The Problem with Lifted Trucks That NOBODY Is Talking About... 

Lifted, leveled with giant hooptie wheels and tires is common. Folks will sacrifice everything for the look they want. I asked someone why he modded his truck. He said, “I don’t want my truck to look like an old mans truck.”

this was awesome. Next, do a video on how stupid it is to install wheel spacers.

Good info guys. As the former owner of a Tacoma it seems that the aficionados of that platform (hello overlanding?) are some of the most obvious offenders for these issues. Doing the math: given the 950 pound payload (which my truck had), over half of that is taken up by a fiberglass shell, the driver and one passenger. After one extended camping trip in an admittedly overloaded condition, I was very ready to move onward and upward in size. My current F250 may be considered "overkill" for someone who doesn't plan on towing heavy bud I'd rather err in this direction than be caught short.

Another thing people don’t think about is when they put on bigger tires, the speedometer and odometer are off. Unless they do something to correct it, it throws the vehicle speed and actual mileage off. Also, too much lift without compensating will put strain on your front CV joints, affect the driveshaft angles, etc.

People don't even look at their payload when they are trying to determine the suitability of their trucks to tow. It is a huge uphill battle to get them to even give a passing thought to how any modification might affect that ability.

The engineers created the truck a certain way in order to optimize its structural longevity and overall performance. I have lifted and/or leveled almost every truck I have owned. The added height combined with a larger wheel and tire looked great but any advantages gained from the lift were eventually lost in unnecessary mechanical component wear and tear, coupled with deviation of the factory steering and handling. IMO, staying stock is the better choice.

I deal with a lot of Hot Shotters, it's crazy to me when they arrive in a lifted 3/4 or 1 ton. With big ass tires. I have tried to explain to the drivers several of the points that have brought up in this video. They don't care. Drive away with 7k load max on a goose neck, their ass end sagging like I loaded them with twice the weight. Honestly scares me more that DOT does nothing about it

The only "mods" I've made to my 2002 Silverado 1500HD were adding step rails to assist with climbing in and out of the cab, a 2013 step corner rear bumper to replace the rusted-out bumper, LED fog lamps, and tow mirrors with heating capability. None of these affected the truck at all, but definitely helps with climbing in or out of the cabin or the bed. I was told that I "should" lift my truck to "make it look so much more cooler," and thankfully, I never followed through with the trouble of lifting it. The reliability of the truck is what I wanted, and it's performed quite well when towing/hauling reasonable loads. Never mind the fact that the 6.0L V8 is a gas guzzler with the 4L80E and 3.73 (I think... Got the spec sheet somewhere and my old mind is starting to slip a lil...) gear axle ratio, it's a solid daily driver that's kept giving me performance without question. Needs a bit of work since it was a former Ohio plow truck, but wouldn't trade it in for anything else. Thank you, André, for this VERY informative episode because it keeps me grounded in my decision to NOT lift the truck or put bigger tires on it. 🙂

If you asked most people in the state where I reside "What can haul more? A bicycle, a truck or a 747?" The general response is going to be "What kind of truck?" followed immediately by "Is it lifted?"

Spending time on Reddit forums, people really don’t care about towing safety. People laughed at me when I suggested they weigh their rig at a cat scale because I said it looks improperly distributed.

The single most limiting and defining aspect on a trucks GVWR is its braking power. Larger tires are more leverage and momentum on your brakes to stop the vehicle and you have to be cognizant of how hard you are making your brakes work with how you load your truck. The tires can carry 14000 lbs on a SRW truck, but no truck is rated that high because of its braking limitations. The axles are strong enough to carry more weight, the frame is built to support well over design load, and the truck will let you know if you start to overheat it. Braking is the factor you have no warning and only a weight rating to go by on how effective that system is. If you do any mods, find an empty road and test your brakes, see how they changed. Lockup power, distances and to ensure it doesn’t totally fail under a high load situation.

University of Nebraska Lincoln conducts guardrail rollover testing... look into lifted trucks results vs guardrails... it's eye opening.

It also astonishes me how many people add a bunch of weight to their rigs and never touch the brakes. It's often ignored in favor of performance or cosmetic upgrades, but your vehicle still has to slow down and stop effectively, particularly on mountain passes.

