# Why are trucks jacked up off their wheels?



## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

You mean kinda like this?










Cuz it's awesome.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@JoBlueQuarter yes, like that, but not usually that extreme. Or, I guess, not that awesome.

But seriously, there isn't any actual reason? I can accept not being awesome.


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

;DD Idk if there's an actual reason, other than look-nice. Strange that most of the trucks in your area are jacked-up though; I don't see that a lot here. Can you share some pictures? See if it's 'awesome' enough to be any sorta problem ;-)


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Maybe I'll take some next time I'm out. Of course, now that I want pictures, I won't find any. 

I'm in Texas. Maybe that makes a difference, LOL.


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

Oh I thought you were looking at trucks for sale, and seeing it a lot there. You're probably seeing people's special "babies" lol


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

We have one, I hate it! Love the diesel, love how it pulls, however I hate hoisting myself up into the cab. Wasn't my choice, was my husband's. When I asked him why did you get a lifted truck, the answer was because it's sexy. Whatever.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

If it is done correctly it can give you extra clearance when going over serious terrain not level.
Most trucks though are not done correctly and they raise the truck, part of the suspension and it gained no ground clearance say to go over boulders...
There are very few of us that need that kind of ground clearance...so it is a toy and what some think is a nice looking toy.
Hey, I can appreciate a jacked truck to some extent, but for practical reasons and uses, serves no purpose that I can determine.
So, if you go with a jacked truck you need a extra long hitch drop so your trailer sits level if bumper pull.
If a gooseneck...well, it might not fit, period.
Some other things I can tell you from having a CDL and some behind the wheel driving experience...
Those jacked are top heavy and far more apt to flip in a accident or winds as sitting up high the wind gets under and makes unsteady....over they go.
Also those so nice expensive rims on these trucks may not be rated to handle the extra weight associated with towing trailers. Some barely handle the weight of the truck, truth.
By me, in the heart of cattle and horse ranches,...the guys who tow and haul livestock/horse trailers do not do so with a jacked truck...
The "work" truck may be nice but it is not much higher than "stock" and the tire rims are steel and solid in looks.
The trucks do not sport low-profile tires either...those are the things on toys.


Personally, I have enough difficulty getting in our truck with stock 20" tires as it came "factory new" from the ground I insisted we get running boards.
At 5'7" I don't consider myself "short" either.............
I still need to step up and on the board to get into the cab on our 4x4 truck....do that and be modest in a skirt/dress. :icon_rolleyes:
:runninghorse2:...


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

ACinATX said:


> I'm in Texas. Maybe that makes a difference, LOL.


Same here in Mississippi. Man-ly men drive a lifted truck with mud tires and truck nuts :Angel:


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm in Florida, manly and he-man country.
Cattle ranches and true horse-riding cowboys here...
The kids have the jacked trucks who use it to just drive around.
Those that use their truck for practical and money earning reasons don't jack the work truck...
The "toy" yes, but then it _isn't_ towing the trailer to market either.
Some of the trucks are ridiculous to look at and not even eye-catching honestly._jmo.._
Even the guys who go bahaing through the mud don't raise them to such extremes...
Those raised that high just road drive and sit in parking lots with their buddies looking "cool" and trying to impress...._at least here in my area._
To me, a dismal fail for some...others are very nice but there is a happy middle of the road to me...
But that is my opinion and each *is* entitled to their own and their choice how to spend their $$.
The "kids" are far more apt to hang the jewels than the men here...
Real men here don't impress like that, they have other ways.

When you do go to buy also be aware that some of those raised also get seriously lousy gas/fuel mileage cause of the tires used and the gear ratio changes that go with the angle of drive train needed used on those monsters...

Hey I heard today that Ford will be having the new perfect truck for many out in a few months...
_*Cost is $100,000.00 without tax, tags and destination charges...Yikes!!*_
Think you'll not be finding one at my house..._positive of that fact actually!! :|_
:runninghorse2:_..._


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

A lot of guys here have lift kits in their trucks and run bigger tires. It makes sense if you wheel a lot, but really....I often liken it to a man with small manly parts. LOL. 

I don't mind a lifted jeep, but say, a lifted 3500 series diesel truck makes no sense to me. I can't imagine gas mileage is great and if you are using your truck for towing that HAS to be a PITA with finding a drop hitch that works. 

I've seen some ridiculous set ups where a truck with a 4" or 6" lift is hauling a gooseneck and the back bumper of the trailer is almost dragging. Just looks stupid. 

