initcode.html
 |
Reach For The Sky February 7, 2005 Customizing expert Dean Sears says major suspension raises remain extremely popular. Sears says that customers who come to SporTrucks by Dean, his shop in Moorpark, CA., are shopping for a look that suggests the macho, high-rise stance of an off-road pre-runner, and he says most customers are not concerned with cost. The look, which Dean typically accents with BFGoodrich® tires, begins with a 7- or 8-inch lift conversion — the lift that is currently the most popular. But customers don't stop with raising the suspension to get the look they want. And in modifying the truck by both raising the suspension and increasing wheel and tire diameter, they are creating certain compromises with ride stability. Sears says customers who order lift kits generally also upsize from a 31- or 33-inch tire diameter to a 37- or 38-inch. The total effect of those changes, Sears says, can make the truck feel top-heavy.* "When you turn the wheel quickly," Sears says, "you'll notice that a truck raised that high feels more top-heavy. You also find your view of the pavement somewhat restricted." Also, he says, bigger wheels and tires place a bigger load on brakes. But he says most customers care more about looks than ride comfort. He also says they are not concerned about the financial cost of the custom look they seek — which almost always includes BFGoodrich tires. The BFGoodrich tires specified by many of Dean Sears' customers are part of the look. "People like either the Mud-Terrain T/A®KM or the All-Terrain T/A®KO," Sears says. "They're kind of the standard image in both looks and performance." High-lift conversions at Sport Trucks by Dean are not cheap. Beyond the $2500 to $4500 cost for the lift, bigger wheels and tires can add another $4500. Custom color-keying door handles, grills, bumpers and flairs to match body color further boosts the bill. Then, a high-lift truck needs custom steps or nerf bars, to make it easy to get in and out of. So a $12,000 to $14,000 tab is typical. "That's on top of the $30,000 to $50,000 price for the truck," Sears says. He says the trucks most frequently converted in his shop are half-ton to one-ton pickups, most of them diesel-powered. BFGoodrich tires are The World's Toughest Off-Road Tires™. From 1/1/04 through 12/31/04, BFGoodrich tires won 240 of 310 major off-road competitions. *Lift kit installation and the resulting change in vertical center of gravity can change the vehicle's handling characteristics, increasing the potential for rollover. Photo courtesy SporTrucks by Dean. |
 |
| See Archives 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 |