I like running my stock size tires. Better mileage, handling and acceleration. I didn't buy my truck to feel beefy or macho 😂 some people their vehicle becomes their personality though

Great video. I've always thought that the 1/2 ton trucks were the hardest working vehicle in America. Poor things doing 8 lug work.

This video stopped me from getting larger tires for my f250 with a slide in truck camper. Thank you. 1-2 inches of extra clearance doesn't sound worth the consequences.

If you are towing the lower the ratio of trailer to tow rating the better. If you are above 75% of the rated tow rating you are getting close to the point where you need a bigger truck. Even without vehicle modifications.

Gameplan: buy larger truck than needed just to have bandwidth for performance downgrades. More money, less capability

Off-set wheel spacing is really hard on wheel bearings. The load is no longer directed over the bearing and instead there is a prying effect on the bearings over what it was designed for.

It will never cease to amaze me that anyone would spend the amount of money it takes to buy a truck and modify it without a plan, but clearly it happens. 🤷‍♂️ I examined payload and GVWR capacities based on trim levels, and considered tire sizes, gear ratios, and intended accessory weights before I even started hitting dealerships to get my truck ordered.

Issues you skipped.... Worth thinking about. This one affects handling and steering. The leverage ratio changes on the springs on ifs when lift spacers are added. The spring rate will change. Also usually maxes out the camber adjuster at about 2 inches of lift, making alignments difficult. The wheel spacer or offset affects the scrub radius of the wheel and lever ratio on the spring in the ifs components. . Wheel spacer or offset changes this as well as bearing load. The sway bar ratio is also changed this is on just ifs set ups. Now you can see how much this can vastly affect handling, but there are things you can do. I have more, but this is enough to get you thinking.

One of the things that gets me is in the RV industry how clueless they are on towing at the dealerships. The camper we upgraded to two years ago ended up being 250 pounds heavier on the tongue weight than advertised. That seems to be common among the industry. I ended up having to get larger weight distribution bars, and I modified my truck with a class five hitch on an F150 and heavier duty springs. Deals to say, I have Max out the capacity of my truck because of the camper

I've got to say that this was quite the informative video. Thank you guys

Anecdotally most guys lift trucks and install bigger wheels with more negative offset and bigger tires for the look. That’s great - if you’re in high school cruising the mall - but as said by experts in the video you may be risking safety and liability. Folks who actually use their trucks off-road can make a good argument for more capability but might want to consider a rig factory designed to meet their needs.

Sad thing is (at least here in NC) people are modifying 3/4 and 1 tons and occasionally using them for “work”. I’ve regularly seen these pulling skid steers etc I really unsafe conditions. 2 years ago a child was killed in a Raleigh Christmas parade when a severely modded truck lost control pulling a trailer. I’m not sure exactly what went wrong but a stock truck would have never done what I saw on the video.

I have never understood lifting a truck. They have people with Phds to figure out the best and most efficient way for a truck to be configured. And here comes some mouth breather with some kit to make them higher off the ground. If you want to go off the road to that degree get an ATV.

It is crazy how much so many truck buyers spend on their trucks to make them look more capable but actually make them less capable. They will argue about performance specs or capabilities between brands while the entire time not considering how much they have cut those very same capabilities. They reduce stability with lift kits raising the center of gravity only to gain minimal additional ground clearance they will rarely if ever need, add constant stress to the engine and transmission by changing the torque dynamics with larger tires, and reduce payload by adding weight all over the place. They may look "bad ass", but they are wimps compared to the same stock truck.

Its crazy to me that folks think these vehicles are just thrown together. The amount of R&D and engineering involved is insane. To think you can bolt on some silly cheap accessories, cold air intakes, spaces, blocks, huge tires, turbos, straight pipe exhausts, suspension parts, or chips and figure there, i made it better! Lol gotta be sensible in what you’re doing… add beefier but stock parts, or actual possibly needed improvement upgrades like catch cans or any OEM upgrades. Even with things like catch cans you gotta be careful… especially living in colder climates or with watching your maintenance intervals.

Great information from AEV this is why I got a 3500 ram diesel. Just a leveling kit and stay well within the capabilities of the truck. Also maintenance and driving habits make a huge difference.

I had always assumed this was the case but never had any good rules of thumb so I just stayed away from lifted used vehicles. Thanks for the information.

