When is it Too BIG

[Fierospeeder]

When is it too big that a truck can be too dangerous to be driven on the road? Such as, a 12 inch suspension lift is too high to see the car in front of you etc.... Or those 44" tires are way to big to be driven safely on. I dont have any experience with driving a lifted truck, but ive read some ads where people suggest their truck is mainly for off road use, and its not really recommended to be driven at high speeds for long durations. What happens when you go higher and bigger? Bigger tires cause slower steering response? Too tall lifts prevent you to see around you? Ive never read anything about the subject and i have the curiosity on what happens. What i only got from magazines is when you do a lift, the bigger tires help stabilize the truck. and the other advantages of off roading.

thanks

74 VW Beetle
84 Pontiac Fiero
87 Ford Thunderbird Turbo
83 Honda Nighthawk 550

 

[Pugsley]

On a Blazer, I don't think anything beyond 6" is very streetable. However, on a K30 for example, 12" is very streetable due to the longer wheelbase. The best way to figure it out is wheelbase, planned usage, and drivetrain - 44's on 10 bolts won't be useful for much other than pulling it on and off of the trailer.

Special thanks to those lost from IAFF Locals 94 and 854 - You shall never be forgotten
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[AGM73k5]

I've not been driving as long as some others on this board nor have I driven the variety of vehicles that others have. That being said, from my experience I do better in a taller vehicle as I can see around or over the other vehicles around me. I've owned an acura integra and an old 280z, both small cars. While those cars had their advantages, namely the were compact and left more distance between myself and other drivers they didn't allow me to see the vehicle behind the vehicle behind me. As well if a wide vehicle was behind me I was unable to see around them. I've also owned an international travel-all with 7 inch lift and 35's, a bronco with 2 inch lift and 33's, and my blazer with varius tire/lift combos the highest being 6 inch susp and 36's. The travel-all I didn't have occasion to drive much so my experience was limited with it. However in that time I found I was able to see all around me as the entire vehicle was surrounded by windows The bronco was not very much higher than most SUV's etc. It did allow me slightly better visibility though. The Blazer is where I have the most experience. When I purchased the blazer it had stock sport-style mirrors on it. These mirrors made it nearly impossible to see small vehicles like crx etc. on the passenger side. I was able however to quickly correct the problem by buying larger mirrors and getting the little domed mirrors to add to those to make sure I had visibility. As far as seeing vehicles in front of me I've not had a problem with that. Certainly if that problem arose a mirror placed on the hood or fender like on a school bus would probably remedy that. As it is now I make sure that I don't follow to closely and I pay attention to what I'm doing. If there's traffic my radio is down or off and my passengers are not talking to me. Similarly I've never had an issue with not seeing a vehicle behind me, the only time that I could see this being an problem is in a parking situation where one is pulling in or out in which cases if I'm not sure of exactly where I am I get out and go look, or make a passenger look for me. If I think that those are going to fail me I will most certainly place a mirror there as well. There are certainly issues as you mentioned about steering with larger tires etc, but these can be somewhat compensated for with alterations to steering components. Also alot of off-roaders upgrade their braking systems. There is certainly some potential for issues just as you mention but I tend to believe that these can be negated by drivers who take the time to know their vehicle and its limitations. Further, knowing the limits of one's vehicle can allow it to be improved. Passing on the freeway is not the time to find out you can't see crx's But if a driver knows their vehicle they will know they can't see well on the right side and will in turn try to improve the visibility on the right side and also plan their trips in a manner so that they limit their lane changes to the right to situations when there is little or no chance of a vehicle being there. My thoughts are that it really comes down to the driver, a good driver can drive a poor vehicle well and be safer than a bad driver driving a good vehicle poorly

-Aaron

___ __ _ _ ____ __
AGM73k5 -- [email protected]

 

[POWERMAD]

Aaron that pretty much sums it up.
But I gotta say if you pull up next to me with mirrors dangling all over the place don't be suprised if I act like I don't know you.

<font color=green> Too bad ignorance isn't painful </font color=green>

 

[Pure Insanity]

TOO BIG?? NEVER!!!

