How NOT to lower your truck
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
How NOT to lower your truck
I found this over on the Bumpside forum from moons ago and figured I oughtta share it with us Dentsiders:
That's freaking scary, eh?
I recently bought a mangled '75 F100 for the disc brakes and rear end. During the removal of the rear end I noticed a lot of side to side play and decided to do a little investigating. Here is what I found:
The PO had torched out the rivets on the forward leaf spring shackles and raised them in an attempt to lower the truck but instead of pushing the shackles up against the frame before welding them back on he left over a half inch gap, enough for me to stick my hand behind! To make matters worse the bead was only about 3 inches long and cracked the entire length. A few good kicks and it broke off.
-and he was going to make this a "race truck".
The PO had torched out the rivets on the forward leaf spring shackles and raised them in an attempt to lower the truck but instead of pushing the shackles up against the frame before welding them back on he left over a half inch gap, enough for me to stick my hand behind! To make matters worse the bead was only about 3 inches long and cracked the entire length. A few good kicks and it broke off.
-and he was going to make this a "race truck".
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 633
Likes: 1
From: Grande Prairie, Alberta
Wow. It make you wonder how many of those there are on the road.
I don't know about everywhere else but here in Alberta anything over 12 years old needs to pass a mechanical inspection. Modifications are one of the points they ask about.
I don't know about everywhere else but here in Alberta anything over 12 years old needs to pass a mechanical inspection. Modifications are one of the points they ask about.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
CA is one of the few (the only?) state where we don't have annual inspections. It's stuff like this which makes the point for why some want annual inspections OR just the plain outlaw of modifying a suspension.
Reminds me of this - which a buddy from Australia posted on another forum. I REALLY hope the US doesn't go here, but if idiots keep doing things like above and they kill innocent people driving next to them when the stuff fails we may end up here...
Reminds me of this - which a buddy from Australia posted on another forum. I REALLY hope the US doesn't go here, but if idiots keep doing things like above and they kill innocent people driving next to them when the stuff fails we may end up here...
Finally caught up with my local authorised vehicle engineer today and gained some info on approved modifications. Some of it isnt good, but most I can get around by being creative. Here is some of the rules pertaining to what I plan to do with the F100:
Maximum legal lift: 3" (75mm) from factory ride height.
Max legal tyre dia: 33".
Max legal track increase: 2" (50mm).
Max legal wheel width increase (from widest factory wheel): 1" (25mm).
Max legal wheel dia increase: 1" (25mm) over largest factory wheel diameter.
No solid suspension bushes (heim joints, monoballs, etc).
DEFINATELY NO heim joints in steering or suspension, regardless that they are usually stronger than a normal tierod end.
Welded steering components must be full pen welded and have a Xray or other NDT certificate to prove integrity.
Any suspension components modified by welding, etc. must be engineer approved and a sample submitted for destructive testing to prove suitability.
Roll over protection for road use vehicles is strictly regulated and MUST conform to the registration body's requirements, which varies state by state.
Coil-overs with heim ends are a NO-NO! (Same goes for shocks)
Yadda yadda yadda, it goes on and on. I wish I was living in the US, as I wouldnt need to worry so much about all this ****. :roll: The cops are getting smarter too, now they have a data base to work with to verify any measurements at a roadside check. Its SO hard here to do even half the things you guys can do
BUT, I will endevour to persevere.
EDIT.
We have roadworthy inspections, required when buying or selling..... I need to comply to transfer the truck over to me, THEN I can go to town. Keep in mind, this rules are the LEGAL parameters, it doesnt mean I have to follow them, just need to deal with the cops when I have a road side check and they look too closely
Maximum legal lift: 3" (75mm) from factory ride height.
Max legal tyre dia: 33".
Max legal track increase: 2" (50mm).
Max legal wheel width increase (from widest factory wheel): 1" (25mm).
Max legal wheel dia increase: 1" (25mm) over largest factory wheel diameter.
No solid suspension bushes (heim joints, monoballs, etc).
DEFINATELY NO heim joints in steering or suspension, regardless that they are usually stronger than a normal tierod end.
Welded steering components must be full pen welded and have a Xray or other NDT certificate to prove integrity.
Any suspension components modified by welding, etc. must be engineer approved and a sample submitted for destructive testing to prove suitability.
Roll over protection for road use vehicles is strictly regulated and MUST conform to the registration body's requirements, which varies state by state.
Coil-overs with heim ends are a NO-NO! (Same goes for shocks)
Yadda yadda yadda, it goes on and on. I wish I was living in the US, as I wouldnt need to worry so much about all this ****. :roll: The cops are getting smarter too, now they have a data base to work with to verify any measurements at a roadside check. Its SO hard here to do even half the things you guys can do
BUT, I will endevour to persevere.
EDIT.
We have roadworthy inspections, required when buying or selling..... I need to comply to transfer the truck over to me, THEN I can go to town. Keep in mind, this rules are the LEGAL parameters, it doesnt mean I have to follow them, just need to deal with the cops when I have a road side check and they look too closely
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 158
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From: Stroud, OKlahoma
Oklahoma stopped doing annual inspections around ten or fifteen years ago...
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 633
Likes: 1
From: Grande Prairie, Alberta
Alberta doesn't have an annual inspection just an initial inspection to get insurance if it is older than 12 years old. If you park the truck the trick is to keep fire and/or theft on it so you don't need to have it reinspected when you want to drive it again.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
CA is a vast and varied state. Up north on the Coast that type of rust can be an issue. Down by me it is not, but the crappy fabrication that is more in question her unfortunately is. I see all sorts of poorly built lifted or lowered trucks here. No one has the $$ to do it right, but unfortunately that often don't have the brains or fabrication skills to do it right themselves either...
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,771
Likes: 9
From: Western Washington
Sam
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