Ground Clearance Function in Cars and Its Size

When the rainy season arrives, it often causes a lot of puddles on the roads and even floods. This can sometimes hinder the speed of cars. This condition is what makes ground clearance (the distance between the car's underbody and the asphalt) always considered before buying a car.

So, what is the right distance to address this issue? And what is the function of ground clearance? For more details, please pay attention to the following review.

Function of Ground Clearance in Cars

Before buying a car, people usually pay attention to the specifications of the car they are going to purchase. This includes the condition of the engine, the condition of the components installed in the car, the mileage of the car, and the distance between the car's underbody and the asphalt.

Ground clearance, or often referred to as the distance between the car's underbody and the asphalt, plays a crucial role in providing driving comfort. Here are the functions of ground clearance in cars:

1. Optimizing the car's suspension

The car's suspension system is responsible for the comfort of the driver or passengers when the car is in motion. This comfort occurs because the car's suspension system can create centrifugal force when the car is turning.

In addition, the suspension system helps the car avoid or dampen shocks when passing over bumpy roads.

If the distance between the car's underbody and the asphalt is too low, it is feared that the centrifugal force generated when turning will be inadequate. This can cause the driver to have to swerve the steering wheel.

2. Preventing water from puddles from entering the car

As explained above, during the rainy season, there are often many puddles. If the distance between the asphalt and the car's underbody is too low, there is a potential for water from puddles to enter.

The entry of water into the engine can potentially damage the water hammer and disrupt engine performance. Therefore, a sufficient height is needed to avoid these problems.

3. Able to pass over damaged and uneven roads well

As is known, the road conditions in Indonesia often have speed bumps, and sometimes they are damaged. If the car's underbody distance is too low, it can be ensured that the car will have difficulty passing over uneven, damaged roads, or speed bumps.

If your car is still in normal condition, passing over uneven roads is not a problem. Because the normal underbody distance without modification is around 1-2 meters. Meanwhile, modified cars usually have an underbody distance of 10-15 cm.

What is the Standard Size of Good Ground Clearance?

Speaking of what is a good underbody distance for cars, it should not be too low or too high from the asphalt. Ideally, this distance should be determined by the type of car you are using.

If you are using a sedan, you should not use it to pass over heavy terrain.Sedans are more suitable for urban use with smooth road conditions because the underbody distance of sedans is only 120 mm above the asphalt.

This distance is intentionally designed so that sedans can maneuver well when used at high speeds. As is known, sedans are semi-sport cars.

On the other hand, SUV-type cars usually have a distance of 150 mm above the asphalt. This distance has also been considered by SUV manufacturers and is not arbitrary.

SUVs are indeed designed for family vehicles that are not meant for racing. However, they are more used to tackle steep inclines and declines.