30+ years as a tech, several at an ORI retailer, trucks left stock, wheels, tires, suspension always last longer, get better fuel economy, and have less wheel bearing, brake transmission, and steering component wear. It's just the facts.

What a nice time of the video 😮. Ruined my build. Bought Roush Performance Fox 2.0 kit a couple of weeks ago. ($2,100 + 1K CAD for installation) Keeping factory tire size and 1.75” of lift instead of 2”. And yes, best decision ever !!!!😊

We need to go back to the old days. K truck style bed that is actually functional. Not being able to reach into the bed on new trucks, even compact trucks drives me crazy

Awesome video! I bought a new F350 Tremor despite the fact I could've bought a stock 350 and upgraded it for cheaper mostly because of the warranty and liability that comes with buying it factory-installed. I'd rather not have to worry about whether or not the truck and components will hold up to our work and play.

How many people with lifted trucks have a full sized spare? If you.have 35s or 37s and you use the stock spare, that wheel will be going faster than the other ones and ruin some things in your truck.

I am a farmer with a fleet of more than a dozen pickup trucks, of various sizes and manufacturers, a couple of which have aftermarket suspension upgrades. My 2 cents: It really depends on the application. You really don't reap many benefits from driving a lifted pickup truck on public roads, but then again when you're fighting fires in the forest, or running roughshod over the desert in Afghanistan, you're probably not primarily concerned about aerodynamics or the safety of the other cars on the road. Rims and tires do not effect payload unless the larger tires have a lower load rating. Rims and tires are unsprung weight, meaning the suspension does not bear their weight, and therefore do not effect the ability of the frame or suspension to bear a load. Case in point, some heavy duty pickup truck owners (3/4 ton and larger) are replacing their factory rims and tires with semi-truck rims and tires. You're telling me if that is all I changed, my payload and towing capacity have decreased? Judging by the load rating of semi-truck tires, I seriously doubt it. Suspension lift kits are subject to the quality of the suspension components that were replaced. Some offer higher GCWR, while some reduce overall load capabilities. That is largely subject to the manufacturer. You don't always need to alter the driveline angles either, so again, subject to the manufacturer of the lift kit in question. Do your homework before buying budget lift kits. Aerodynamics, vacuum, and thus fuel economy are a drastically costly expense for the sake of ground clearance. That should be obvious. But depending on the application, such as military vehicles, logging trucks, offroad recovery and emergency vehicles to name a few, GCWR and payload can be be accounted for by designing the vehicle around higher ground clearance. taller suspension, and larger tires. Like Sam said, regulations with respect to road safety and fuel economy are largely the determining factor as to why you can't buy a factory pickup truck on 37's, and it probably makes sense for the safety of other motorists, and the practicality and function of the pickup truck. The potential owner will be far more likely to use their truck the vast majority of the time on-road, often while carrying a payload, or towing a heavy weight. Lowest practical center of gravity, and aerodynamic efficiency are therefore a bigger concern than negotiating obstacles. At the end of the day, you should use the best tool for the job. If you're just driving to work, or towing/carrying the occasional load, lifting your truck probably doesn't make sense. But if you intend on using your truck to go to the farthest reaches of earth, on the harshest terrain, you're probably not going to make it in a factory consumer grade pickup truck designed for highway driving with 9 inches of ground clearance and 2 inches of sidewall on your tires. Just sayin'.

90% of people hearing this after installing bigger tires and a lift kit. “Cool story Bro, my next set will be even bigger” 👍🏼

Of all of my friends with trucks I only knew one to actually haul stuff around. He also had a lifted truck, dude had a ramp cause the bed was so high he couldn’t lift heavy objects into it lmfao. He also had a little step installed by the doors to get into the car. It was so silly. Trucks are for hauling and work… raising the bed makes all of that harder. That’s like purposely modding a sports car to be less aerodynamic or to drive slower. Makes zero sense

I've got a copy of a letter from FoMoCo to Ford dealers dated 2004 advising them not to install oversized wheels and tires or lifts on new pickup trucks unless the parts are Ford or Ford Performance and warning that such modifications affect acceleration, braking and handling and can put severe stress in excess of design limits on other parts of the trucks. The letter stated FoMoCo would not warrant claims that could be traced to these modifications.

