Ok, I'll start out by saying I have an 03 evo 8. It's lowered on tanabe springs and it's low. I've lived in Oklahoma my entire life. The roads are flat and laid out in a grid. Most travel across town takes place on highways not on back roads. Our winters are pretty mild with less than a week total of snow. Three years ago I met a girl from Pittsburgh, I recently proposed to her and we are moving back to Pittsburgh. I have visited a few times and everything I just described about the roads in OK doesn't really seem to apply lol. After driving in parts of Pgh I notice the steep grade, narrow roads, and endless turns, sometimes all at once and this was in the summer time. I can only imagine what it's like in the winter. All of this has me wondering, how on earth do you guys drive Evos here?! I have a truck as well which I know I'll be driving most of the winter but the difference in streets has me questioning whether a lower car can drive there at all. Please help calm my concerns with tips and tricks specific to the city and keep me from selling my car.

 

Well, first off, welcome! Secondly, don't sell your car. Contrary to popular belief, Evo's were originally designed as rally cars, so Pittsburgh is actually the perfect place to show of its off-road prowess on our wonderful public roads.

You will need to do two things to drive it here: 1. Get it off the ground. You can have it lowered to a finger width or two fender gap, but that, "hellaflush", crap doesn't work here. Only the Vdub kids do that...no one likes the Vdub kids except the Vdub kids. 2. Buy an extra set of 17" wheels and throw some Blizzaks on there for winter. Coincidentally, I have an extra set with good tread I could sell you for cheap. Evo's were made for snow - they just need the right shoes.

I don't know where you are planning on moving, but there are 4 E85 stations in the area, so you could convert to corn if you haven't done so already. There is a decent Evo community here as well - just have to know where to look. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions!

Dave

 

Welcome to the Burgh guy !!!! Deff gotta watch out on the extra low approach... Bad roads round here will destroy you !!

And like Dave said there's plenty of E85 stations around about every side of the Burgh....

 

Outside of the bumpy ride, you'll be fine. My second car was lowered pretty far and it was never an issue save in the deep snow and you have truck for those days. It did scrape pulling into a few driveways now and again but nothing to go tearing the car apart over. The tanabes aren't that crazy of a drop.

 

The roads in PGH suck, especially with all the hills. It's fun to drive in the summer, the problem is construction everywhere every year, just doesn't stop. GL with the move.

 

Thank you for the encouragement, it's good to hear all is not lost lol.