Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

Heres what i dont understand.... Well first off let me start by saying that i've been looking for an older "get in and go" 4x4 preferably chevy of course. :chevy: But all i can find are these people that have these 4x4's and jack em way in the air.... Ok i get it, the truck is tall and monstery looking, But does anyone leave these things to stock suspension height anymore!?!?! I got my 69 project and its a 2wd so naturally im going to lower it, but i want my daily driver to be a 4x4 preferably not rusted to all get out and a nice dependable vehicle. And i dont want to A: spend half my life savings on tires. B: worry if all the right parts and steering components have been properly put in... C: i dont want to have to buy a ladder to get into my truck every day! UGH! so there it is, me venting about all the jacked up 4x4's that seem to rule my land.

New years resolution: Stop the insanity!

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

I agree, i cant find any original close to stock K20's.

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not trying to hijack, but just the other direction, i dont see why people lower these trucks. around my neck of the woods, if you lowered a vehicle, youd just be asking to break something by hitting a pothole or a bump. yeah, my '67 is lifted, and i will never consider putting it back to stock height. and i dont see why people would lower it. why make a truck so you need someone to pull you out. im a big kid, but i can get into lifted trucks just fine, maybe because i grew up around them. but in all reality, it goes both ways. when people lower, they put these fancy oversized wheels on, then they put low pro's or whatever on them and then you can't complain about the price of a big mud tire compared to a big street one. and why worry about parts and steering? as long as its not a block set-up and its under 6", its pretty hard to mess up. so before you go around bashing all the people that lift their trucks, make sure you did your research.

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

Better jacked than slammed, IMO. :gmc2:

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I see your side of the story as well. But if you read... My lowered truck isnt going to be driven in the snow and im not going to go Mud bogging in it. 2wd is 2wd any way you slice it. Its not going to have the capability of a 4x4 in the rough terrain or in snow. And just cause you lower it doesnt mean you have to put 22's and low pros on it. Im low buck and love old school flavor so some simple turbine rims or rally wheels with some sensible tires on it sounds fine and cheap to me.

Also dont get me wrong a lifted truck done right looks good. But i've driven lifted trucks and it was like steering a bobsled. The steering was floaty and one even decided to throw me into on coming traffic... so call me a bit bitter, call me uneducated about the fine arts of mile high trucks. But what all this comes down to is preference. I prefer my 4x4 to be stock height with some nice meaty tires to get me through the rough stuff. Im low buck and like what i like. Thats why this is a fun forum everyone has their own niche.

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

and im never gonna go mud bogging in my 4x4. snow is a different story, but who needs a lift for that? people lift AND lower trucks to please the eye. i would never put a 43 year old truck through the mud, because as far as i see it, mud bogging is an express lane to the junkyard. all im saying is dont make generalazations about lifted trucks, and i wont make them about lowered ones. by all means, some lowered trucks are nice;not practical for around me; but its not like every lifted truck steers like a "bobsled". just because you've have past expirecnces with lifted trucks that werent good dosent give you the right to go around making generalzations about them.

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

I have to agree with Jakeblues on this one.:lol: You are venting because you you cant find a stock 4x4, but then you act like it 100% natural to lower a stock 2wd. I like Both 2wd and 4x4 exactly like they came, but If I had to choose I would lift a 4x4.

No big deal though, It is your truck and I always tell people to build their truck Just like they like it and not to worry about idiots like me that disagree........:lol: .....Jason

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

If you buy one that is "all jacked up" and lifted too high for your tastes, simply return it to stock height and sell the lifting stuff and big expensive tires.

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If you don't need a lift for snow, the snow isn't deep enough!! :D

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LOCATION - NORTHEAST RAINSYLVANIA........ WHAT YOURE CRAZY !! those are the best roads in the country !!! :jest:
as an ex-rainsylvanian i can attest to the crap/garbage roads in PA (central pa) :waah:

but to OP... buy one thats got a 4" on it, sell the lift to someone on here and put stock springs/shocks back on it and enjoy.... really not hard to swap out on these trucks... :metal:

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one upside...you never forget you're in PA!!! and if you do, one pothole fixes that!!!;)

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to me there is a reasonable height range that a truck can go Up to 4in on a lift down to 4 inch on a drop! my 72 jimmy handles and steers exactly the same as the 72 Blazer my dad had.......like an old 4 wheel drive w/o sway bars lol! a reasonable lift WITH SPRINGS AND SHOCKS dont affect steering. but i like the drop look on them too, putting 2.5/4 on my 68! not a fan of stock if its mine i want to make it my own! the way that i want it to look and the power plant that i want to make it go

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

There are generally two things that deter me from lifted trucks

1. Many of the lifted trucks were lifted for a reason- to be used hard offroad. If this was the case they lived a hard life. Even if used on road, the larger tires lead to more wear on steering and suspension components.

2. Lifting is usually a sign of other modding

There is nothing wrong with doing what you want. When I look at trucks, i'm looking for something that hasn't been significantly modified from stock and that has been taken care of. Sure, there are lifted trucks that meet this criteria but they are the few and far between.