Up here in British Columbia, there is an issue with insurance for lifted(modified) trucks that most truck owners here are not aware of. The government run insurance plan, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, here requires that anybody with a vehicle that is lifted 4" or more must be registered with I.C.B.C. and this has to be in the policy description. Whether or not that would be grounds for them to deny paying out to cover a crash damaged truck, I don't know. But, if I had a truck lifted here, I would register it as modified. Owners that I have spoken to here that have lifted trucks had no idea about this requirement.

I wish you would have talked about people cutting their crash bars, in order to fit bigger wheels and tires. I have a raptor and a regular f150 and plan on never modifying it.

If you overdo modifications and massively exceed things like GVWR, your insurance can cancel your insurance for having "illegal modifications" on your vehicle.

It looks like this video has crushed a lot of bro-dozing hearts out there. But don't worry, there will always be those idiots that want to drive a two-story house down the street with 40" tires, and soot blowing out of the tailpipe.

Thank you! TFL is known for great reviews, but THIS is quality reporting and knowledge transfer. Love these videos!

Theres a Ron Pratt (I think) video of an F250 on it's side. It was lifted with aftermarket suspension work and aftermarket wheels and large tires. It was pulling a 19-20K pound 5th wheel. It showed clearly what not to tow with a lifted truck, let alone a way under rated truck for the trailer. The driver was driving too fast for the area, and blew through a late yellow as someone made a turn to clear. He couldn't stop, and in trying to go around the other, lost control and the trailer just pushed the truck right over. Both truck and trailer were new, so someone sold the dude a pile of BS.

Great video, brought up a lot of good talking points. The government though also has a lot to do with GVWR. They choose those numbers for registration and classification purposes. When I was purchasing a 3/4 ton truck in 2017 most of them were all listed at 10,000lbs. Ford, Chevy, Ram. There is no way that each of them were exactly capable of exactly 10,000lbs. I am sure all of them would pass at 10,000lbs but scientifically I also know that if they were actually tested then their max numbers would all be slightly different. DOT used to cap class 2 trucks at 10K and once you went over that number on the registration then it would now be considered a class 3 truck meaning different qualifications and standards for registration. I am not an expert by any means but if you do what they discuss in this video and account for the added weight and subtract that from your stickered GVWR on your truck then you will probably be within the vehicles means.

Go to SEMA and all these aftermarket companies have so much crap bolted to Tacoma’s the payload must be less than zero.

It is funny that manufacturers spend millions of dollars on engineering these trucks and then you get some backyard shade tree mechanic that thinks he knows more than them.

I love the Kevlar brake pads that I got put on my '16 Ram 1500 Quadcab 4wd Ecodiesel. I also got the 3.92 ratio, expecting to put 1"-1.5" larger tires on the truck. I put Bilstein 4600 shocks on the rear with a 2" taller rear spring. Bilstein 5100 shocks set up to lift 2" went on the front. I have added a Ranch Hand bumper on the front. And a camper shell on the back. The worn out front control arms have been replaced with beefier parts from Ready Lift and Mevotech. I use this truck for interstate highway travel in any weather and some mild overland adventures. Our 2018 Ram 2500 Crewcab 4wd with the beastly 6.7L, carries a Hawk model 4wheel popup camper. For now we have Bilstein shocks, upgraded brake pads, PPE transmission oil pan, and the Bank's Monster Ram air horn to avoid the dreaded grid heater bolt failure. We look forward to an AED lift kit in the future, and a gear change for 35" tires. The payload recommendation. Also takes in consideration the likelyhood of more aggressive driving in harsh conditions, after the modifications.

Here in Australia we have this issue all the time. I have Ram 2500 3 inch lift and 35@s with a gvm upgraded to 5400. I can legally go to 37s. The truck goes through re- engineering and licensing. Then you have to get a truck license to drive it. All test like braking , roller over and load testing to prove the truck is actually modified correctly and safe.

