Ride Height

A measurement to indicate the amount of space between the base of a vehicle's tyre and the underside of the chassis. The ride height may also be defined as the shortest distance between a flat, level surface and any part of a vehicle other than those parts designed to contact the ground.

Although a high ride height means that a vehicle may be driven on uneven roads without the surface scraping against and damaging the chassis and underbody, it adversely affects the vehicle's aerodynamic properties. Thus a sports car will typically have a very low ride height, whilst an off-road vehicle or SUV's will have a higher one.

See also Ground Clearance.