over compensating just a bit?

ditchdigger wrote:

DoctorBlade wrote: Since we've had a massive hail storm two weeks ago, I've seen dozens of roof repair companies out and about, and about half of them have lifted trucks with 19.5 or larger wheels on them. They do end up towing trailers with a pallet of roofing stuff, so I let that slide.

How does a lift help them tow trailers or haul heavy loads? It seems every contractor here in the Oregon Willamette valley has a lifted truck. Usually 6" blocks so no increase in spring rate to increase load capacity. It makes loading/unloading the beds more difficult and requires a silly extended stinger to allow the trailer to sit level. It is just fashion, nothing more.

Hey, they actually do need the trucks. At that point the pointless mods are forgiven, because it looks cool (to them at least).

Toyman01 wrote: Rednecks do Budweiser, it's the city girls that do meth.

Sadly, that is demonstrably not true. It's the rural areas that have the huge meth problems.

dculberson wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: Rednecks do Budweiser, it's the city girls that do meth.

Sadly, that is demonstrably not true. It's the rural areas that have the huge meth problems.

Yup. In Georgia, it's more of the trailer park, rural areas that have the meth problems. Coke is more of a city drug.

There are tons of the bro-dozers here in Atlanta that will see no dirt what so ever.

Bud is what they drink while they wait for their meth lab to pop out a new batch.

Last summer out in rural Delaware, there was a shinny happy person at the wheel of an insanely lifted pickup truck (F-350) driving very aggressively. At the next light, we were both First in line. When the light turned, I brake torqued the minivan and did a 0-55mph (the speed limit) pull. I didn't win by much (about half a length), but the humility. Disturbingly, many of these trucks are driven very aggressively but have woeful braking and handling properties.

Edit: @happyAndy. That's we're I saw this pickup! I'm not sure what color it was (it was nightime) but it had HID lights and stacks.

There was a kid at my high school who drove one of those Dodge "Lil' Red Express" trucks. This is not exactly the kind of truck discussed in the rest of the thread... it was more like a cheesy, late 70s version of a Ford Lighting. It did have dual stack exhaust.

In any case, this dude got sent to prison for life a few years ago, under our state's "three strikes" law. I think the strikes were carnal knowledge of a juvenile, selling pot, and kiddy porn. One of the strikes may actually have been ownership of a "Lil' Red Express Truck."

when I see one I just sigh and wish I had that kind of money to blow....of course it would be on a pro touring GTO or something, but its the same price right?

Ya you think it's bad when a guy like that comes up behind you when your driving your F350.........try driving a lowered Miata and your skull is even with his transfer case!!

Don't mind them if they are used doing what the mods are for. I just don't understand owning a truck and not using it for what it's designed to do.............haul stuff, tow stuff. So many of these owners are afraid to put anything in the bed. Lift kits and very expensive off-road tires that never see dirt. Waste of a good truck.

It's called "diesel rice" out here.

I'm the only guy in the neighbourhood with a spark-ignition engine in a truck. In both trucks actually.

My gas engined F-250 has no trouble in the stoplight 500 with the giant bro-trucks. Thank the lord for the big-block Ford.

In reply to b13990:

Apparently you missed this thread:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/lil-red-come-back-to-me/62173/page1/

I had one make a lane change into me on the interstate in Chicago I assumed he didnt see my miata.I dont know because he was able to get off at a nearby exit and disappear into the hood.Lucky for me he got me with his tire and not with his transfer case

I pulled up at a rest stop on vacation a year or two ago in the 4Runner. Right after I parked, this thing pulled up. Guy got out, he was about 5'7 and it was funny watching him dismount. While he was in the jon I was looking at the truck....no tow hitch, not a speck of dirt anywhere on it, and no evidence that any kind of cargo had ever been loaded into the bed. Pure penis-extension.

On the other hand, this guy came to our marina to tow an old boat out. Aside from his awesome hydraulic trailer, his truck was quite the beast. But it was purpose-built for heavy-heavy work, and the dude was all about business....

Could this be the kids who watched too much Monster Jam growing up?

Also, let's not leave out all the Jeep guys with "mall crawlers" lifted on 35's driving around the suburbs.

