Today lowrider name any low creeping on highway wheelbarrow. And meanwhile, from the point of view of cleanliness of style, it is incorrect. And that is true and as it works – we will try to understand in this article. Movement lowriders has arisen to the Second World War. Already in the late 30-s in many small towns in the south of the USA the American Mexicans went on low Chevrolet.
The car was a part of youth culture and distinctive feature of the Mexican population. In many cases it were "Chevrolet", old, but perfectly restored. In certain cases they have been temporarily underestimated"by bags with sand or other heavy subjects in a luggage compartment, in others – went by short springs which either cut, or heated up until while they did not get"correct"height. The manner to go on lowriders leaves during more distant times. Till now in many Mexican villages there is a custom when unmarried young men walk round a central square, the young man in one direction, girls in other. The purpose of this action – to meet eyes about the the future husband or the wife. There is a legend that slow conveyance on lowrider on a quarter not that other, as modern interpretation of old tradition.
Unlike movement jotas-sorts, supporters lowriders (by the way, such name has been thought up only in the 60-x 20 centuries) always staked on appearance, style and beauty of the car. The present blossoming of this culture has come only in the late fifties - the beginning of 60th years. Then parkways of cities were filled with a large quantity lowriders. And further this culture only developed.
Classics
When speak «lowrider», for certain almost all recollects hardly creeping "Impala" from 60-s, on small spokes wheels. Chevrolet as a whole, for admirers lowriders is the same that Ford – for jotas-rodderov. In pre-war years luxury models of 39th year used special popularity. After war in honour there were cabriolets Chevrolet of 48th modelling year: Fleetline 48th, "Chevy" hard top 50th and, of course, Mercury 49th – 50th years. In those days there was no yet a division, and all was called jotas-sorts. And, if the presents of jotas-childbirth became to "go", lowriders were under construction to prove to be. At this time pioneers of lowride-movement began for the first time to reflect as to make the cars even more low. The first that was used for this purpose – wheels of small diameter. A certain standard for classical lowriders is 13-inch wheels. They also cost cheaper huge skating rinks which used jotas-roddery, and allowed to make the car at least on pair inches more close to the earth. But the maximum understating was reached by radical intervention in a suspender and a body. Frame pieces were for this purpose cut out, places of fastening of a suspender were digested, short springs and non-standard springs were used. Not expensive paints for a body and plush interiors were last elements of style.
In 50 the law against lowriders has been passed. This law defined what height of a suspender should be, that the car could go legally on streets. And we never would see more than cars lying on the earth, if not the invention made in 1959. Then for the first time on the car, namely Corvette, the hydraulic struts have been established, allowing to regulate suspender height. Racks and valves have been borrowed from the written off bomber «B-52». It was break: such suspender allowed to be at legal height before policemen and to lie on the earth during trips with friends.
Hydraulics
The principle of work of hydraulic struts not strongly differs from principle absorber works. In one part of the cylinder the pump forces oil which shifts the bucket downwards, thereby hoisting the car over road. Accordingly, to lower the car, it is necessary to make return action. All system consists of four hydrocylinders, the pump, a receiver with oil and several highways with steering valves, and as several additional accumulators for steering of pumps. The mode of installation of cylinders depends on type of a suspender of the concrete car. For example, if the car has behind a beam axle with springs hydrocylinders are established over the truncated spring. Thus one end of system - the cylinder-spring is attached to a body, and the second rests against the bridge. The similar scheme is applied in standard 2х to a lever suspender, with A-shaped lower arms. Similar types of suspenders have Chevy Impala, MonteCarlo or Buick Regal. For cars with a spring rear suspension the scheme is even easier: the cylinder one end fastens to a frame over a spring, the second fastens to the spring. Thus the quantity of sheets in a spring as much as possible decreases. If the car has a suspender of type of MakFerson then the standard absorber is subject to replacement by the hydrocylinder. The original spring thus remains. As the top part of the cylinder fastens to a body through a standard bearing part at car lowering, the cylinder simply compresses a spring. There is still a second scheme when the spring is above the cylinder. In this case the hydraulics in no way does not influence a spring compression ratio.
Other important device – the pump forcing oil in cylinders. To press in principles of work of the pump it is not meaningful within the limits of given article. It is necessary to notice only that the pump submits oil under the big pressure to working area of the cylinder. There are some schemes of installation of pumps. The most simple is the unique pump. In this case to hoist the car it will be possible only at once all. In the second case the system has two pumps – on one on a lobby and a rear axle. At such scheme it is possible to steer separately a raising of a lobby or a car rear. And the most advanced scheme are four pumps, on each cylinder the pump. Here it is possible to steer a raising of any "corner" of the car in independence of all the others.
It is necessary to notice that lowering, in any their three cases, occurs independently for each cylinder. Each of them has the "target" valve. An element of a food of pumps are additional accumulators, which incorporate consistently to receive various pressure. The above pressure, the is more speed of pumps. That it to reach, unite to 6 accumulators, receiving on an exit 72 Volts. It allows to hoist the car almost instantly. Repeatedly repeated to hoist leads to that the car starts to jump. The following element absolutely unessential, the receiver is. It is the small cylinder usually established in immediate proximity from the hydrocylinder. Is better directly over it. The receiver is necessary when it is necessary, that the car could rise and fall smoothly and without jerks. On a design it is a cylinder divided by a diaphragm. From above there is a gas under pressure, from below – oil. As a matter of fact it is a receiver which supports pressure of oil in system at any constant level.
Continue....
By the end 50 existence of lowriders becames more difficult. In some cities all new and new laws against custom-cars were passed: suspender versions, too loud exhaust, races on streets, – much was put under an interdiction. And your glovebox was quickly filled with penal receipts if you wished to show all the pride and hobby. Shortly movement lowriders has fallen outside the limits one national group and has turned to public idea. And children of ancestors of style could see, how has been much added to initially low suspender. It and considerable versions of a body, and the special painting even more often simulating an old paint or easier first coat.« Chevrolets »any more were not an icon, as earlier. There were no Any more restrictions. For construction lowrider it was possible to use not only a coupe, but also sedans. Understating was an indisputable rule, mouldings for tyres (whitewalls) became a certain standard, exhaust pipes and fog lights were very desirable elements. In a fashion there was a maximum disposal of the car of chrome. It was already a certain mixture completely individual kastom-cars and classical lowriders. Use included concept a strit-sort. This environment was very popular to remove from the car all chrome, emblems, to smooth down door handles and other acting parts. On the other hand, supporters of classical style to differ, tried to leave all as is. Shortly the fashion included use of numerous original accessories. The beginning 60 was not the most successful time therefore as America was at war in Vietnam, and much had no time for development of automobile culture. But the end 60 – the beginning 70 became the next stage in development lowriders. At this particular time many start to understand that manufacture of components for a hydraulic suspender can bring good money. Before the assembled samples were such systems by own hands. On the decision to do components in professional masterful people have jogged some incidents with lowriders: in several failures because of suspender breakages have suffered and people were lost. Competitions start to develop in the same period because of use possibilities of a hydraulic suspender. And "dances" - ability to steer a raising and lowering of each wheel, irrespective of others become the first type of competitions. From the midpoint 70 development of lowrider-movement already was not possible to stop. And, probably, even more mass this phenomenon became with the advent of a pneumatic suspender. Not such expensive and difficult, as hydraulic.
Highland Park Lowrider Car Show 07 pt 1
low? rider