Front Lifter of Not

Guys,
Please help i am on the fence about the front lifter. Can someone out there please provide some hard data on the issue. Measure the clearance on the front of the car, then measure the clearance with the lifter activated. I can work with standard or metric numbers. I do have a small dip in the road that enters my home but i don't think it will be a problem. I have a 911 and rarely, if ever, hit the lower front of the car. So that will be my guide.
Thanks so much for the info.
Ray

 

This would be valuable information on a flat surface.

For any given dip, it will be very difficult to apply this information. Many other variables will determine whether the car will scrape (slope of dip, length of dip, slope of road, wheelbase, speed).

Is there someone with a 458 that could drive over the area in question? Dealer? Friend? I think this is the most certain way of verifying whether you will be OK.

I have a very steep drive and my 458 doesn't even come close to scraping. I have also driven in/out of parking lots with no problem. I also had a 911 Turbo and the front scraped all the time.

Try to get a 458 out there.

 

My guidance to you is that you do not need it unless you have a steep driveway in your home or office or somewhere you go regularly. I have it on my Italia and use it only as a precaution and for peace of mind that my car will not scrape. It works really well in that it lifts quickly when you press the button and comes down by itself even if you forget and leave it up when you turn the car off.

I also have a 911 which I track and it has a much lower front end and I do not have a lift on it and manage quite wll now that I know its clearance well. I also had a Lambo Murcielago and that car ABSOLUTELY needed a front lift! Hope that helps.

 

I remember some years ago being in the same position that you are in now. I have a slope in the driveway getting into my home. I was concerned about scrapping the front end on entry. This first occurred when I bought my F430. This may sound crazy but it worked for me. I measured the distance from the ground to the under surface of the front end of a 430 at the dealer and also from the center of the wheel/tire to the point where I made this measurement. I then set up a 2x4 on the top end of the concrete and measured the distances where the front end of the car would hit the slope in the concrete. As this turned out to be greater than what I measured for the car, I knew I would be OK and sure enough when I got my car it cleared perfectly. I now have a 458 and I did the same measurements before purchase and all was well so I did not get the lifter. Hope this is clear and helpful.

Al

 

I use the lifter fairly frequently. It all depends on where you live. In Holland we have very steep speed bumps and for those I use it. Also for my parents driveway. But in general, the 458 has a lot of clearance and I would say that most people wouldn't need it. The additional clearance for the lifter should be 4 cm.


Onno

 

many thanks to all.
will see if i can get a 458 out in my area.
thanks again guys
ray

 

My 458 is lowered 1" and I never (almost!) scrape.

 

I live in Long Island/NYC area and always had a problem with my prior daily driver front spoiler (on a 997TT) scraping dips in the road and curbs. Interestingly enough the 458 seems a bit better clearance wise (than the 911) and the front lifter on the 458 has been great so far. I use the front lifter each time I go in and out of my office, go over speed bumps dropping kids off at school, etc. If your going to use the 458 as a daily driver, like me, in an urban area I suggest getting the lifter. Only downside is that you also have to get the special front lights with the lifter option (more $$$). Anyway, I'm glad that I have this option.

 

I think everyone schould get the lift. It's not about going over a speed bump or going up a driveway and not scrapping. Nobody needs the lift to keep from scrapping. Its about not having to wait for every car to go by when you go into or out of a shopping center,building or house that has an incline. I was in back of a 458 without the lift pulling into the driveway at Newport Ferrari and he had to wait for a long line of cars before he could slowly creep up the driveway. He didn't scrap but I could have turned several times. I have talked to a half dozen 458 owners with the lift and all would get it again. If you have it you would be suprised how much you use it.

 

If you are thinking about it enough to post about it here, get it. You won't be happy otherwise. Same applies to other things on the option list which have you scratching your head. You won't need it every day but you'll be glad you ordered it.

 

+1

 

If you had a Ferrari in the past I would say no.I used to touch the nose on my F430 and Scuderia and learned on those cars.The 458 rides higher in the front than any of the previous models it takes practice.I think even if I had it I would forget to raise the front when needed.Small dips or speed bumps are not an issue steep driveways are a problem and I usually angle them.If you have a 911 I think its pretty close to the 458 in height.You may already have experience

 

I have the lifter and ordered my spider with it as well. It's not your driveway that should be your concern, its all the new places you will go. That 'ssccccccctttthhhaaa' sound drives me nuts and its worth the few extra bucks to not hear it, especially if you plan to lower the car.

 

Have not had any scrape in about 3,300 miles. The 458 has good clearance however I do have front skid plates just in case. Spend that money on CF.

 

precisely my thinking!
or lack thereof!

 

This is the deal on the front lifter.

For speed bumps etc, you don't need it.

If you have some weird parking situation (like a big curb or steep entrance from the street), you'll need it for that.

In normal driving on city streets, it's not necessary.

 

2nd that. Mine is also lowered 1" and never scrape.

 

I drive my 458 everywhere here in NorCal. Sometimes, I may not know exactly what obstacles may be ahead of me until I'm faced with it. Having the front lifter is a huge boon to being mostly worry free, especially around a city like San Francisco.

When you're in city traffic, you have to move along with it and don't really have the luxury of waving all the other cars by when you know you can't clear an incline (many of those in San Francisco and surrounding areas, for instance). As I approach them, I hit the button and drive along with traffic. I don't have to crab the car, or approach the incline at an oblique angle -- which occasionally you can't do anyway when you're in traffic.

So far I haven't scrubbed the nose at all.

I don't live in the city, but I never know when I may have to drive through it, and when I do it's nice to not worry as much. I still worry about parking it, though, but that's a different story.

 

4cm is the raise.

It depends on where you live I guess. I live in NYC and I took the car to Little West 12th St in the Meatpacking district, with the lifter on and traveling at 5mph I barely made it out of that cobblestone road there. There are also some steep ass carpark ramps in NYC and without the lifter I have no doubt it would hit.

My suspicion is that you don't need it outside of NYC. It's an expensive option o yeah.

 

Well it sounds like those who have it like it and would get it again and those who say they don't need it never had it and they never scraped.

 

OK the Enzo has it.

I remember when we were on a FNA challeng rally the Enzo could go places with no effort that my F355 F1 GTS could only dream about.

The peace of mind would be worth it for me.

BTW the Enzo has a lift.