Honestly I have a good friend that has a Yota on 44 Boggers That he will drive anywhere. He frequently takes it across the state to Daytona. He keeps road miles to a minimum cuz of getting tickets almost everytime he runs to the corner store. But hes not afraid to take it anywhere.

For me I think that 40's are the max for a street driven truck as a daily driver. But even 40s are a pain to drive around on at times.

The biggest thing IMO is driving something only as big as you can handle, big trucks come w/ big responsibility. You cant see the car in front of you at a stoplite, you cant see the lane next to you on the highway to the right if your inthe left lane. Lots of things like that. Then theres the people that think its cool to try to pull under you in a parking lot. I had another friend who ran over a Honda that way, they were in traffic at a lite coming out of a shopping center and this guy came in from the side of him on the right and pulled under him ( he was on 44s ). When the lite turned green he pulled forward and crushed the front of the car! His buddy bailed out jumped over the guys crushed front, twisted his licence plate up, jumped back in and they left.

Another friend on 44s was at a lite talking to his brother in the truck w/ him, looked at the lite and it turned green, he started to leave and pulled up on the trunk of the car in front of him. It was a long lite and he forgot the car in front and couldnt see it.

Like I said its a bunch of responsibility to drive one of these. I have a Blazer w/ 6 in. suspension and a 3 in. body lift and 38s, that I just got finished yesterday. I have been driving trucks on 38s and 40s for 15 yrs. You just gotta be aware of whats going on around you.

I get all the exercise I need pushing my luck!

 

[michaelm]

a buddy of mine tore the fender and door off a car backing out of a parking spot at the mall, thought he was rubbing the curb.
i did the stupidest thing one day on the way to work, a b-train was attempting a right hand turn from a 2lane rural road onto another 2lane and i was in the left turn lane. i checked my mirrors, looked clear, dropped it into rewind and tried to give him some more room. heard a little beep form an import car and stopped but just figured it was someone honking at someone else so went back some more and this time the little girl in the honda really lays on the horn. so i bail out to see what i ran over and my rear bumper is inches from her windshield close enough that my rear winch hook has scratched her hood and come unhooked from my bumper. the car was all caved in on the front end so i am thinking i am screwed. the little cutie driving is white as a sheet so i run to the window asking repeatedly if she is OK. she is all jumpy and adrenalined up. turns out the damage was all from her previously ramming things and all i did was scratch the hood. so i got off scot free(hey that is a racial slur isnt it).

 

[white_knight]

Last year I had a K5 with a 6&amp;3 lift and 44's . I drove it on the street. I had major blinspots as it was too tall. I could do about 60 miles/hour comfortably. After that it would wander. When I hit ruts in the pavement it was difficult to control at higher speeds. If I ever would have needed to do a quick stop I would pitty the guy in front of me as there was no way I would be able to stop quickly with l the weight of the vehicle.
This year I have a 12" lidt plus body lift on 44"s. It is now an off road vehicle. If I tried to drive it in traffic I would end up running over people...seriously. I cannot see much behind me or beside me. There is definately a thing as too big.....for pavement that is

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nia.com
</a>

 

[BLzr4x4ngkid]

I'm running a 9" lift with 38's and I have already had 2 seperate incidents with 2 extremely dumb black people. This isn't a racial thing either. One, I was backing out of a parking spot in our mall and this guy thought he could get past me before I backed out. He drove behind me and I destroyed the right side of his Jeep. Two, Monday night of this week. I was making a right hand turn and this kid hit my right rear tire sending my truck skidding sideways. It tipped more than 45 degrees from the ground and was on it's way over on it's side. I managed to get the wheel turned and saved the truck. Needless to say, the kid had no insurance and I got a ticket for inattentive driving(Don't ask me why?). He said I was in the left lane and all of a sudden I made a right turn. Bullshit! It's [censored] like this that makes me sick. Trust me, that night I was saying A LOT of racial comments, but only because I was so pissed. I was shaking for the next two and a half hours. There is such thing as too big. I'm still going to put my 3" body lift on my truck and run 40" Boggers. God help the stupid drivers who have no common sense!

Pedal mashed and KICK'N ASS!
WFO! Wide [censored]'n OPEN!

