Lowered truck still a truck?

[muddpile]

I'm still on the fence on the whole lowering issue, so I figured I'd post up a few questions regarding whether or not people still use a lowered truck as a truck. Before I begin, the drop I am considering is 4/6 I think. My 72 C10 is a leaf spring model and I will be doing a flip kit out back and whatever is complementary to that in the front. I really like the look of a lowered truck, but my 72 is my daily driver and if it takes away from the 4 season driveability of the truck I won't bother.

1. Can I still haul things with it? (a c-notch would be necessary)
2. Can I drive it in the winter? (streets have up to 6" of snow on them sometimes)
3. Will it ride and handle worse, as well or better?
4. What will the lowest point of the truck be? (just concerning scraping in driveways, etc.)
5. Are there any tire rubbing issues (I run 255/60/15's all around)

Thanks!

[Redaddiction]

All I have is lowered trucks I still pack them down with weight if it gets too low then install helper air bags to lift it back up.

[67ChevyBG]

You live in Canada, you want to lower your truck AND drive it daily in the winter?? I wouldnt if it was mine, but thats just my .02

[tylermckee]

I haul stuff all the time works great its even easier now dont have to lift so hi. handles better, as long as you dont heat your springs dont know about the lowest point ill check in the morning. ive got 275/60(i think)/15 all around no rubbing. havent driven this truck in the snow but ive driven other hi power rwd cars in the snow just fine, just get some snow tires. dont think it would be too bad, just put some weight in the back and make sure its strapped down good.

[67ChevyBG]

Traction wouldnt be the bad part.... the bad part would be the 6" of snow that is regulary on the road up there. Deep snow + little ground clearance = using your truck as a plow....

[Tx Firefighter]

I work my trucks hard. All of them have 6 inch rear drops. My stuff don't bottom out or ride bad.

[68C15]

if you are having a hard time deciding you should come visit me for a week. I regularly haul upwards of 4000# & have a 5-7 or so drop. with a heavy load & just air up the bags some more. we can & do get plenty of snow here. last winter I bought a set of 275/60 15 radial T/As. I haul a full dressed short block strapped down just above the axle. I think I have better traction than the typical SUV dudes.

[special-K]

Drop springs are designed to function at that height as any stock spring would function at it`s intended height.You can bottom out a stock truck with overloading.I personally don`t put alot of effort into restoring,customizing,or personalizing a truck just to ruin it by running it on slippery,salty roads.I realized years ago that it`s pretty much self defeating.You gotta have two if you wanna have a nice one when you live in salty road country.The ones that are still nice after all these years are that way because they weren`t exposed.

[muddpile]

Thanks for the help guys! I think I'm going to go ahead and do the flip kit and spring/spindle drop. If it doesn't work out, I can always raise the truck back up to stock height again. Up here we don't get a huge amount of snow, it just doesn't get cleaned off the streets a lot. It usually shows up around the end of October or later and stays until about the beginning of April. The highways get salted a bit around here, and town NEVER does. I live in a town of 450 people, so getting into a collision in the winter isn't very likely either. I was looking at my old daily driver the other day, my Dodge Charger, and it likely sits lower now than the truck will, and I never had a problem with it, so I should be fine. Thanks!

[Joe67]

My buddy drives his 4/6 dropped 1996 Silverado Ext Cab Short bed all year round.
Last summer, he used it to haul his 1994 Silverado from NJ to Carlisle, PA

No issues

[70c10swb]

of course its still a truck

[tylermckee]

Originally Posted by special-K

Drop springs are designed to function at that height as any stock spring would function at it`s intended height.You can bottom out a stock truck with overloading.I personally don`t put alot of effort into restoring,customizing,or personalizing a truck just to ruin it by running it on slippery,salty roads.I realized years ago that it`s pretty much self defeating.You gotta have two if you wanna have a nice one when you live in salty road country.The ones that are still nice after all these years are that way because they weren`t exposed.

i have the lowerd 1972 for nice weather and the 1999 z71 for bad weather/hauling/etc. makes a great combo

[purple gas]

Geez mud,, you know there's lots of people here in the great white north driving low vehichles in the winter time. Put some decent snow tires on the back, Hell, get studded tires.( not those " all season radials" that are made for winters in Santa Monica ) a little weight in the back and you should be able to drive anywhere you really have to go. I'll take a 2 wd Car with GOOD snow tires over an SUV with factory rubber any day of the week.

[muddpile]

Yeah Purplegas, I realize lots of people are doing it, I was just confirming that I didn't need to have someone with a 4wd on call to tow me around . That's actually why I wanted to lower it in the first place, is 2 of my friends have recently lowered their S-10's (all season vehicles as well) and they look WAY better than they ever did sitting stock. I got out the tape measure today, and it looks like with a flip kit out back and about a 4-4 1/2 drop up front, the truck will sit about as high as my old car, and it drove just fine through the snow, and that was with CHEAP all season radials. Some good snow tires on the factory rallys should make winter driving a lowered truck a breeze!

Here's a question for those of you who have to deal with ice and snow: What do you use for weight in the back and how do you secure it? Thanks!