You mean to say that raising a vehicles center of gravity makes it worse at handling weight, increases wind resistance, increases your stopping distance, and decreases gas mileage. Also, if you don't understand that adding bigger wheels and tires increases your un-sprung weight and rolling resistance and also decreases your GVWR and payload capacity, you should probably shouldn't be towing anything. And, in case everyone needs to hear it; airbags and overload springs don't increase your vehicle's payload or towing capacity. Even if your aftermarket equipment is rated to handle what you're using it for, just wait until your insurance company tells you to go pound sand when you get in an accident. I love the aftermarket industry, but unfortunately way too many people just start throwing stuff on their truck without really thinking about the impact. I worked in the aftermarket industry for decades, and it's very deceiving how much weight little things can add. If you throw on a tonneau cover, spray-in bedliner and some running boards, you just used up about 175lbs of your payload capacity. Then you add some tools, a couple of receiver hitch draw bars, and you have another 100 lbs. If you're towing heavy and close to your GVWR and/or payload, weigh your truck with a full tank of gas and save yourself some headaches down the road.

Question. So I go to a dealer I see brand new lifted trucks. is the door stickers still valid? Who put those stickers on & who did the lifting for new trucks at dealers?

AND .... if you are lifting your truck, get bigger diameter and stronger all-Titanium Alloy axles and alloy transfers cases with aerospace-grade stainless steel fully-cyrogenically-hardened gearing and new Titanium Alloy wheels, new heavier duty springs AND some high-performance Liquid Spring suspensions! I would ALSO weld reinforcing T-rails and i-rails all along the frame to increase tensile/torsion/flexion/compressive strength on major underbody and under-frame parts. Then blueprint the engine block and add ceramic liners and new cryo-hardened pistons, new valves, cryo-hardened camshafts and drive chain components to allow for higher engine temperatures and higher boost pressures. You can then increase payloads and towing abilities! And NO!, what I'm saying it isn't an insane thing to do to your truck but rather it's 30+ years of automotive/aerospace experience and high-technology software systems, CNC machining, 3D printing and specialty welding system capabilities! V

Thank you David Harriton for saying "vacuum", and not saying "negative pressure."

Fantastic video, thanks. Next how about you do one on the engineering that goes into headlight design, and how terrible all of the obnoxious aftermarket bulbs are for other drivers on the road. Just because you want bright blue lights for your '06 Altima doesn't mean you should.

the problem with lifted trucks is 99% of people that do it are just able to afford the truck and the lift and not able to afford the other things needed to correctly do it

Excellent video!

Awesome Video and Interviews👍🏼 definitely a good reminder for truck owners, it’s for your own good vibes…safe trucking

I had a Nissan lifted 6 inch and learn hard way over weight broke springs and driveshaft I think lifting can cause issues if u looking to tow or carry heavy weight payload I also had one break a driveshaft in half not sure was weight or computer issue so I just keep other stock or just a very little lift of 2-3 inch to be safe then sorry payload is very important to know

Towing fast just because the speed limit might be 80 mph on the road is stupid. If you're a logger, oil field worker or something similar you might need a small to moderate lift. I agree with the more lift the less safe it is tow certain weights but as far as a stock truck with the quality upgraded front bumper i dont think is really a game changer for 3/4 tons and 1 tons. The j2801 (or whatever it is) is somewhat under-rated, for obvious reasons of course. Since I've put the ranch hand bumper on the front oc my dually nobody has tried to cut me off loaded, towing or just driving like they did when I had the factory bumper. And I'm the one that makes others mad when I'm towing because I won't get over 60 mph on an interstate or multi lane highway where the speeds can be posted higher than 55 mph.

Andre: Go big if you want to tow with bigger tires; get a 1-ton Also Andre: Personally bought an off-road spec mid-size on larger tires for towing a big boat 😂

