LoudRam
New Jersey
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SoCalDesertRider wrote:Switchfoot wrote:Thanks for all of the replies. I am definetly not interested in the lifted trucks anymore. It was mainly the way they look that that I like but function and safety are far more important. The stock trucks are plenty tall and look very nice with a nice set of wheels and a little wider tires (or a little taller too) on them. One size up (265's -vs- 235's, for example) makes a big difference with few drawbacks. 
Yep that's what I did (245/75 to 265/75) and I have all the ground clearance I need. My truck sits the same as my friends F-250 4x4 Off Road and I'm have a 1500 4x4 with a stock suspension.
BTW...I like the band Switchfoot too. 
Todd
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Vapor_Trails
Yucaipa, CA
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Where you are Switchfoot, I'd say skip the lifted truck. As already stated the only functional reason to lift a truck is for bigger tires and more clearance off road. If that's not a necessity for you, then the lift does nothing but take away from it's towing performance. Keep looking.
* This post was
edited 07/08/08 11:22am by Vapor_Trails *
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eightballsidepocket
San Jose, California, USA
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Just a thought, but have folks considered how a lifted P.U.
when involved in car accident, is so high up that it's bumper can nearly "cream out" the passenger compartment of a sedan?
I wonder what the statistics are for accident involving mildly lifted and extremely lifted P.U.'s versus cars or even another stock P.U..
I have a feeling the stock p.u. or sedan comes out with massive damage compared to the lifted P.U.?
Our we possible exceeding or overriding some safety concerns if we can't avoid an impact with another vehicle that isn't raised up?
I realize that even stock P.U.s and SUV's of the large variety have bumper heights that don't line up very well with passenger cars.
Maybe some standardization of bumper heights could be a need. It would take some styling gymnastics to make a P.U. look macho or ok and meet these standards, but it could lower damage costs in the insurance industry, and possibly lower injuries/per capita to?
My son some years ago, had a run-in with a SUV and his Camaro. My son's Camaro hit the rear right corner of the SUV as it illegally lane changed in front of him as he was accellerating. What happened.......the SUV was so much higher than my son's stock Camaro, that the Camaro's hood went under the right rear bumper of the SUV and literally flipped the SUV on it's top. Before flipping or rolling over with no injuries, as the speed was not that fast, the SUV totally crumpled the Camaro's hood up to the front windshield with it's under-carriage. We lacked a uniform bumper height here.......and a much lighter Camaro flipped a larger SUV!
Regards, Eightballsidepocket
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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Personally, I never got the "lift for clearance" thing. Pumpkin's still the same distance to the ground without bigger tires... You lift the truck 6" and go from 31" tires to 35's, and only move the pumpkin up 2"...
Remember for each inch of DIAMETER you add to the truck's tire, you only get half (i.e. the difference in RADIUS) the additional clearance at the axle...
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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mkirsch wrote:Personally, I never got the "lift for clearance" thing. Pumpkin's still the same distance to the ground without bigger tires... You lift the truck 6" and go from 31" tires to 35's, and only move the pumpkin up 2"...
Remember for each inch of DIAMETER you add to the truck's tire, you only get half (i.e. the difference in RADIUS) the additional clearance at the axle... Lifting allows greater approach and departure angles with the lowest points at the front and rear of the vehicle and also allows greater breakover angle, which keeps it from getting high-centered at the midpoint of the truck.
Sometimes a couple inches more under the axles is the difference between hanging up on a rock or going over and on your way.
For trucks with an independent front suspension, the differential increases clearance with the ground as the truck frame is lifted.
Larger diameter tires climb over obstacles easier.
Wider, larger diameter tires increase footprint for traction and floatation on soft terrain like mud, sand and deep snow.
These are all great qualities in an offroad trail rig. Not so great in tow vehicle. A truck that does double duty towing and trails, needs a compromise between the two varying sets of ideal characteristics. Compromises are tough sometimes...
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SoCalDesertRider
SanDiego, CA, USA
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eightballsidepocket wrote:Just a thought, but have folks considered how a lifted P.U.
when involved in car accident, is so high up that it's bumper can nearly "cream out" the passenger compartment of a sedan?
I wonder what the statistics are for accident involving mildly lifted and extremely lifted P.U.'s versus cars or even another stock P.U..
I have a feeling the stock p.u. or sedan comes out with massive damage compared to the lifted P.U.?
Our we possible exceeding or overriding some safety concerns if we can't avoid an impact with another vehicle that isn't raised up?
I realize that even stock P.U.s and SUV's of the large variety have bumper heights that don't line up very well with passenger cars.
Maybe some standardization of bumper heights could be a need. It would take some styling gymnastics to make a P.U. look macho or ok and meet these standards, but it could lower damage costs in the insurance industry, and possibly lower injuries/per capita to?
