QOTD: Lifted or Lowered Trucks?

Trucks are among the longest-lasting, most popular vehicles on the road. Whether new or used, a workhorse, or strictly for show, are your favorite trucks lifted or lowered?

No doubt about it, lowered trucks are cool. They have the right stance, often with a rake to them whether a function of the chassis and suspension or the selection of wheels and tires. To accommodate much larger wheels and tires, lowered trucks are often tubbed to provide adequate clearance. It may be that the exterior sheetmetal remains undisturbed, lending a restored look to older models. On a newer truck, it retains their design cues, while adding an unmistakeable hot rod element.

At events such as Goodguys or truck shows, most if not all of the trucks are lowered, regardless of vintage, make, or model. Alongside pre- and post-war hot rods, lowered trucks are distinctive. Maybe it’s their past history as a work truck or farm vehicle, restored to its former glory or left as found on the exterior that draws us to them.

Lifted trucks can be functional, with the ability to climb rock barriers and forge through seemingly unpassable roadways. Properly outfitted, lifted trucks can take you as far off-highway as your GPS and fuel will allow. These are sometimes called overlanders, or adventure travel vehicles, while lifted trucks that are more race-oriented are categorized as pre-runners. Both of these types of trucks can be seen at off-road and overland events.

Show vehicles may also be lifted trucks, taken to heights where it’s possible to see the entire undercarriage, which may be powder coated, plated, or painted to accent its components. Geographically, you are more likely to see this type of lifted truck in the Sun Belt, from California to Arizona, Texas through the Gulf States, and all the way south through Florida. Due to the weather and its effects on the road, trucks with more extreme lifts are generally few and far between where there is an abundance of potholes.

New or old, lifted or lowered, there’s little debate that the trucks themselves are highly coveted. Which type is preferable is a question that rages on, and may depend on your point of view, whether your truck is purely for pleasure, or is used for both work and play. Let us know which are your favorites, and why.

[Images: © 2021 J. Sakurai/TTAC}