Steep driveway = Prius scraping

You can probably get somebody to custom manufacturer the item you are looking for. Any metal shop or fabricator can do so. Now, how well they can design such an item I'm not so sure about, and of course if it will be oustide your residence, it will have to bolted to your driveway to be of use. However, I'm trying to imagine the hump you are trying to get over and having a hard time. Do you have a picture you can attach to this thread so we can get an idea of what you are having to deal with?

Anyway, you have discovered one of the few issues I have with this car. I have to be very careful with parking lot threshholds from streets. Some places the parking lot is below the grade of the street and so you have a large "hump" you have to get over with the vehicle. Usually, if you take these at an angle you can avoid scrapeing. Try that on your drive if you can and see if that reduces that issue.

Right now, a couple of scrapes isn't hurting your vehicle, but will work on the rubber coating on the underbody. Too many more and that rubber coating will not be there where the scrape occurs.

 

i know i've hit the front of the car after coming down a steep hill but i've never heard of anyone scraping the middle of the car..

the feeling hurts, doesn't it?

 

There is a narrow road near here with what are called "speed humps", (slightly raised platforms about 2 yards wide and the full width of the road). My Prius hits the bottom when I have two passengers in the back, even though I'm going at only about 4MPH. I wouldn't risk going at more than 10 MPH even with no load at all!

 

The alley driveway leading into our parking structure is very steeply angled, so I have to constantly remind myself when leaving or arriving to 1) drive slooooowly and 2) keep the car angled while going down/up it to avoid scraping (ie: don't pull straight up or down the drive). My former car, a Saturn, would also scrape on the front end if I took the driveway too quickly but I've found that I'm that much more careful with the Prius now as a result.

 

I have a friend who I visit a lot in San Francisco.

Her driveway is horribly steep as well. That sickening scraping of the underside moulding (2006) really does hurt.

Here is my crudely drawn (in MS Paint) side-view diagram of what happens when I approach said driveway:
[attachmentid=4035]

 

It sounds like your driveway goes down from the road since it is scraping in the middle of car. Maybe laying a 2X12 flat across the drive will give you enough clearance. You would need to attach it so it doesn't slide. Bolting it to the driveway or staking it down if there is some sort of lawn on each side of driveway. You could paint it grey to match the concrete. You could also get some bags of Quikcrete and form up a little hump. Are you tires fully inflated? You could put higher profile tires on but it will throw off your speedo. Pictures would help.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(elmofongo @ Feb 19 2006, 12:10 PM) [snapback]212530[/snapback]</div>

My neighbor has a similar issue and he rented a grinder to remove the excess concrete. A little drastic, but if you only have a little bit rubbing, it may work. The possible problem with the added speed bump device is that at some time the bottom of the car will touch it just like the original problem.

Can you snap a digital picture and upload it? One with the car rubbing and others with the approach, etc.