Oversized tires really kill braking performance. One of the main limiters to GVWR stickers is the 20 mph to 0 stopping test. A truck has to stop in so many feet and most times the limiting factor is brakes. Most trucks don't have enough brakes to lock them up at max GVWR and you can't even make the ABS kick in on dry pavement when you are loaded at the sticker max. When the truck gets a taller, heavier tire it has more leverage against the brakes, plus more momentum from the extra spinning weight. I went from a 39 pound 31.6 inch tire to a 66 pound 33.1 inch tire and the truck sucked so bad for any real use other than putting around a farm field or mild trails to get firewood. If the brakes were barely adequate before, they were absolutely dangerous now. I had a squat over 400 pounds and a few times when I needed to emergency brake I thought I was gonna bend the pedal because I was stomping so hard and there wasn't even enough braking power to make the ABS kick in on wet pavement when the truck was unloaded. This is a well maintained, low miles 2013, not some old square body. Think about how many brodozers out there who can't stop if a kid runs out in the 20 mph to 0 test. And how many brodozers have a kid sized blind spot from the bumper out to 35 feet in front of the bumper. How about the stupid squatted trucks with their blind spots. I have a small suspension lift with stiffer springs on all 4 corners for towing, hauling, and most importantly snow plowing. The stiffer springs in the front let the front end sit at happy angles in 4WD while pushing snow. 1.5" higher in front and I added a leaf in the back and pulled out my stock lift block at the same time so the back is only up about 0.5" from stock. If I ever get taller tires again the truck will be re-geared and brakes upgraded first. And we should also be able to get inspections and GVM upgrades like they do in Australia - 2 inch lift or less, moderate tire increase if wanted, most vehicles need upgraded brakes, and an engineer has to sign off that it passed maneuverability and braking tests. Silverado 1500s that they import can be upgraded to 2400 pound payload. I couldn't go back to stock tires fast enough. One thing nobody talks about for leveled trucks is it changes the steering in emergency maneuvers. A normal truck with rake and stock springs will nose dive and still understeer. A leveled truck with stiffer springs will not nose dive as much and the front end gets less weight transfer and even less traction. A stiff leveled truck can pretty much keep driving straight and rear end someone where a more stock style truck would have had more traction on the front tires and swerved better.

I am from the Pacific Northwest I see everything lifted new old doesn't matter but their usually just daily drivers and I've been noticing 95% of these modify 4x4 are the newer Tacoma & 4Runner they all look the same with the 4x4 modifications

I had a 2014 F150 with the 5.0 Coyote and 3.55 Gears. When I bought it, it had a leveling kit and 35's. As good as the truck looked and performed in the loose surfaces, it was a dog towing anything above 3-4000 pounds. I ended up getting scared of how high the gas prices were going to go and traded it on a volvo wagon with the 5 cylinder turbo. What a difference. The payload rating on the Volvo is actually more than most midsize pickups and damn near my old f150. The 5.0 has plenty of power but it lugs when at low rpms with a trailer, I've exceeded my tow rating in the Volvo once at a laughable amount and I will say the engine and transmission handled it better than my 5.0 would've. Brodozer guys will think I'm crazy and no one believes me, but that wagon with it's low center of gravity and turbocharged torque is much better suited for towing than a typical brodozer. Unless you're running a 2500, I wouldn't even consider doing tires and a life on a 1500 if I had to tow anything over 3k pounds. The axles and suspension give you a much better starting point

Engineers been saying this. Aftermarket guys rarely put up the money for all the testing that comes with oem parts. My truck is stock except for some 15” woofers in the trunk. Never go higher than max stock rating for tires. They’re like 28s. That’s beefy af already

Great points. The biggest issue is people do not think. Rigs are built to be cool and not to be functional. Stock trucks do not have enough clearance for guys who off road. Hige difference on off road rigs and hauling rigs.

After years of hauling 20-30k on the farm with 1500s 2500s and 3500s never had an issue. Every truck had bigger tires a few had lifts. Back in the day all us farmers used 1500s to haul anything. Were you going fast? Usually not but sometimes we did. It’s gotten the job done for us for the last 30 years. Ended up putting 3500 springs on one 1500 and then 5500 springs on a 3500. That was on the older rigs though. Still have that 3500 but also bought a new 3500 srw mega cab lifted on 35s with a grill guard and hauled 35k on it a few times already. Works great going highway speeds for the 3 hour trip multiple times a day.

I watched a program on tv probably 20 years ago about lifted trucks and how they are extremely dangerous to other road users, The problem is that all vehicles are built so the protective structure of the vehicle takes and absorbs the impact of a collision. Lifted trucks striking a stock vehicle hit it above the frame and drive right into the passenger compartment maiming and killing the occupants. One example they gave was a minivan loaded with kids rear ended by a lifted truck and slaughtered the whole family. Also many European countries you can’t even change the tire size even one size, factory installed size only?

After a big storm the clean up “businesses” come out the woodworks. A fairly nice f250 loaded with a skid steer and forestry mulcher lost his fancy aftermarket wheel after the center bore broke off the wheel. Everything you change from OEM affects the capability of that vehicle unless you’re diligent.

