...I found them but they are about $2k per wheel!

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 PM ----------

Hybrids must have a different suspension compared to a non Hybrid. Maybe the cause of uncomfortable ride?

I'm going to take some stock measurements of untouched hybrid suspension, ride height, clearances and weight before I start modding...I'll share results if somebody out there has an OEM setup, maybe we can compare notes and figure out exactly where your drop turned non-standard!

I'm most curious about wheel weight!!! How "special" really are the hybrid rims?! GM doesnt publish the weight anywhere!! I'll start that in another thread though.

Sumo..notice any MPG changes going from the hybrid wheels to OEM 22's?