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You see them everywhere, low rides with extreme offsets, stretched tires and ridiculously negative camber. Though Hellaflush has been around for years, mostly in the euro scene, this trend has increased in popularity over the past few years.
Who does not like to see low cars with fat lips? Although the "Hellaflush" look is attractive to most, it does have its drawbacks. With a few exceptions, there are only a handful of cars that correctly pull off this look while still being functional. By no way is this article meant to offend anyone. If you are into Hellaflush, I respect your choice and freedom of expression. If you are considering this look you should know the facts before spending your hard earned cash on wheels, tires and suspension otherwise, you may spend more than expected.
See my list of pros and cons after the jump!
First let me begin with the positives:
- Looks good if done right
- Creates more business for tire and wheel repair companies
Here are the negatives or, your reality check:
- Rims exposed to curb damage
- Tires distorted due to being fitted on a rim that is too wide, thus, requiring much higher inflation pressures to prevent excessive wear on the edges of the tread surface
- Rough choppy ride and smaller contact patch due to higher inflation requirements
- Possibility of tire coming off the bead if impacted
- Higher rate of wear and tear on suspension components and wheel bearings
- Poor directional stability due to wrong offset being used
- Increased understeer in FWD vehicles due to wider rear wheels
- Decreased turning radius
- Tires need to be changed more often
- Extra cost of a wider wheel
- Body and wheel damage
- Extra time added to your drive due to wheels scraping the fenders, no amount of power can compensate for poor handling and an unpleasant ride
Hellaflush can be done right if all the negatives above are addressed through proper alignment, suspension tuning, tire pressures and bodywork. If you still decide to go Hellaflush, make sure to do it right or have a hefty budget for tires and all the other things that may go wrong.
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By: torino_man 1/17/2011 11:50 AM My thoughts exactly! These cars do look tight when it's done correctly, but those poor streched sidewalls! |
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By: JTC180 1/17/2011 11:58 AM I prefer slightly lowered and still very useable. |
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By: piemaster007 1/17/2011 11:59 AM Apparently stretched tires offer a smoother grip transition in drifting, and negaative camber has its merits too. I think, for the most part, that people who modify their cars this way understand the limitations of the setup. It's nearly impossible for me to daily-drive my own car at its height, and it's still not low enough to pull off a flush wheel fitment. In all honesty, though, if your rim is that close to your wheel arch (as shown in the top photo), you must have air suspension to drive, or you'd fuck up a whole lot of shit going over any type of bump. I expect a more functional, track-esque look to come into style in the near future. Think meatier tires. |
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By: DaveyBoyo 1/17/2011 12:03 PM Still ugly as fuck .. |
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By: TorqueAddict9 1/17/2011 12:46 PM Cool as an art project, would be stupid and unsafe to drive these cars though. |
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By: carsick30 1/17/2011 1:11 PM definitely not for a daily driver, but i'd rock that look on a show car if i could afford one. |
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By: timpalass 1/17/2011 1:18 PM Dumb and ugly. |
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By: ___nes___ 1/17/2011 1:44 PM I say get airbags like the VIP guys do and raise the car when driving. Not sure that helps with the camber getting positive but sure it won't get you body damage |
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By: OnMy2ndGP 1/17/2011 2:16 PM Great for trailer queens or SEMA car shows. I'm a driver kind of car enthusiast so this is a big negative for me. I'm just saying.... |
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By: usnrocker 1/17/2011 2:58 PM it looks good on certain cars... and as long as its done properly and on the right car its a win in my book... personally i think a first gen Miata with some Carbon Fiber wheel flairs and a small stretch looks amazing |
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By: usnrocker 1/17/2011 3:36 PM |
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By: 5henaniganz 1/17/2011 4:58 PM Tim's just mad because he couldnt get his s10 to have that little wheelgap. a picture is worth a thousand words tho, look close and you see the tire/fender damage. three words here to counter the cons ALIGNMENT ALIGNMENT ALIGNMENT. just like anything else, you can lower your car the right way, or the wrong way. there are pros and cons to running lots of camber be it positive, (heavy load hauling) or negative (high speed cornering) so think it out first. |
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By: davyb_23 1/17/2011 5:04 PM yeah i will go with what alot of people are saying as well, i dont even think it looks good. It doesnt look bad, just not that good so why even bother, especially with all the negative parts about the whole idea and with how much $$$ it takes to do it! |
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By: 5henaniganz 1/17/2011 5:11 PM at least its not a donk, and handles extremely well if done PROPERLY. |
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By: M45lover 1/17/2011 5:39 PM Not for me but mad props to anyone willing to do it right. |
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By: GTwildfire 1/17/2011 6:48 PM Count on every car fad never completely going away. Somewhere, probably in every state there's someone who's running with ladder bars, gabriel hijackers, sidepipes and whatever else we all thought were extinct. This (sometimes pretty awesome looking) oddity will continue as long as there are cars. |
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By: cknarf 1/17/2011 9:33 PM Styles pretty cool, except for the dangerously negative camber lol. |
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By: powerhungryV6 1/18/2011 8:59 PM I do not have stretched wheels or wheels with a huge lip just a 17X8.5 with some 235/55/17 tires, but did more or less pull of the hellaflush look by dropping my car 2 inches in the front and three in the rear and managed to not have any difficulty's with my car other than the harsh ride, but the look and handling characteristics are well worth it! |
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By: jstplayinit86 1/19/2011 6:43 AM I agree with most about it does look good. If its done right then yeah go for it. This one in this pic looks like if he hits a small pot hole his rim is ruined |
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By: steele_grey_jake 1/21/2011 2:00 PM No doubt about it , this look is awesome. If you can afford to fix the damage you incur,more power to you. If I could, I would. I think everyone has a small obsession with slammed vehicles. |
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