I thought of putting a levelling kit in my truck, but that would be it. And honestly, I doubt I'll even do that.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

...I have to add that my biggest pet peeve are the fellas who run stacks out of their trucks. 

Nasty.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

cbar said:


> A lot of guys here have lift kits in their trucks and run bigger tires. It makes sense if you wheel a lot, but really....I often liken it to a man with small manly parts. LOL.


That's my assumption, too - the one word I apply is "overcompensating"!


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

avjudge said:


> That's my assumption, too - the one word I apply is "overcompensating"!


hence the truck nuts :rofl:


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I think they're horribly ugly & overcompensating for...well, ya know...
Even regular new trucks are too tall.
I prefer the old, low Nissan types...lol.

Ours is a Ram, it took a lot of convincing to get DH to understand that the truck needed an 8+ in drop hitch to fit the trailer. Took awhile to find the right one, too.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

The thing I hate, as a city girl, is when these jacked up trucks are running down the freeway, throwing off all kinds of gravel and crap from the tires without any kind of mudflap. These kinds of trucks are not built for speed, and are prone to rolling over, too. The higher you put the center of gravity, the more likely a roll will happen . Big SUV's have the same problem. 



Also, your visibility is worse. Yes, WORSE. you cannot see a small car right next to you becuase it is below your door frame.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

As kids, we used to put 3" lift kits and mud tires on pickups but living in the sticks we didn't have much else to do other than see if we could go get stuck and unstuck. 
They sure weren't heavy in the front diesels or fancy. Mainly the square body Chevys, Fords and Dodge gas pickups that we could find cheap parts or get out of the bone yard and fix ourselves.
Not like a lot of fancy stuff the oil field and mine trash like to do as soon as they get their first big checks..lol
But to each their own, spend your money as you like.

Now in my adult years, I put mud tires on my pickup because I have to and try my hardest NOT to get stuck!

I agree with cbar, hate the stacks on a pickup. Buy a Peterbilt if you want big pipes.


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

Lifts on most 4wd trucks == a tool behind the wheel overcompensating for something lacking in their trousers. Nine times out of ten you can assume it is an "all hat and no cattle" type of owner.

Here even working trucks for guides and outfitters will rarely be lifted. Ranch trucks and working trucks you will almost never see lifted. Nobody has time for that nonsense when there is work to be done. 

The best tires for getting in and out of mud and snow and general muck are tall narrow tires with an aggressive tread pattern. That is why farm tractors and military HMMWVs and FAVs and Jeeps etc. all have this kind of tire. Usually they are on a run flat rim as well so they still will get you out of a bad spot even if the tires have been shot up or like in my case the one time if the idiot PFC driver runs over a smoking hot piece of white phosphorus right as you pull up on a fighting position you just shot up. I even warned him as we pulled up "_don't drive over anything that is smoking_" because I knew the 81s has just Willy Peted the heck out of that hill right before we shot it up. We were able to get clear thanks to run flat rims in spite of his stupidity but anyway tall narrow aggressive tires if all your work is off road. If most of your work is on gravel or dirt roads than a decent all terrain four season tire is fine and won't get you stuck. If all your work is on paved roads then for your wallet sake use all season road tires.

Even in the military and working where I do up in the mountains now I have yet to see a lifted truck be anything more than annoying. I sure have seen a lot of them with their wide flat tires get stuck in the snow up here and I drive by with my old 1983 3/4 ton 4WD and my tall skinny tires and I just smile and wave. :smile:


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Tell it like it is, Andy!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

So my pet peeve..
These jacked trucks at night and the headlights blinding in your "normal" height vehicles rear window forget head-on to you.._blinding in intensity._
Then those who insist on using off-road lights driving on roads... :twisted: :twisted:
_I feel better now, *thanks!! :lol:*_

:runninghorse2:...


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## Filou (Jan 16, 2014)

Around here we get the lowriders. Makes it easier to load the truck bed, but then again, you can't load too much in or it will sink further!


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I would like to resurrect this thread to ask a followup question. I bought a really nice book about trailers and trailering, and it said that trucks with a 4WD tend to be lifted up higher as well. It also said that this makes it harder to fit to a trailer, because it's harder to level the trailer and/or the overhang of the trailer could hit the tailgate of the truck (if it's a GN) when you're going over dips or otherwise changing street angles. Is this true?


