Improve The Off-Road Flexibility Of Your Truck
Posted on: 21 January 2016
Taking trucks off-road is a ton of fun. If you make the appropriate adjustments, your truck can keep on trucking through the most difficult terrain. Below, you will find out what you can do to improve how your truck handles off-road conditions.
Decrease the Tire Pressure
The easiest way for you to improve the ride of your truck while off-road driving is to decrease the air pressure in your tires. Lower air pressure increases the amount of tire that makes contact with the trail. Use a tire gauge to decrease the pressure in the tires enough to allow the sides of the tires to bulge slightly.
After you're done driving off-road, re-inflate the tires to the pressure specified by the manufacture. Failure to do so will decrease fuel efficiency and handling.
Disconnect the Sway Bars
Sway bars are installed on vehicles to improve control on the road. Unfortunately, that feature takes away from the flexibility of the truck when you are driving it off-road. The sway bars tie the tires together—disconnecting the sway bars will allow the truck to move more freely over rocky terrain.
Note – If you use your truck as a daily driver on roads, this isn't the best option for you. The control and handling of the truck on the roads will be greatly diminished after disconnecting the sway bars.
Install a Suspension Lift Kit
You've probably already considered it. Who doesn't like a truck that's lifted a few inches with big, meaty tires underneath? Lift kits come in various sizes. You can lift your truck just an inch or two or you can lift it several inches. Before you go out and lift your truck to the sky, check with your state laws to find out how high you can lift the truck and maintain street legal limits.
Note – Don't get confused with the two different lift kits—body lifts and suspension lifts. Body lifts will make the truck appear to sit higher, but in reality, it is only the body of the truck that is higher. You will not have any more clearance under the truck than you did before installing the kit.
Install Long-Travel Shocks
This can be a hefty investment, but for serious off-road drivers, it is an improvement worth making. These shocks extend the vertical movements of the truck while keeping the tires on the ground. If you are serious about off-roading, this is something to look into and give serious consideration.
Talk with your local truck parts specialist to learn more about what you can do to your truck to create an off-road machine that keeps you safe and takes you anywhere (click here for more information).
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