The drop (also called low or slammed) is determined by the adjusted ride height. Low trucks have many advantages: stiffer (and therefore sportier) suspension, easier access, and being cooler. But there are also many potential downsides to a dropped truck. Disadvantages include rollover hazard, reduced payload/towing capacity, and poor handling.
Drop trucks can go downhill
One of the more obvious downsides to a dropped truck is the increased likelihood that its underside will rub against the ground. This is often called bottoming out.
Or the gas tank or even the downed truck engine sump. In extreme cases, a lowered truck may get stuck on an obstacle if it lands on its frame and its wheels can’t touch the ground.
Dropped trucks have the greatest chance of jumping uneven pavement, potholes, speed bumps, and entrances to alleys or driveways. If you take a truck that has been knocked off the road, you have a higher chance of getting off.
Some engineers circumvented rollback risks by building drop trucks with adjustable pneumatic ride or hydraulic suspension. These vehicles can increase their ground clearance at the push of a button to pass obstacles.
Lowering the truck may reduce its payload capacity
Trucks are required for maximum payload and engine. Shorter travel suspension components used to drop the truck may also reduce its capability.
One way automakers increase truck capacity is by designing it with longer suspension in the rear. This gives room for the truck to settle when it is loaded and the suspension is compressed. Many lowered trucks have the same front and rear suspension height. This may reduce their load capacity.
The pickup truck’s suspension is also carefully designed to remain stable while towing a heavy trailer on the road. Changing the suspension system may reduce towing ability or make the vehicle less stable while towing.
A dropped truck will handle differently
Changing the ride height of a pickup truck will cause it to handle differently. Some fans of low-profile trucks and cars aim to improve handling. Lowering the car can reduce the amount of its body roll in turns and actually make it more sporty.
But he warns that some types of drop-ship trucks may handle worse than their stock counterparts. This occurs when modifiers replace some, but not all, suspension components. A particularly dangerous setup is a dropped truck with shorter springs and shock absorbers.
Then, find out what it is or learn why people lower their trucks in the video below:
Watch a downed truck meet yourself in this latest video:
