# How to lower the overall height of a 2003 Honda Element **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** element, honda\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211 "2009-12-01T01:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LeMental03](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2acd7d/32.png) [@LeMental03](https://community.cartalk.com/u/LeMental03)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/1 "2009-12-01T01:58:37Z")
I would like to lower the overall height of my 2003 Honda Element to something similar to that of a regular sedan. I am not looking to turn it into any sort of “low-rider”. I simply would like for it to be several inches lower to ground and thereby easier to get into. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/2 "2009-12-01T02:18:40Z")
If you just want a lower car, you should sell the Element and get something else. Properly lowering a vehicle is quite involved. Basic lowering can be achieved by switching out the springs with lowering (shorter) springs. Again, lowering is involved, and can lead to all sorts of un-thought of issues with alignment, wheel/tire combinations, rubbing the ground entering and exiting parking lots, noises and shortened tire life. ---
**Author:** ![Scudder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scudder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scudder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/3 "2009-12-01T02:50:18Z")
Several inches lower ??? If you drop an Element 7" you will be ON THE GROUND, thereby immediately qualifying for low rider status ~ which you are trying to avoid I believe. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/4 "2009-12-01T02:59:53Z")
1", maybe 2" might be possible, no more. Better to sell and buy something more to your liking. I just looked at [tirerack.com](http://tirerack.com), you can get springs that’ll lower it 1.4-1.7", that’s all. If you need shocks/struts anyway, it might not be a bad thing to try. Is yours 2wd or awd? ---
**Author:** ![GSN\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@GSN\_fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GSN_fan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/5 "2009-12-01T04:36:43Z")
I have to ask - why? Do you want it to be a 2-door Scion XB? ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/6 "2009-12-01T05:01:23Z")
Smaller diameter wheels, and low profile tires would be good for two or three inches lower. ---
**Author:** ![Scrabbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Scrabbler](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrabbler)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/7 "2009-12-01T05:56:04Z")
Could you install a pair of side steps instead? ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 10:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/8 "2009-12-01T10:52:56Z")
As a general rule, this also lowers the load carrying capacity of the tires. Folks who have done this report greater tire failure rate. Not a good idea! ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/9 "2009-12-01T20:47:12Z")
Several inches? Options: Chop the top Section the body cut a few coils from the springs. The first two are for the very highly advanced custom body shop people with big bank accounts. The third option is only for the experienced and knowledgable that are also willing to spend a few bucks with other suspension work. Done improperly it can be very dangerous. There are no easy, cheap, safe ways to lower the Element several inches. ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/10 "2009-12-02T22:42:45Z")
I saw an Element drive by with side steps today. The side steps are a Honda Accessory. The steps are not cheap, but more feasible than lowering. [http://automobiles.honda.com/element/accessory-detail.aspx?Accessory=ELEME10052](http://automobiles.honda.com/element/accessory-detail.aspx?Accessory=ELEME10052) Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-to-lower-the-overall-height-of-a-2003-honda-element/40211/11 "2009-12-02T23:02:51Z")
[b]"Several inches lower ??? If you drop an Element 7" you will be ON THE GROUND, thereby immediately qualifying for low rider status ~ which you are trying to avoid I believe."[/b] Ummm…Scudder…You do know that “several” and “seven” are not synonymous, don’t you? “Several” means a small number of things–in this case, a small number of inches. That is a far cry from seven. I think that the OP most likely wants to lower his Element by 2 or 3 inches, perhaps 4 inches, as that would conform to the usual definition of the word “several”. That being said, the OP should really just buy a vehicle that meets his/her needs, rather than spending this much money on a vehicle that is at least 6 years old. What he/she wants to do will actually lower the vehicle’s resale value more than its height.