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

Yes, lifted trucks pose problems for goose neck trailers and for bumper pulls as well. You have to get a drop hitch or a taller trailer with a lifted bumper pull and with a goose neck your options are further limited because you can't drop the bed of the truck. Lifted trucks make no sense if you are doing any kind of actual ranch / farm / timber work with them.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@AndyTheCornbread but is this also the case for trucks that are lifted up just because they have 4WD? Or am I wrong that trucks that have 4WD are going to sit higher? Somehow I got the impression that that would be a moderate lift, not "monster truck" height.


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

Trucks that have 4WD aren't lifted by default, they are lifted more often after market or factory lifted than 2WD trucks because having a lifted 2WD is even dumber than lifting a 4WD but just the fact they have 4WD doesn't mean they sit any higher from the factory than their 2WD counter part unless they are ordered that way or somebody does it after they buy them. Manufacturers sometimes set their 4WD line trucks up higher for marketing reasons but there is not generally a mechanical reason to set them higher than a 2WD.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Thank you! I had asked earlier about 4WD and pretty much everyone said to get it, but after reading that these trucks might sit higher and have problems with trailers I was concerned. I'm glad to know I was wrong to be worried.

Also LOL on "they are lifted more often after market or factory lifted than 2WD trucks because having a lifted 2WD is even dumber than lifting a 4WD "


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## AndyTheCornbread (Feb 3, 2019)

FWIW 2WD trucks are about as useful as a knit prophylactic. You can drive a 4WD truck just fine in 2WD but you end up needing 4WD far more often than you realize. Unless you own a 2WD truck and are trying to get ranch work done, then you find out real quick how often you actually need 4WD. I feel the same way about 2WD tractors...just why? I have to pull my neighbors 2WD tractor out of his ditch nearly ever winter with my 4WD tractor.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I've taken my truck plenty places and worked just as hard as many with 4WD. A good set of tires for going those places, a 2 inch lift for added clearance and locking rear diff. Never felt the need for a 4WD and have pulled more 4WD out of places that I got around fine in than I cared to. Don't have trouble hauling a trailer either. I have in some situations aired down to increase tread if I thought I would have a problem. There is an air compressor in the truck as part of the emergency gear as well as MaxTrax. I've never had to use them but have used them to get others unstuck. Do I want a burly 4WD? Sure. Do I need one? No.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

ACinATX said:


> I would like to resurrect this thread to ask a followup question. I bought a really nice book about trailers and trailering, and it said that trucks with a 4WD tend to be lifted up higher as well. It also said that this makes it harder to fit to a trailer, because it's harder to level the trailer and/or the overhang of the trailer could hit the tailgate of the truck (if it's a GN) when you're going over dips or otherwise changing street angles. Is this true?


_*Why does 4WD sit higher than 2WD?*_

I put that question exactly in a internet search...below are just a few answers regarding specific items of truck ownership.
Maintenance, gas mileage, insurance, ride height of vehicles...

So with that...today's trucks, the newer ones sit on very large tires as do many SUV's, crossovers of all brands.
So...my truck sits on 17" factory tires of Michelin brand, small by today's standards of 20" or larger and then referring to getting a gooseneck is a large potential problem fitting under to hitch up forget turning as you go down the road and not destroying your truck bed sides forget the tailgate...crunch!
OK..so my truck is a 2003 Dodge Quad cab, 4x4 are the basics. Park it next to another identical truck and yes, *my truck sits higher than 2WD*, period. No lift kit, it just sits higher because it has extra parts 2WD just don't have.
The truck is a 2500 series.
My truck is "old" but with good care, good maintenance and careful driving...many years of good service is left in it. Truck is immaculate inside and out.

"Why does 4WD sit higher than 2WD?"
Here are some of the answers I got....
You may have also noticed that a *4WD* F-150 *sits higher than a 2WD*. This is because the suspensions are different, and the *4WD* has longer spindles and struts. It's a fairly simple difference, but one that contributes to the added weight of a *4WD* along with the extra differential and transfer case. 
https://www.ford-trucks.com/how-tos/a/ford-f-150-head-to-head-2wd-vs-4wd-359514

The desicion between *4WD* and *2WD* is really a matter of personal preference.Make no mistake a *4WD is much* better in low traction situations than any *2WD*.And a limited slip is nice in certain situations but remember,an open rear will generally go straight when spinning only one wheel,a limited slip will spin both wheels and then the rear end of the *truck* will go anywhere but straight.I use my *4WD* probably about ten or twelve times a year,many times just to get out of the driveway,I feel it is ... 
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/500/general/x/4-wheel-drive-vs-2-wheel-drive-trucks

