How do hopping cars work?

Lowriders are vehicles that ride very low to the ground and are often equipped with hydraulics systems that allow the cars to "hop." Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Streaming TV shows and movies directly to your home is
a breeze with Netflix. As a Netflix member, you can
instantly watch TV and movies on your PC, Mac, mobile device,
or television. Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go
to Netflix dot com slash stuff and sign up today.
Welcome to brain Stuff Frondhouse, stuff works dot com where
smart happens. Hi. I'm Marshall Brain with today's question, how

(00:30):
do they create the hopping cars you see in the movies?
These cars are known as low riders, and they seem
to be most popular in southern California. A low rider
is any car that has modifications allowing it to ride
very low to the ground. The problem with a low
rider is that things like speed bumps and rough roads

(00:52):
can make driving difficult. To solve these problems, lowrider enthusiasts
install hydraulic lift kits that allow a completely adjustable height
for the vehicle. These kits use electric hydraulic pumps and
normal hydraulic cylinders to raise and lower the vehicle. It's
pretty involved installation and can cost several thousand dollars. So

(01:15):
the hydraulic kits solved the height problem. What happened next?
Was unpredictable and amazing. Someone at some point realized that
with enough power, the hydraulic system could make the car
hop low rider Hydraulic systems quickly evolved to make hopping
more and more interesting, until cars could eventually hop six

(01:35):
feet off the ground. Originally, there was one twelve volt
or twenty four volt pump driving all four wheels in Unison.
It's now possible to find cars that have four pumps,
one for each wheel, and a dozen batteries to power them.
Twelve batteries can create two seventy two volt systems. These

(01:56):
powerful systems or what you see in the movie. Be
sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from
the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore
the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The How
Stuff Works iPhone app has arrived. Download it today on iTunes.

(02:18):
This episode of brain Stuff is brought to you by
Linda dot Com. Linda dot Com offers thousands of engaging,
easy to follow video tutorials taught by industry experts to
help you learn software, creative and business skills. Membership starts
at twenty five dollars a month and provides unlimited seven access.
Try Linda dot com free for seven days by visiting
Linda dot com slash brain stuff