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It's up to your taste if it looks classy or not, but engineers spend millions to design the proper geometry into a suspension, and changing any part of that geometry will adversely effect the vehicle. It may me slight depending on how much you raise the vehicle, but damage will definitely occur if you raise a vehicle, or make any deviations from the way the factory built it.
It's up to your taste if it looks classy or not, but engineers spend millions to design the proper geometry into a suspension, and changing any part of that geometry will adversely effect the vehicle. It may me slight depending on how much you raise the vehicle, but damage will definitely occur if you raise a vehicle, or make any deviations from the way the factory built it.
If these vehicles are so perfect then why is there such a huge aftermarket of components to make ones vehicle better?
Let me start off by saying that I live in Phoenix, the lifted truck center of the UNIVERSE! Everyday I see lifted trucks and to me, they look RIDICULOUS! I'd also like to say that I drive a truck, 2010 F-150 Platinum everyday to and from work and love trucks very dearly as I grew up driving them in Iowa.
Most folks who lift their trucks do NOT do it because they want to go offroading, lifted trucks do NOT do well in the desert and are must more prone to getting stuck because of their high center of gravity and their long wheelbase. If you want a true vehicle for offroading, get an old Jeep Wrangler because every offroad enthusiast in the desert will tell you a lifted truck is about the worst vehicle to have if you want to offroad. I can see where one MAY be useful if you lived in an area that gets massive amounts of snow or if you have to drive very muddy trails but this is the damn desert...we don't get snow or much rain either. Jeep Wranglers are what almost all offroading enthusiasts drive down here (or a dune buggy, ATV, etc).
When I see a lifted truck, I can basically assume a few things about the owner:
1) They're lower-class. Most middle-class and upper-class individual don't drive these monstrosities because they have more COMMON SENSE.
2) They range in age from 15-35 and think a big, lifted truck looks "cool"...it DOESN'T. You look like a fool more than anything.
3) They are trying to impress others around them and probably have buddies that have equally stupid-looking vehicles.
Now I have seen a few TASTEFUL trucks lifted, the person who posted the lifted Dodge Ram was nice. I'm talking about the unGodly big, oversized tires, mudflaps, etc type of trucks that look completely and utterly ridiculous. There is rarely a practical reason to do these modifications ESPECIALLY to such a great extent.
I like my F-150, it's stock except for a dual-exhaust I added purely for aesthetic reasons. It's not gaudy or overcompensating, it just gives a balanced look to the truck.
I've been driving 4WD's for 40 years--over some of the roughest trails in the United States. Not only are radically lifted trucks practically useless for most backcountry work, they also have dangerously high centers of gravity that makes them quite unstable on the highway, as well. About the only time that a radically lifted truck makes sense is for use as a "swamp buggy" in the swamps and bayous of the South--but I'd bet the lifted trucks that are actually used for that purpose make up a minuscule percentage of the lifted trucks out there. Most people driving those moronic lifted trucks are "Main Street 4-wheelers" who think their piece-of-crap truck looks "cool."
Now, a lot of later model 4WD's do need a "mild" lift--usually less than 4"--to improve their ground clearance for serious backcountry trail work, but--again--most 4WD's never see anything rougher than a gravel road. My "beater" 4WD has a 3" lift kit that gives it about a 10" minimum ground clearance--more than enough clearance to handle some quite nasty trails--but I actually use my 4WD for both work and pleasure in areas where such capability is a necessity. Go look on the trails that I drive and you won't see any of the radically lifted trucks at all. For one thing, their center of gravity is so poor that they will roll over on even a mild sidehill slope. Radically lifted trucks are just another way to separate fools from their money.
I agree completely........
I could do more trails in a bone stock IHC Scout in Colorado than most of these super tall 4X4's could ever hope to accomplish.....
That said, I put a 4" spring kit on my 77' with 10.5 X 31's on it and it does look cool.......
If a truck is lifted for functional reasons and it actually functions better it's an improvement. Lifting for looks is in questionable taste but one man's taste is as valid as another's.
Personally I liked simple, functional work trucks with bench seats, stick shifts and roll up windows. The last truck I owned was a simple F-150 in that vein that I added a trunk lid and step up bars to for their functional aspects. I think it looked pretty sharp and it's funny how many boilermakers, pipefitters, carpenters and such told me they admired the simplicity of the vehicle.
It's up to your taste if it looks classy or not, but engineers spend millions to design the proper geometry into a suspension, and changing any part of that geometry will adversely effect the vehicle. It may me slight depending on how much you raise the vehicle, but damage will definitely occur if you raise a vehicle, or make any deviations from the way the factory built it.
Not completely true as any sports car/race car builder around the world can tell you. You can go too far, of course, but in general, lowering and tightening up your vehicle's suspension can improve handling dramatically. Vehicle suspension height is the way it is for regulations and making the most amount of potential buyers comfy. But if that was the BEST suspension height, then the sport models (and factory racing models when built) are NOT at that same height.
For many vehicles, lowering quite a ways can be done without negatively afecting ride or handling. My '62 Falcon (from the other thread) was lowered 4" and rode/handled like stock, with very little change to the stock suspension other than springs and shock mounts.
My Fox Mustang had Global West lower suspension arms that corrected the geometry when the car was lowered so that you had optimum suspension geopmetry AND a lowered center of gravity for better roll control and better handling, while still riding good.
On my V8 RX7, I used Tokiko sport springs and struts, along with a custom alignment (1.5 degrees negative camber in front and 3 degrees negative in the rear) to help it achieve 1.2Gs lateral cornering Gs on DOT street tires.
Please, let's not say that the factory engineers (who are people) set the cars up the optimum way they can be and that no people can improve upon what those people built in mass produced form. Because there are a lot of us that have been working with cars for a LONG time that know better.
you are a walking encyclopedia of worthless information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donn2390
It's up to your taste if it looks classy or not, but engineers spend millions to design the proper geometry into a suspension, and changing any part of that geometry will adversely effect the vehicle. It may me slight depending on how much you raise the vehicle, but damage will definitely occur if you raise a vehicle, or make any deviations from the way the factory built it.
true to a point. however the aftermarket has also spent millions to design in proper geometry for their suspension modifications as well. a properly done lift, or lowering, can enhance the usefulness of the vehicle. a moderately lifted truck, 4" or less, is not a bad idea for a 4X4 that spends a fair amount of time off road. same with lowering a truck, 3" in front and 4" in the rear maximum, does not affect the load hauling capability of the truck.
On an F-150, one needs about a 4" lift to put on 35" diameter tires which is really the minimum for off road use here. A 4WD pickup actually does pretty well off road especially here in the midwest where boulders are not as much a problem as muddy holes. The long wheelbase is an advantage in the mud but is offset by the bad turning circle most pickups have. We had a guy in our Jeep club who stayed right with most of the rigs with his Dodge Pickup with 35" tires.
But a truck with 31" tires just will not go anywhere unless it is paved and suitable for cars. So that is why guys want to go to at least 35" here. A 35" tire will be obviously better to anyone who drives them in the snow even if you don't go off road.
And, for a really effective rig, the 37" Krawler is an incredible tire, but again needs a lot of lift to get them not to rub. Some guys want to go even bigger than 37" and I do think there is a law of diminishing returns when a rig without a four-link suspension tries to go with tires that big.
But, I wouldn't be so quick to diss those who have lifted their trucks for better traction.
Here's some serious ground clearance without a lift (portal axles):
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