I like this guy, If you are going to stand out might as well do it by not following the crowd and going the generic 'dropped, tinted, the latest must have rims (and very few weigh less than the 16lb stockers), debadged, PNP HID lights, etc.' modified route. Sure nobody in the generic crowd will like your mods but the rest of us will be impressed that you stuck to your guns.

 

Roll the fenders and go bigger tires mabey build some small spacers to go under the springs I wouldent go more than half an inch or so I think the spacers would work that's how I lifted my truck anyone know fo sho?

 

I too support creative thinking but this just seems like a bad idea to me. The Fit is already a light car. Wind uplift seemed to be a key factor when driving in stock form not to mention high center of gravity and narrow overall car width. Before I lowered my car I noticed a good side wind would make the car very unstable especially at highway speeds. This was actually the key reason I lowered my car. After lowering the car (essentially reducing the uplift I've found the car to be 10x more stable even on the windiest days at high speed) I am not knocking the lifted idea, but I am concerned about lifting and creating more uplift/raising the center of gravity on a already unstable (at high speed) car and how it would create a safety issue for the driver and other drivers on the road.
I know the OP thinks maybe a bigger tire or a slight raise in the car is only needed but I lowered my car 1" and it made a world of difference (in a good way) for the stability. If he raises the car even 1/2" I'd be afraid to see the repercussions from a stability standpoint.

 

I think the best options are start with tire size changes. See if that give you what you want.
If not, air shocks or a good adjustable height coilover suspension.

I'm not sure if the GE8 owner's manual had that little diagram in it but my owner's manual gives a cautionary diagram of the Fit bottoming out with uneven or sharply inclined surfaces. And that's factory height. But I digress since that probably wasn't initially considered when you decided to pick up a Fit.

You can't change your decision at this point I'm guessing like some suggested )get a CRV or a subie or a truck) so you may as well work with what you have. Will it look a little "off" to some? probably. But like already mentioned, if you're gonna do it, stick to your guns. It's your car, and where there's a will there's a way.

Just will have to research (already have a good foundation for tire options) and get creative if you have to with suspension components, just be safe.

 

Finally, some reasonable thinking on page 2. ....I would like some extra ground clearance also... 1/2" spacing of the springs will raise you as high as 1" larger tire diameter so there is an inch or a little more right there and I think without enough spring pre load to do damage but enough to stiffen things up enough to be stable in gross winds... The best I can do.

 

What spring wedge for the FIT??

 

I am thinking about something like the ring type coil spacers like those that have been in J.C.Whitney catalogs for as long as they have put coil springs on cars..... They would have to be shorter though or the consequences would be coil bind and too much pre load.

 

Are you talking about this Texas Coyote? If they were thinner they would be ideal. **Another thing that could work is to get some coil over bases and place a base on the top and bottom of the spring to raise the car.** This is kind of the opposite of what Ray did get is Fit so low.

**Disclaimer: Neither I nor Fit Freak will be responsible for any injuries and/or damages what so ever to those who do this.

Funny that you mentioned that, I have 205/55R15s on my stock hieght GD and they are approximately 24 inches in diameter (~.6 more than 195/55s). My my stability at speeds of 80 MPH and up has definitely been affected by the taller tires. In fact, I can sometimes feel a slight turbulence under my feet while driving interstate speeds and along with that my steering isn't as responsive as it used to be.

On the other hand, I can get in and out of the crummy taqueria lots with less of a chance of scraping/bottoming out and the car feels like a couch now because the sidewall soaks up more of the bumps.

 

Those are the ones... I would use them to bring my car up some with the Swift Mach's but I don't think so with stock springs... I would have less than an inch drop if I used them but then I would have over steer problems again.... I would sit level though..... I have noticed that the good taquerias seem to have bad driveways and parking.

 

 

Has any one tried air lift air bags for the rear springs? U would be able to control height and cheap. Theres no kit available for the fit but they have them for cars that have similar suspension.

 

A number of people have installed air shocks in the last 2 years... I checked the strut top mounting bolt length and found it to be long enough to allow an inch of lift using 2 the rubber ring type spacers and spring compressors to facilitate installation.... It will be very stiff and the front end will need to be aligned.

 

Honestly, you should just leave the suspension alone. Changing the tires isn't going to make much of a difference at all and then you're going to need an alignment as well and it's going to throw your speedo off a little bit. If you do some kind of custom suspension set up you're just going to be putting money towards making your car impossible to sell and probably sacrifice ride quality. The Fit isn't that low, I really can't understand the problem you have with it. If you flat out don't like the way the car drives, trade for something bigger.

 

3 hours labor at most for ring spacers on the front for an inch and air shocks in the rear.... About 85 bucks is what you would be out...... Cheaper and less labor is involved than there is lowering a Fit and it will let you go places you can't in a stock or lowered car.

 

very few weight less than the 16lb stockers?

 

Mine weigh 7.1 pounds less than stock.

 

RPF1's ftw

and I can name many wheels that weigh way less than the stock wheels

 

Weigh, weigh, less than the stockers!



(I kid, really...)

 

wow I can't believe I said that haha, must have been thinking about way less than stockers hahhahahahaha

 

I back up the raised fit notion, it drug coming off of the dealers lot. Last winter the Fit was a tank in the snow (i did have snow tires) but for the snow drifts its always nice to have those extra few inches so you don't go "belly up".

Yes I also second the opinion that lowered cars look lame. My first impression is "oh that car has a flat tire...no wait, its supposed to look like that"

While im on a rant, i hate the different colored hoods too. Looks like someone primered the hood and didn't paint it

Just my 2 cents