Thanks Andre for covering this! This type of information is needed from more sources so everyone can be safer.

TFL and Andre , great job. Somtimes im pretty hard on you guy's, but this time you nailed it. I'm a 23 year automotive professional. I've done it all OEM, aftermarket, performance, and lifted trucks. The past 10 years have focused on modifications of trucks. I'm very conservative in my builds for the reasons in this video. Being a dealership we also have to deal with the people whom want to claim warranty when they have overloaded their vehicles. It's very difficult to explain to people the possible negative side effects when they modify their trucks. Excellent work with the interviews.

Had a 2016 sr5 4x4 double cab tundra with a 2 inch front , 1 inch rear lift with 17 inch rims with 32 1/2 inch tires. It changed the payload by 50 lbs or so. It was at 120 k when I traded it. Only problem was replacing the rear shocks at 110 k. The originals were replaced. It was a cheap spacer lift.

How does unsprung weight, such as wheels and tires, affect payload? I get the drivetrain and brakes, but the suspension and handling should be unaffected...right?

You should do a video on weight distributing hitches?

I've seen a lot of modified pickup trucks with the wheels and tires sticking out a foot from the wheel wells, other than looking ridicules what does that do for you?

Wow, Andre great job. This was a very insightful video. Thank you for putting this together.

When I first read the headline I thought this was going to be about misaligned headlights. 90% of the leveled/lifted trucks I see have their headlights pointed at the moon.

Another overlooked area with a lift is crash safety. Modern trucks have built in roll under protection for smaller vehicles in case the truck is in an accident. Lifting the truck eliminates this protection. Makes the truck more dangerous for everyone in a smaller vehicle than the truck.

I have a factory lift on my 2024 tundra so can I trust what the manufacturer says on weight? They have a sticker stating the loss of ability.

Thanks TFL keep consumers inform about these important safety truck modifications.

I’m my expert opinion I concur….. Removed the 33x12.50r20’s off my truck and went with a more modest size. People say it doesn’t have the same presences but they don’t drive the truck and know how much better it operates as a vehicle. That’s the point.

So, ride height is essentially the measurement from the base of a tire and the lowest point on your vehicle. My F250 ride height is essentially 8” from the factory. A 2” lift increases the ride height by 25%. So, even a small lift has a big impact. Even going by the expert advice, the change is significant. My F250 came with LT275/65R/20E tires. This I as basically a 27" diameter tire and wheel. Changing to a 35" would be a 6" lift, or a 22% change in total diameter. That's still a hefty hit on a 3/4 ton pickup.

Some of the biggest mistakes I see with truck mods... Though hasn't gone into decisions in the mod or how you really use your vehicle. Wheels and tires. The offset of your wheels has the largest effect on putting excessive stress on components. The wider the offset ( the more the wheel sticks out ) the more leverage that wheel has on all the steering and suspension. Next is the weight of the wheels and tires. I just modified my 23 f150 tremor. The stock tire weight was 46 lbs a tire. The tire i really wanted 82.5 lbs a tire. Increasing the rolling mass this much has a major impact on all steering suspension and brakes. Not to mention destroying your fuel economy. The tire that was the best realistic fit for my needs weights 54 lbs a tire. Hanging less weight at all 4 corners has not negatively effected my performance. Also with the stock wheel offset I can run a 35 without rubbing on no trimming. Also due to reducing expenses load by doing the mods correct i can tow my trailers and go off road and not be taking unnecessary risk in overstressing the truck. Think about how you really are going to use your vehicle before mods. But most importantly. Be honest with yourself on how you really use it and does the risk out weight the reward.

The biggest question is. If you get into an accident with your modified truck, can you live with yourself? Some people seem to think that the ability to modify their trucks is a right and "freedom". It isn't.

This is why I feel perfectly comfortable with 37" tires on my Power Wagon and shake my head at F150s with 35s. The Power Wagon is payload limited due to it's soft linear rate springs to a half ton payload, however the frame, brakes, transmission, and every other part of the truck is the same as the heavy duty 3/4 ton trucks with double the payload. There's virtually no part on my Power Wagon that sees more stress with 37" tires at max payload that a standard 2500 sees with stock tires and max payload.

payload is KING..... very informative.

I can’t imagine the additional cost if every significant modification had to use parts that had been tested to government standards like the oem parts.