Buying a *truck*, *2WD* or 4 WD. A *2WD* with a limited slip (LSD) will do almost as good as a *4WD* and certainly better than an *AWD*. The real issue will be ground clearance, most *4WDs* have *greater* ground clearance. Off road it is often the ground clearance that is far more important than the number of driven wheels. 
https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-a-truck-2wd-or-4-wd/92567

Most of us who have been driving for any length of time understand the fact that the type of *car* we drive affects how much we'll pay for *car* insurance. Armed with that knowledge, you might be wondering if there is a difference in insurance rates between front-wheel drives (FWD), rear-wheel drives (RWD), and four-wheel drives (*4WD*)
https://www.carinsurancecomparison.com/front-wheel-drives-rear-wheel-drives-4-wheel-drives-and-car-insurance/

Now you asked specifically about leveling a trailer to tow...
Most gooseneck towing trucks I see by me are _not_ lifted, they _are_ 4WD, they _are_ dual rear wheels and they _are_ a low-bed like a wrecker body design or...they appear to be older trucks towing those beautiful trailers. 
The newer trucks towing goosenecks do _not_ sit level, few of them. They are pitched nose high, significantly so.
Now my own personal experience is I own and tow BP trailers.
With our hitch, designed to be used with the equalizer bar system for load leveling _{we don't use the bars ever honestly but the complete hitch was given to us}_...what we like about the slide-in though is the ability to open a regular tailgate flat and not hit the tailgate on the trailer jack...small detail lot of damage it can do. 
The slide-in piece is about 3" - 4" longer than a normal hitch I guess.
Just don't ever drive off with tailgate down or you won't have a tailgate but crushed/damaged vehicles.. 
Now, on this hitch _is_ also the ability to set the trailer height for towing.
My husband did that so when we have horses on board we ride level, if we are empty we ride nose-high a bit.
Being it is BP we don't have the concern of cracking the truck bed or tailgate when turning from above, but as with anything you need to watch you not hit truck and trailer together called "jack-knife" or a uh-oh moment. :frown_color:

The choice of 2WD or 4WD _*is*_ a personal one but from years of towing horses with many kinds of vehicles often not mine...
You put a heavy trailer with a 800+ pound horse on your truck bumper or partial weight in most yet behind...now add a small grade and anything other than paved surface...you're going to want that 4WD.
You need to be able to call on 4-wheels of traction to move, period.
I'm looking now for a new vehicle, one capable of towing my horse trailer...no 4WD is a no-sale...
For us, getting in or off of most trailheads to ride is a unpaved dirt road and many are pretty deep sand.
I don't care how good a driver or what it is you drive or tow...2WD you're stuck, period.
I also will not play games of not having the proper towing ratings and equipment to make my job of transporting safest and easiest on my truck.
My truck is a perfect example...it works hard towing near every weekend till summer heat hit, you think buying something where we were near capacity would of lasted like this..._*no!*_
With the exception of routine maintenance, our truck has cost not one dime in any repairs of wear and tear to it do to overburden from towing. And many times my husband, not me, hubby has hooked a chain to the back of my steel 4 horse and dragged a stuck truck fully loaded with 6 horses to solid road surface who was a dead duck...
Yea, 4WD or no sale!!
_jmo..._
:runninghorse2:_...._


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

My f250 4WD does sit higher, factory, than my wife likes. But it is factory. I pull a BP with a drop hitch. And I have to use the 4WD a lot of time. Some of the time I use it around the house to stop from tearing up the wet grass. I run the standard highway tires for better mileage.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@horselovinguy thank you for that very thorough response.

With three horses, most of the options out there are GN trailers, and honestly I'm not even sure I'd want to haul three horses with a BP, if I had the option, although I was thinking about getting a stock trailer and hauling them that way. But that seems like a potential invitation to disaster if any of them ever get into it back there.

I'm glad I'm thinking about this now. It's most likely going to be a few years before I actually am able to purchase anything, but I like having the time to try to figure out what the heck I'm going to do! Every time I think I've got it figured out, some new hiccup comes along.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

ACinATX said:


> With three horses, most of the options out there are GN trailers, and honestly I'm not even sure I'd want to haul three horses with a BP, if I had the option, although I was thinking about getting a stock trailer and hauling them that way. But that seems like a potential invitation to disaster if any of them ever get into it back there.


