If going low was easy, everyone would do it.

Well, that's not true, but for those enthusiasts, such as our A3 customer, who really want to slam their modern fwd vehicles, there are definite obstacles in the way. Simply put, Audi never intended for this vehicle to lay on its belly. Well, not on purpose, any way.

Even those less diehard folks using coil-overs to achieve max-lowness still encounter issues when trying to wring that last little bit of drop their threaded-body struts have to offer. First obstacle is the passenger side drive shaft. You see, it tends to bang against the chassis when going over bumps and that's a less than ideal situation. Most (sensible) people, upon hearing that rather alarming sound, raise their vehicles just enough to make the sound go away. But not our guy, no - he ain't giving up that easy. Remember, we're installing air ride into this Audi and if it can't get down more than someone else can with a set of off-the-shelf coil-overs, what's the point?

Faced with that kind of determination, we knew we had two choices: clearance either the driveshaft or the chassis. Neither option is ideal, but I think most of you will agree that option two is the only way to go.

Let's be clear here - what we're about to do to this vehicle is something not to be taken lightly. We are cutting into some very important metal and removing a section, never to be seen again. Yes, we will reinforce the area as much as possible, but the truth is it may not be as strong as it was before. Our customer understands this and is willing to accept any consequences that may result. In other words, kids, don't try this at home.

First up, Doug carefully measures all the different areas in which the driveshaft can come into contact with the chassis. The goal is to remove as little material as possible, so being thorough is very important at this stage. Once the area is measured and marked, it's time to cut. Since an arch is nature's strongest shape, Doug uses such a shape for his cut.

Once the area is clearanced, a section of 14-gauge stainless steel tubing is cut to fit the opening. Once welded in place, this extra material will help to reinforce the compromised area.

After the welds are ground, a coating of sealer is applied to ensure no moisture can find its way into the notched area.

So, are we ready to lay some frame? No, not yet. One of the other obstacles in the way is the fact that our Audi uses McPherson front struts. What's the problem there? You'll see in a future update.