I will plead guilty to some extent, having had an XJ with a mild lift and 32s, but with the caveat that I fully intended to off-road it once the build was done. Once I determined that off-roading was less fun than racing a sportscar, I sold it pretty quick. Lifted trucks on big tires are zero fun to drive, handle for E36 M3, brake even worse, are slow, get lousy economy, and overall just look stupid when drivin around on suburbia's streets....

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one out there that is annoyed by the overly-lifted fashion trucks. I drive a lowered miata and get harassed by these guys all the time; like they think I'm intimidated and impressed by their size. You know, if I wanted a lifted truck... I could just buy one!
Has anyone given much thought to the crappy aftermarket ebay tail lights (you know, the ones that always have a little bit of water in them after a rain) that you see on so many domestic trucks and cars out there, but yet the owners say they are anti-rice and anti-Japanese cars? That style all started from the Altezza!

I recently saw a moderately lifted truck, all shiny with a longbed, but the worst part was the guy had a hitch on the back that was holding two bikes! There was not a scratch in the bed either. Why buy a truck?!!!

-Hamid

Lets see, in the last month my truck has:

Pulled a horse trailer.

Hauled a yard of topsoil.

Hauled a yard of river stone.

Hauled four motorcycles (not all at once).

Hauled four iron block v8 engines, two with trans attached (all at the same time)

Pulled a car trailer with a project car on it.

Taken me to work and around town.

I don't know how I manage in a 22 year-old truck that doesn't have 4wd, a lift or a diesel engine.

What I don't understand is how folks manage WITHOUT a truck or manage WITH a truck that isn't good at doing truck things.

ditchdigger wrote:

DoctorBlade wrote: Since we've had a massive hail storm two weeks ago, I've seen dozens of roof repair companies out and about, and about half of them have lifted trucks with 19.5 or larger wheels on them. They do end up towing trailers with a pallet of roofing stuff, so I let that slide.

How does a lift help them tow trailers or haul heavy loads? It seems every contractor here in the Oregon Willamette valley has a lifted truck. Usually 6" blocks so no increase in spring rate to increase load capacity. It makes loading/unloading the beds more difficult and requires a silly extended stinger to allow the trailer to sit level. It is just fashion, nothing more.

I'm not sure how it helps, outside of tire life. None have had excessive lifts yet. Most seem to be holding to 3" or so, on a very unscientific survey. Me? As long as they're in dirt occasionally I'm cool with it.

In reply to irish44j:

The heavy heavy duty trucks aren't the problem........I like the converted ones like that in your picture......

We actually considered one of these with a caterpiller engine to pull wagons to the elevator instead of a new tractor. http://www.omearacarcandy.com/images/Blk-F650_200.jpg

back when I was in HS.. guy in my school had the precursor to those things (this was in 1987) and I remember almost stuffing my VW beetle under the bed of it as I could not see his brakelights. I stand almost 6 feet tall, and his tail/brakelights were just above my head height

I used to see an 80's CJ7 with no lift or MAYBE 2.5" springs. He ran around on 42" Super Swamper's with no front fenders and hugely cut rears. Funniest thing was the full-face motorcycle helmet and scarf he'd wear in the dead of winter due to no windshield or doors! Attention getting? Yes. But trying to be a bada$$, not a chance.

Just curious, how many of these ONE-TONS with 6-12" of lift, 8' ladder bars, etc., etc have any mods performed by the spiked-hair, tattooed, attention-whore owners and not some 4x4 shop?

I'd have some respect if they were owner-built and not just owner-funded.

Edit: nothing wrong with spiked hair or tattoos perse!

As far as stupid automotive trends go, the lifted truck thing doesn't really bother me.

But I hate, HATE, the derpy ROALLLIN COALLLL guys with a passion.

yesyes... as if Diesels did not already have a bad enough reputation... lets darken the sky with carcinagens

Since they're not mine, I don't care what other people do to their vehicles...Right up to the point at which it becomes a safety hazard to me and my family. Any truck (including factory built) with a bumper that sits fully higher than the impact safety structure on any car has absolutely no business being driven on the road, selfishly endangering the lives of everyone else on the road around them. If it's a purpose built truck for off-road use, it should be transported via trailer just like a purpose built race car.