There are a lot of very safe trailer options in bumper pull for 3 horses regardless of what you hear or read.
I've driven goosenecks, large 6 horse head-to-head vans, 12 horse tractor-trailer and many style and capacity of bumper pulls in all kinds of weather conditions.
With the exception of the true tractor-trailer...not much difference.
Where you have pluses with one you have negative too...
You need to pick and choose your poison you want to deal with.
If you have proper towing equipment, trailer matched in size to truck capability.......

I just don't buy a lot of what I read cause I have first hand experience different...but, to each their own.
Honestly, I find it is more whose behind the wheel some of those comments made coming from...
If you are a mediocre driver, half competent then your horses will pay the price for your driving standards.
That is not a dig at anyone to be truthful, I am a commercially licensed driver and have skills behind the wheel that most do not and I do recognize that makes a large difference too.
However, standards are now changing and those who think they are exempt from holding a CDL license driving _*goosenecks*_ will soon be paying the price in fines and having vehicles impounded roadside if a trooper/cop or sheriff wants to enforce some of the newest legislation at state or federal levels so know your local state/county laws to be in compliance...
You want to know really what to buy...get behind the wheel and go drive some rigs belonging to friends and acquaintances...that is the truth and a good teacher of your abilities too.

I also have a 2 horse trailer but that is not what you refer to wanting so....
Now, my go-to trailer is a 4-horse semi-stock.
Because it has the word "stock" in it it can do many configurations easily.
Normally, I do 2 in front in dedicated straight stalls. There is a body divider with head section to keep crankiness under control, they see but can't touch. Butt chains behind each horse. 
Then a full gate, called a slam gate closes to separate the sections.
Then it is a big box in back that will allow 2 more full sized bodies to comfortably stand. We usually only take 1 more with us so no problem of manners while traveling.
The rear closure gate is one large gate but it has a slide section so I can slip in or out as needed through a 3.5 wide opening if wanted...usually opened just wide enough I slip in.
Trailer is a step up. 
A full sized 4' wide human escape door in the front section so if emergency I can get to any horse in a flash with little jostling to anyone. I can unload through this door too if needed.
These images below are _similar_ to my trailers exterior look, not my manufacturer...








My trailer is not set up for slant load with dividers but that is also a very workable option in BP.
If you look closely at the geometry of these trailers you can see how balanced they are just parked empty.
My trailer, OAL [over-all length] is about 20'...smaller than many camping trailers, boats and the cargo trailers used by landscapers commonly.
My husband just told me my actual trailer no longer is sold with my configuration...bummer cause it works.
My trailer is also 6'6" wide, maybe a bit wider and 7'4" tall with thick trailer mats on floor. Steel on steel frame, wood floor, fully matted.
Love my trailer and its versatility with design for other uses...

If you decide to do slant, make that trailer 7' wide or wider so a longer bodied horse has better chance of comfortable fit and relaxed stance while traveling.
Enjoy your research and fact finding mission. :wink:
:runninghorse2:...


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## Bombproof (May 20, 2015)

4WD trucks do usually sit a little higher than 2WD trucks because they have a different suspension and sometimes larger tires, but in my experience it hasn't been enough to be a problem pulling a gooseneck trailer. It's usually only a couple of inches.

As to why so many trucks are lifted, it's just because so many people like the look. Once you have raised the body to the height of the bottom of the rear differential, that's all the ground clearance you're going to get regardless of any further lifting.


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## Demiles (Jul 11, 2019)

We call those make believe cowboys that drive lifted never dirty 4x4s Glitter Chiggers around here.


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## The Humble Horseman (Dec 5, 2018)

My 6.7 F-series 4WD KR with a factory bed looks lifted to some people I guess because I get asked every once and a while (when in the city), but its just sitting on the stock 20's. I don't really see the incentive of lifting towing trucks. I'd rather stick with the factory geometry as I'm more interested in safety. I don't think a lot of trucks are lifted 'properly' or with high quality parts. I primarily pull a 3 horse GN with extended dressing room (empty 6,200 lb.) and it hauls like a dream. Loaded with 3 horses, tack, water, and hay it's still *too* easy to forget it is there. Never had clearance issues with GNs at the factory height, but it's just tall enough that without the running boards it would be a bit of a step to get into. As a side note, I also haul the camper through some sketchy areas of the Rockies and have yet to have any ground clearance issues at stock height.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Ahem...The reason???? Testosterone.


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