Ground clearance dictates how tall an obstacle a vehicle can drive over without scraping its undercarriage. It is measured from the ground to the lowest hanging component, which is often the differential, exhaust pipe, or suspension crossmember. Off-road vehicles require high clearance to clear rocks, while sports cars use low clearance to lower the center of gravity and improve aerodynamics.
Heard on the job
We need to check the ground clearance before installing that aftermarket exhaust system or it will scrape on speed bumps.
Also heard as
- ride height