My son some years ago, had a run-in with a SUV and his Camaro. My son's Camaro hit the rear right corner of the SUV as it illegally lane changed in front of him as he was accellerating. What happened.......the SUV was so much higher than my son's stock Camaro, that the Camaro's hood went under the right rear bumper of the SUV and literally flipped the SUV on it's top. Before flipping or rolling over with no injuries, as the speed was not that fast, the SUV totally crumpled the Camaro's hood up to the front windshield with it's under-carriage. We lacked a uniform bumper height here.......and a much lighter Camaro flipped a larger SUV! Several years ago when I was alot younger, I had a '77 Chevy 3/4-ton 4x4 pickup with 9 inches of lift and big tires. It was a fairly big truck, the bedrails were about as tall as I was, though I have seen much bigger trucks driving on the road than mine was.
Anyways, I rear ended a Volvo sedan at a stoplight (talking to my friend in the truck in the next lane, not paying attention to traffic in front of me). I was creaping forward at about 3 mph when I hit the Volvo. Did $3600 of damage to the Volvo, smashed the trunk lid, both rear fenders and rear panel of the car where the tail lights are, almost up to the rear window. Didn't do a dam thing to the frontend of the truck. Maybe a slight tweak to the bumper. If there was a scratch in the chrome, I couldn't tell (already plenty of scratches).
During that same summer, I also backed over an early 1980's Chevy Citation, or maybe it was a Chevette. Anyways, some little GM ratbox. The reciever hitch tube welded to the bottom of my heavy wall pipe rear bumper caught the front lip of the little car's hood and peeled it back like a can opener, almost to the windshield. The hood latch took the radiator support wall with it, pulling all that back into the engine untill finally the latch let go. I stopped when my rear tires reached the car's front bumper. I never saw the little car behind me. When the truck wouldn't go back anymore, I looked in mirror and all I saw was the little car's radio antenna barely peeking up above my tailgate. That cost me $600, which was pretty cheap considering the damage.
Later that summer, I backed into a Chrysler LeBaron convertible. My hitch tapped the upper center of the chrome grille where the hood ornament mounts to. Put a little ding in it. The girl in the car honked the horn before I made contact, otherwise I probly would have peeled her hood back like other one. I never saw the car untill I got out of the truck to see what the commotion was about, but I did see the antenna again in the mirror and got a good idea of what was up....
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rsh_757
Auburn, WA
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mkirsch wrote:Personally, I never got the "lift for clearance" thing. Pumpkin's still the same distance to the ground without bigger tires... You lift the truck 6" and go from 31" tires to 35's, and only move the pumpkin up 2"...
Remember for each inch of DIAMETER you add to the truck's tire, you only get half (i.e. the difference in RADIUS) the additional clearance at the axle...
You dont need to lift a truck 6 inches to get 2" of clearance at the pumpkin and in some places, two inches will save the vehicle from serious damage. Especially in some of the areas where the hunting is good.
I do like having the vision that 4 inches of lift provides also. I can what is coming much easier and in that regard, it is actually safer to me.
All that said, lifting a truck for looks is a waste of a truck. If a guy wants to lift his truck, so be it, but don't cheap out on a product that simply makes it higher, plenty of products actually make the ride and handling much better over stock. Keep the tires at a reasonable height and one can find a balance between TV and 4x4.
Too add, I would never lift anything with IFS, it has to be solid axle or nothing. Talk about a quick way to wear on components.
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LarryJM
NoVa
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Switchfoot wrote:I am shopping for a tv and would like a diesel dodge 2500 or 3500. I have seen one with a lift kit and was wondering if this makes for poorer towing performance. Does anyone know the effect lifitng a truck has on towing?
I've read endless posts for diesel lifted trucks suffering major 2 to 4mpg loss at least not towing. Not sure if towing, but it will kill your non towing mpg from the factory.
Larry
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rsh_757
Auburn, WA
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LarryJM wrote:Switchfoot wrote:I am shopping for a tv and would like a diesel dodge 2500 or 3500. I have seen one with a lift kit and was wondering if this makes for poorer towing performance. Does anyone know the effect lifitng a truck has on towing?
I've read endless posts for diesel lifted trucks suffering major 2 to 4mpg loss at least not towing. Not sure if towing, but it will kill your non towing mpg from the factory.
Larry
Endless? just because of a lift? I have an extra 4 inches and bigger tires on my rig and my hwy mileage is exceptional. Around town I might have lost 1mpg if that. I know that it will kill a gasser a lot sooner that a diesel. I can also see where having crazy tires like 37"+ would definately do it.
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beemerphile1
NE Ohio
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SoCalDesertRider wrote:eightballsidepocket wrote:Just a thought, but have folks considered how a lifted P.U.
when involved in car accident, is so high up that it's bumper can nearly "cream out" the passenger compartment of a sedan?
I rear ended a Volvo sedan at a stoplight...
I also backed over an early 1980's Chevy Citation...
I backed into a Chrysler LeBaron convertible...
I hope your driving has improved!
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