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I'm partial to the stock heights - but who really cares what I think - BUT I think a lot of people would agree with this - it's more important that you do the job right - lifting or lowering - if your just doing some hack job so it looks cool, that's what irks me. How can I complain or dis someone who spends countless hours (or even money) working on his/her truck - I mean that's pretty cool the dedication and craft, really, that goes into some of these machines. It's just lame when someone buys some big tires (or wide tires) and a hack saw and is ready to roll. I know there are plenty of people without the time or money or experience - so I don't mean to make anyone feel bad (I was also young once and did some stupid stuff) -- but I guess the bottom line for me is I don't mind if people modify their truck if it's done right. (My fear is most modifications aren't done right). Right now my skill level is some where about about 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 - I kind of feel like this thing (72 burb) is bigger than me - it deserves some respect. For me the best respect I can give it is to leave it alone.

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

Theres another GENERALIZATION most big lifted trucks with giant tires that you need a ladder to get in NEVER GO OFF ROAD so whats all the lift for?

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What is the lowering for? Handling? Why not get a car? Or an El Camino? You're not gonna haul with it at 2" off the ground.

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My K20 isnt lifted. It has BFG 33 12.5 16.5 and to me those suckers were expensive, in the high 800's mounted and balanced if I remember correctly. I have no idea what the even larger sizes cost. Thanks goodness they aren't my style.

Basically aren't all 4x4 style truck tires pretty expensive though?

Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

I've actually got both, my 70 lays frame and my 68 is lifted 4"

The 70 C1500 is a hot rod and looks good slammed. It did forty years on a farm and had the scars and dirt everywhere to prove it, so it is now retired and a street cruiser. But i can lift it 14" with a touch of a switch (airbags) to clear whatever I need to on the street or dirt roads I drive down. 2wds are more capable than people give them credit for. I can easily haul lowered, just add more air to the rear bags and make up for the weight. Hauling when a truck is on balloon tires and 8" up in the air is scarier than with my rig slammed on 275/60/15s.

The 68 K20 burb is going to be my winter ride and is already 4" up on 35s because that isn't too high and the tires will help my axles clear more snow and give some good traction when I'm hunting and playing in sloughs. Stock height is okay and can fit some useful 33s, but i want bigger tires and minimal trimming. She also has a pair of dana 60s and soon will be cummins/5spd/np205 powered.

Most people want one way or the other, but I don't care as I love both of mine and they get their uses. (don't let the cali location fool you, I'm from South Dakota and abuse my trucks in their own ways)

lets all be nice and realize not everyone wants their truck the same way and most of us don't care what other's think.

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Oh, and lifts are easy to pull off and put stock springs back in. It's also easier in my areas to find k20s not lifted than a k10 not lifted.

(Oh, and 67/68 use different spring widths from 69 up, so watch out if you want to unlift one of those.)

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Why does it matter what someone else does to thier truck? If you don't like it, don't drive it. It's the same thing up here, everytime you go to a cruise or a show someone always has to make negative comments about what someone else has decided to do to THIER truck. Why can't people just appreciate the fact that it takes all kinds to make up this hobby of ours. Lifted, lowered, chopped, show, rat, stock or original, cruise nights would be pretty boring if they were all the same. I prefer to look st the work people put into thier vehicles.
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Re: Ok im gonna vent a bit
 

To each their own. Just do what you want and what is practical for you. Its your truck do it how YOU want it. I have had lifted 4wds and did a little off roading with it although it was more for looks. Now my 4wds are stock with slightly bigger tires wich is practical for me. I would love to have a slammed 2wd but I live 7 miles from any highway and couldnt bring myself to have one and only drive it when the conditions are perfect. To the OP buy a lifted one and return to stock. You could sell the lift & tires to someone who wants one and put stock parts back on. At least you would know what you have. Or look in other states. I bough mine 150 miles away in a different state and it couldnt have been more stock down to the original looking weathered tires and worn out ball joints and tie rods. Some new parts and I know what I am dealing with.

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PERSONAL PREFERENCE lift it slam it chop it shorten it, whatever you do its up to you cuz its your truck

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Wow, thats exactly what I spent for my BFG 33 12.5 16.5's for my '95 GMC 3500 4x4, about two years ago. Believe me, it can get a lot more expensive!

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Yeah, u guys are right, I just like playin with people, nobody's serious about this stuff. Let the opinions roll!

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I agree with the to each his own. When i go to a car show in the summer thats on every saturday whatever you have you bring... Ive seen cars worth well over $100,000 that i couldnt believe they drove it to the show and ive seen cars i cant believe they made it to the show with the car they had:lol:and ive even seen a late 90s s10 lowering his rear end so when he pulled in it scrapped the cement so he would get attention(after that moment nobody talked or looked at him:lol:)its just one of those things that the vehical you drive shows who you are and what you like. What you want to do with your truck do and appreiciate what others do to theirs just because its different.