Owning a truck is totally American. And the cherry on the cake is to have a sporty and wild vintage look for most of them. You can lower your truck, to give your vehicle that kind of appearance.
But, can you lower a 4×4 truck?
Yes, it’s possible to lower your 4×4 truck. But it will come with some advantages and disadvantages of its own. Lowering your truck may affect your drivetrain and create problems whenever you are offroading. It will also affect the handling, truck drives, towing capacity, and cargo capacity.
Before deciding to lower your truck, you should consider some factors that can affect the vehicle. Those are:
- Alignment.
- Reduced ground clearance.
- Bottoming.
- Uneven distribution of vehicle weight.
- More maintenance.
Once you decide to lower your truck, leaving it to professionals after purchasing the necessary parts is an ideal option. An expert mechanic will do the procedure professionally to avoid alignment problems and other issues.
If you are looking to lower your 4 x 4 truck, you have arrived at the right place. Our detailed research on the topic will help you to understand the required information effortlessly in a simple way.
Contents
How much can you lower a truck?
You can lower a truck up to 5 inches by using a hanger and lowering the shackle. Trucks having lift blocks from the factory can be lowered to up to 4 inches at the rear by removing the blocks and adding a set of shackles.
How Does a 4×4 Truck Work?
4 x 4 is a technique in which the engine sends power to all four wheels simultaneously. The 4 x 4 drive has two types, one is full-time and the second is part-time. In the full-time type, the wheels receive power all the time, irrespective of driving on a plain road or offroad. Whereas, the part-time system can be turned on and off as required.
There are numerous benefits of 4×4 drive as compared to two-wheel drive. Apart from providing better stability and traction on off-road terrains, they also distribute the weight uniformly.
Moreover, they enhance the towing capacity of the vehicle, as all 4 wheels are powered, not just two wheels, resulting in the engine working smoothly.
Can You Lower a 4×4 truck?
Yes, you can lower a 4 x 4 truck, with some of the factors getting affected by that.
- After lowering your 4 x 4 truck, the ground clearance will decrease. The reduced ground clearance will be a hindrance whenever you plan to drive off-road.
- Entering and exiting will feel a bit harder once you lower your truck. In addition, your vehicle will be more prone to hit the surface of the ground due to the suspension reaching its highest extension, damaging the chassis.
- Lowering your truck will result in ununiformed distribution of the vehicle weight, putting extra stress on the brakes and suspension. This factor will affect the braking and handling adversely.
- Due to the above point, a lowered truck may demand more maintenance.
- It will also have an issue with alignment.
Why Would You Lower Your 4×4 Truck?
Lowering a truck benefits you in many ways. It gives the vehicle a graceful appearance and improves traction. Lower suspension makes driving truly enjoyable. Since you are closer to the road, you can evaluate your car’s performance on different terrains.
The rollover risk is reduced in lowered trucks, due to the shift in the center of gravity. It helps to reduce the leanness of the truck while driving through hairpin bends or sharp turns. Lowering helps to enhance stability, responsiveness, and hold on the speed.
Lowered truck helps you enjoy quicker acceleration and stops. You may also notice an increase in fuel efficiency. Lowered trucks are proven to be more aerodynamic.
Does lowering a 4×4 truck damage it?
Along with benefits, lowering a truck also has its disadvantages. If the lowering is not done correctly, it will have a problem with the alignment of the vehicle. The alignment issue may result in damaging the tires due to ununiform or accelerated usage.
The lowering kits and material, then the installation, and servicing may put a big hole in your wallet. The decreased ground clearance after lowering the truck will put constraints on using the vehicle for off-road driving.
At times, you might be irritated with the road noise as you are closer to the road and the noise of wheels brushing off the road is louder than previously.
Moreover, you will have to depend on a mechanic to top-up or change the oil or tire, as using a standard jack won’t help due to decreased ground clearance.
Before lowering your truck, check whether the warranty is going to be void. Else, you may end up with cancellation of the warranty by lowering the truck.
Does Lowering A Truck Affect Gas Mileage?
A lowered truck has provenly improved the gas mileage. Due to the extra aero dynamism in lowered vehicles, the air that hits the tires and wheels is less. It helps the car to move faster as the wind that pushes the vehicle in the opposite direction is less. Therefore, less energy is required for the vehicle to run, thereby saving fuel.
How Can You Lower a 4×4 Truck?
You can lower your 4 x 4 truck in many ways. You may have to check what suits your vehicle and choose that accordingly. Let’s understand how you can lower your 4 x 4 truck.
Coilovers
A favored option to lower trucks for many is by using coil overs. Coilovers adjust based on your preference and work by balancing the truck body on springs mounted on the Coilover shocks. You can increase or decrease the truck’s ride height by altering the spring tension.
Lowering Springs
In this method, you replace stock springs with low-spring rate springs in your truck. Due to this, the suspension sits lower and reduces the ground clearance. Lowering springs provide an assertive posture and improve handling.
Struts and Shocks
One of the vital parts of your truck’s suspension is the struts and shocks. They play a crucial role in the truck rides. After lowering, the ground clearance also decreases.
Suspension Lift Kits
Most vehicle owners use suspension lift kits to raise ground clearance. But can also lower the truck. In this, you lift the suspension parts to lower the ground clearance.
Body Lift Kits
It is one of the popular ways for most truck owners. In this, you raise the truck’s body, thereby lowering the ride height.
Wheel Spacers
Without undergoing any significant changes, this is an ideal method to lower the truck. In this, the wheels are moved to the outer side of the truck’s body. Due to this, you get a reduced ground clearance, making it simple to brush on. Check the spacers do not conflict with your vehicle’s suspension before you use them.
What is the cheapest way to lower a 4×4 truck?
You may affordably lower your truck by using spindles or coil springs from aftermarket retailers that you can purchase at a moderate rate of a minimum of $100. You may have to pay an expert professional mechanic the appropriate charges to get it correctly done.
Does A Lowered Truck Require More Maintenance?
Yes, it will require extra maintenance as compared to a non-lowered truck. The suspension parts will be more stressed after lowering the vehicle.
In addition, there will be an alignment problem, which you can resolve by involving a professional mechanic. Due to the reduced ground clearance, you must be extra vigilant while driving on off-road terrains or speed breakers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does it cost to lower a pickup?
The lowering spring tools cost between $100 to $700. A professional mechanic may charge you between $200 and $800. The total cost may vary between $500 to $3000 depending on the make and model of the vehicle.
Does Lowering A Truck Affect Its Resale Value?
Yes, it can affect the resale value of the truck. The lowering of a truck may void the warranty, deterring the buyers from coming forward. In addition, some states have rigid laws against lowered trucks and won’t pass the safety inspections straight-forwardly.
Does Lowering A Truck Affect Towing Capacity?
Yes, lowering a truck affects towing capacity by 5%.
Conclusion:
Lowering your 4×4 truck depends on your decision. You should lower your truck if you have solid reasons to do that. Lowering your truck only for vintage or graceful appearance will be a wasteful investment.
To achieve good looks for your truck, you can adapt other strategies like replacing regular wheels with smaller wheels. Just ensure they won’t negatively affect your vehicle’s performance.