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

When I first lifted my truck, I thought that 38s were too big, so I got a 4" lift and 35s. Now I want it bigger, so I'm going to put an 8" suspension lift on it. I don't know how big of a tire I'm going to run, but I have become quite used to the 4" and 35s.

My friend drives his K20 Suburban on 44" tires every single day.

The only problem with such a big truck (even one like mine) is that you can't see things close by. I thought before I lifted mine that I'd be up higher so I could see more....boy was I wrong!! I can't see nearly as well. I'm only 5'4" tall though.

I guess you just have to get used to it and decide the streetability from there.

I think so many people on this site have a 4" and 35s like I do that they just figure it's not a big truck. It really is. It just doesn't seem big when you get into it every day. Just drive next to a Jeep Grand Cherokee or something and you'll realize what I'm talking about (something about looking at the roof rack at eye level is what I'm talking about).

All of my friends except one that own 4x4s have bigger lifts/tires than me. I try to keep mine a little closer to the ground so I can see.

I don't really know what to think, I guess you just need to drive a big truck and you'll get the idea.

It definitely can get too big though. You just have to decide where your too big is. I don't necessarily think that it's any certain size, but different for every person. I am going to try 37s or 38s and see how that works out. I might end up going back to 35s.

Tim
'84 Chevy K10, lifted, loud, fast, and 3/4 ton axles

 

[BigTex]

Yeah, ditto on the blindspots. I still can't park my rig in a straight line. It is just very hard to "find" your fenders and bumpers in a tall rig. I consider myself to be a very cautious driver, and quite honestly, it isn't as easy as driving a car. Driving at high speeds also causes the truck to wander a lot. However, I believe that I have become a much better driver after driving my rig for the past 2 years.

<font color=red>"SETTING OFF ALARMS IN A CITY NEAR YOU!"</font color=red>

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[TorkDSR]

depends on the driver, and how far away from the mall you wanna park it so you don't hit anything. but honestly, it's all about the driver. i have 4 and 3 and 38's and i plow an appartment complex in the winter in a K15. i'm not bragging, and it isn't easy. ive only hit one car, (a f*&amp;^ing lexus) but that's because of my tires sliding. my truck WANTED that lexus, nothing to do with lift, just 14" wide tires on slush. and the lexus owner was a HOTTIE, so it all worked out.

Tork DSR
I just got a winch, it takes the fun out of things.
http://www.torkpig.homestead.com

 

[xplosuv]

Im running 11" on 40's on my 75 K5 and its a serious pain in the a$$ to drive as a daily driver. It catches all the ruts and wonders. Just to be on the safe side I took it to a shop and had them redue the front end just incase I missed somthing.
But Its worth driving even with all the hassel.

If you cant go over it...GO THROUGH IT !!! <a target="_blank" href=http://www.CaliforniaK5Krawlers.com>www.CaliforniaK5Krawlers.com</a>
75 Jimmy 11" lift with 40's

 

[Cmoe]

All depends on what your want it for......A friend had an '86 Chevy Truck with 10" lift and 39" M/T's and it was fine to drive for me....Some friends say my K-5 with 4" and 35" is too tall....

C'moe

Kill Roy was here!

 

[CV202]

When your antenna starts knocking off pigeons nesting under the overpass, then you've gone just high enough.

Why do people keep calling it a Bronco!!!!!

 

[chevyracing]

If you are thinking about buying a truck that is already built and are concerned with safety on the road as you should be, along with bigger tires should be bigger brakes. Can't stress the ability to stop reasonably quick enough. I have seen trucks out there running huge tires with manual drum brakes.

John

Like to go sloppin' 'round in da mud in a rapid fashion....=)

 

[shaggyk5]

In my best opinion, 38's are the biggest i would go for daily street use. (it seems that tire manufacturers agree, since noone manufactures a radial tire bigger than 38") but at the same time there is a certain coolness factor of rolling up to a red light next to a honda and having that driver look over, only to stare face to face with the lugnuts on your tire...........

--matt
<font color=blue>86, 350 crate, 33's.</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Lop Sop Doi Off-Roader</font color=red>