Low Rider Cars

Low rider cars are any car of small truck that is modified to ride low and look better than when stock. However, within this basic premise there is a lot of variety. Low riders have evolved as a part of several different American cultures and in different parts of the country. Originally, low riders evolved as a part of Mexican American culture but facets of the low rider style quickly passed into other cultures and communities. Low riders tend to be classic American cars from either the 1950s and 1960s, or the 1970s and 1980s. The cars from the 1950s and 1960s tend to look closer to stock other than the lowered ride higher and sometimes a chopped roof. Low riders based on cars from the 1970s and 1980s tend to be more liberal with the modifications.

Many low rider cars are lowered without the use of hydraulics, or use hydraulics to lower the car as much as possible but not to bounce the car. These low riders are great for cruising but cannot do the typical low rider bouncing that is often the most exiting element. Low riders that are built to actually raise and lower or even bounce off of the ground require a hydraulic suspension that is controlled by the driver. Usually, a series of switches are mounted in the cabin of the car so that the driver can easily control them while at a stoplight. Small trucks, often called mini trucks are also commonly made into low riders. The bed of a truck provides a lot of room to set up hydraulics that are normally stuffed in a truck.

The low riders built for daily driving usually can raise each corner of the car a fair amount but cannot leap in the air. The evolution of low rider cars has lead to car shows that show off the most powerful hydraulic low riders in the world. These vehicles can leap over ten feet in the air getting the front off the car off the ground, or all four wheels off of the ground at once. These extreme low riders are controlled from outside of the car by a controller that is either hardwired or communicates remotely. The downside of these extreme low riders is that they sustain a lot of wear and tear by getting so high off of the ground so they tend to be used only for shows and not for daily driving. Even daily driver low riders can sustain a lot of damage by being so low to the ground. The underside of the car can be damaged by road debris. Hydraulics also cost a lot to install and add a lot of weight to the car, which can affect the gas mileage. However these are small prices to pay in the pursuit of looking extremely going while going from point A to point B.