Depends on what your doing with the truck. My truck needs large tires and lift to go where it need to go. Obviously you take payload and towing into consideration but thats why you buy more truck then you need to begin with. If you tow 8,000 lbs then just get a truck that can tow 16,000 and then you can afford to do the mods and it will still safely tow your 8,000 lbs and have off road ability with the lift and tires.

Proof that brodozering your truck runs it as a truck. Bunch of fashion accessories out there.

Funny, people think they look tougher... It's changed almost all of the geometry, brakes, c.g., acceleration, cooling, gearing.... everything. The exact opposite of the image is what you actually get.

I wanted a 4 inch lift on my truck but I also wanted a safe tow so I did the right thing and got a Chevy 2500. Now it's a pain to get in and out of. I wish I could do a modified version of the Ford step

Whenever you're asking yourself questions like why don't we get this vehicle in the us, or why don't they make them like this, or why don't they do that from the factory, the answer is always lawyers/government.

He did not mention it directly in the lever size increase decreases the brake force in proportion to the increase.

That is a great video. Thanks. I will be using this one to help educate people

These are the reasons why I always laugh when I see a full size truck with 20+inch wheels and rubber band tires. Especially with spacers to make it all fit and get that stance all for clout on tik-tok. While on our anniversary road trip I spoke with a couple with a nice looking new duramax on 24" wheels. They had a massive bumper pull trailer, and had a 4 person side by side loaded on a rack in the bed of the truck. They had 2 kids with them in the truck. I asked him how his set up rides (already knowing the answer) and he defended it was awesome. I made a comment that he was way over spec stock, and that he should at least consider changing his wheel and tire setup back, or leaving the side by side behind. He could even trade in the trailer for a 5th wheel toy-hauler... He defended that i was wrong, and didn't know what I was talking about, and that this is a "working setup" (his words, not mine). We were just getting into Colorado, and he was on his way to Utah for the sand. Having traveled Colorado's roads for many years, I knew he was in for quite a bumpy ride. They took off, while we ate lunch. When we left, we got about 45minutes down the road, and there he was... on the side of the road. We stopped to offer help, which he obviously declined... but we did notice a blown out tire, which left its mark on the rear quarter panel, and ripped his brake lines. Fortunately everyone appeared OK. But I think it's safe to assume that family didn't make it to their vacation destination. All because it was super important to have that "bro-dozer" look and ignore the GVWR and safety specifications on that truck after altering its characteristics with aftermarket wheels, tires, and lift. My 2007.5 Ram 3500 DRW G56 laramie Megacab might not look as cool as his duramax with my stock wheels and tires, but it has never left us stranded in the mountains, desert, or city. Our 30'6" 5th wheel pin weight is well within the trucks stock sticker capabilities. I would much rather get there safely, than have people take pictures of my truck.

I have been saying these things for year and the people who have these trucks have said that I don't know what I was talking about. Now I can send them this video.

Thought Exercise. What does payload, GVWR and all that actually mean to a non-commercial consumer? I'd argue it's a good rule of thumb, but beyond that I dont think it bears much meaning. I think it's more about OEMs covering their ASSets in terms of liability. I have not heard of any city, county, municipality or state which rigidly follow using payload and GVWR for any civil or criminal actions against people who cause accidents or otherwise.

I had the hardest time looking for a used truck, Took me 2 years to find one that was totally stock. If i saw aftermarket rims or lift, I'd move on. Also, keys. I was so annoyed at how many folks had lost the OEM keys and got cheap replacements! If i'm spending 40k on a truck I want the OEM keys! LOL

For sure our jeep is overloaded with HD axles, 37s, skids, bumpers & sliders That said larger brakes, added cooling capacity & springs rated for the added weight is helpful

If one does not know the weight of the original factory wheel and tire and has installed larger, heavier wheels and tires (including a fifth full-size aftermarket wheel and tire to serve as spare), here is a way to figure your truck's updated (reduced) "The Combined Weight of Occupants and Cargo Should Never Exceed" capacity... Weigh the truck, empty (no occupants [including no driver] and no cargo) but with a full tank of fuel... then SUBTRACT that weight from the truck's factory-labeled GVWR. The resulting number is the weight you may add in driver, passengers, tools, gear, and trailer tongue weight. Good luck.