Calculate breakover angle, ground clearance, or wheel base from any two values with unit conversions in inches, feet, centimeters, or meters.
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Breakover Angle Formula
The breakover angle calculator uses ground clearance, wheelbase, and breakover angle. Enter any two values to solve for the missing one. Length values are converted to inches internally, then the result is converted back to your selected unit.
BA = 2*arctan(GC/(WB/2))
GC = (WB/2)*tan(BA)
WB = (2*GC)/tan(BA)
- BA = breakover angle, in degrees
- GC = ground clearance
- WB = wheelbase
- tan = tangent function
- arctan = inverse tangent function
To calculate the breakover angle, the calculator uses the ground clearance and half of the wheelbase. To calculate ground clearance, it uses the wheelbase and the entered breakover angle. To calculate wheelbase, it uses the ground clearance and the entered breakover angle.
Typical Breakover Angle Ranges
Breakover angle depends heavily on ride height, wheelbase, tire size, suspension position, and where the lowest point sits under the vehicle.
| Vehicle type | Typical breakover angle | General meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger car | 10° to 15° | Low clearance, more likely to scrape on sharp crests |
| Crossover or small SUV | 15° to 20° | Moderate clearance for normal roads and mild uneven surfaces |
| Pickup truck | 18° to 25° | Better clearance, but long wheelbase can still reduce performance |
| Off-road SUV | 22° to 35°+ | More capable over ridges, rocks, ramps, and trail crests |
Length Unit Conversions Used
| Unit | Inches used by calculator |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 1 in |
| 1 foot | 12 in |
| 1 centimeter | 0.393701 in |
| 1 meter | 39.3701 in |
Example Problems
Example 1: Calculate breakover angle
You have a ground clearance of 10 inches and a wheelbase of 100 inches.
BA = 2*arctan(10/(100/2))
BA = 22.6199°
The breakover angle is about 22.62°.
Example 2: Calculate ground clearance
You have a wheelbase of 120 inches and a breakover angle of 10 degrees.
GC = (120/2)*tan(10)
GC = 10.5796 in
The ground clearance is about 10.58 inches.
FAQ
What does breakover angle mean?
Breakover angle is the steepest crest or ramp angle a vehicle can pass over without the middle underside touching the ground. A larger breakover angle means the vehicle is less likely to scrape at the center when crossing a ridge, hump, rock, or sharp driveway transition.
Does a longer wheelbase reduce breakover angle?
Yes. If ground clearance stays the same, a longer wheelbase lowers the breakover angle. This is why long trucks can scrape in the middle even when they have decent ground clearance.
Do ground clearance and wheelbase need to use the same unit?
No. You can enter ground clearance and wheelbase in different supported units. The calculator converts both length values to inches before calculating, then converts the missing length result back to the unit you selected.
