Chop Top 4-Door
I have thoughts on this whole project I'm doing. My question to you is: Would it be possible to chop the top of my '99 4-door Chevy Blazer three inches? I have seen plenty of old-school panels and trucks with their tops chopped and I like the aggressive look it lends to the vehicle. I know about all the glass and the pillars and that the chop won't be an easy feat. Is it a good idea or am I biting off more than I can chew?
Matt Dangler
Bryan, Ohio
Matt,
Are you asking if it's a "good idea" or are you asking if you are "biting off more than you can chew?" Lopping some inches from your mini-SUV's roof is certainly a good idea. The odds are that if you are asking us about it, then you are biting off more than you can chew. Leave this to a professional who is well versed in doing top chops, as the roof and pillars are structural support members of the truck's body. Improperly re-welding those components will spell doom for your Blazer and you'll probably soon after be looking at removing the top altogether and going full roadster. Getting the glass to fit is no joy, and don't forget the door tops have to be able to fit back into the roof openings. Good idea? Yes, but better left to an experienced person. Get out your wallet!
Airing It Up
On some of the newer trucks I see in magazines, including yours, there seems to be many of them going to airbag suspension lift kits. My truck is a 1979 Ford F-150 and it is a four-wheel drive. I have searched everywhere for a kit, or even parts, to airbag lift my truck but I cannot find anyone who has it. Do you guys have any idea where I can find a kit for my truck?
Justin Moore
Via e-mail
Justin,
Going up on 'bags is certainly cool, and we have seen many of them as of late. Companies like Kelderman Air Ride (www.keldermanairride.com) certainly seem to have the right idea when it comes to going up by using airbags. Your truck is going to prove difficult to find a kit for because there is no demand for them. What that leaves you with is the necessity to custom-fabricate a system, which is totally within reach. Contact Kelderman and see what the local suspension shops know. A fabricator well versed in air suspension systems should be able to accommodate your needs. Search around a bit because you are probably going to run into some closed doors. Make it happen!
Wheels? Where?
I am an avid reader of the magazine, in which your photos are showcased. There was a 2000 GMC Yukon you photographed in Volume 32, Issue 4, on page 50 ("BOWB4ME") that had a nice set of wheels on it. If you know where I can purchase those exact wheels, then I would appreciate the information. Thank you for your help.
Cassandra Mims
Via e-mail
Cassandra,
Those exact wheels? You wish us to bestow upon you the exact name of those exact wheels? Sure, no sweat. Those wheels are Foose Spank 6 wheels. They are produced by MHT (mhtwheels.com) and they are available from everybody. There isn't a wheel and tire shop on this planet that can't get those wheels for you. Go get them!
Too Tall Ram
Hey, guys. Great mag! In "Ram Slam" (Vol. 31, Issue 12, page 172) you guys did a Dodge Ram lowering kit on a 2002 truck. I own a 2005 Ram single cab shortbed and am in the process of ordering the parts to lower it. Two-inch control arms and a rear flip kit are on the way and I was wondering if another two inches was possible in the front. I have looked into using both coils and spindles, with some companies telling me it was possible and others telling me it wasn't. Can I lower it four inches in the front and have it still be a driver, or am I going to kill my drivability? Any help would be great.
Doug Cobb
Via e-mail
Doug,
What size wheels and tires you are running will determine if you can or cannot run a four-inch front drop kit. In our "Ram Slam" story the truck was lowered on the factory 20-inch wheels and tires. With a two-inch front drop the truck sat almost at tire level and there is no way we could go to four inches. If you desire to have a full 4/6 drop, then you will have to go to lower-profile tires to compensate for the reduction in height. As for drivability, with that much drop, yes, you are going to have a harsh ride on crappy roads due in part to the geometry change from the components and the reduced sidewall on the tires not absorbing some of the road irregularities. You can do it!
Nobody For My Ford
First off, I love your magazine. I have a couple questions that I'm sure you professionals can help me with. My driver is a 1992 Ford F-150 Flareside and I am trying to locate a body kit for it. My searching has come back with zero and I feel as if I'm running out of luck. Suggestions on where I could look would be super-helpful. Finally, I would like to put 18-inch wheels on the truck. How much can I lower the truck if I do? Thanks for your time.
Thomas Davidson
Via e-mail
Thomas,
Locating body styling kits for a 14-year-old pickup truck sure is a daunting task. We can see your dilemma. A jaunt around the wide and vast area known as the Internet has created few choices but one did stand out. Strolling through the front page of Xenon (www.teamxenon.com) we came across a product listing for your year truck. Contact them to see what can be done to remedy your needs. As for the 18s, they will fit with ease depending on the tire size choice. You can go mild with a little meat on the sidewall or you can go all the way down with some low pros. Kit it up!
Eye Trouble
First and foremost, I wanted thank you all for publishing such a great magazine. Truckin' helps to get me through the grueling, repetitive work life of a call center employee. I am writing about something I saw in "Silver Streak" (Vol. 32, Issue 5). In the pictures of the driver's side the wheels look like normal wheels. The pictures of the passenger side of the Sonoma appear to have spinner wheels. I am pretty sure my eyes are telling me the truth but I didn't see any mention of it in the magazine. Please respond so that I may cancel my optometrist appointment.
Steve Sheats
Phoenix, Arizona
Steve,
Now we know why every time we call we get such a slow response. You're reading magazines. You have great eyes, though, because as you stated, the GMC does have spinner inserts on the passenger side of the truck. When we ask for all the information we can get from a truck owner, it doesn't mean we get it. In this case, we only reported the wheels, as that was the information we received on the tech sheet. As for the spinners, they are obviously there and we don't know the make or model of them, so it wasn't written into the article. These things happen all the time. Cancel your appointment with the eye guy. Nice looking out!
I've Got The Power
Could you give me some advice on what I can do to make my 2004 Ford F-150 LT faster? The truck is equipped with the 5.4L V-8, and I have already installed an Airaid intake and Diablo programmer. I am not too sure what would help me more to make it a little faster, headers or gears. I am trying to make it faster at a slow pace and any advice is appreciated.
Jorge Hernandez
Via e-mail
Jorge,
Don't know if we can figure out your statement about making your truck faster at a slow pace. Those two things just make it sound humorous. But if you are serious about making the truck faster, then you have come to the right place because here at Truckin' we love power and we're proud of it. If you want to keep it mellow and add bits here and there, then go for a free-breathing after-cat exhaust system from one of the known manufacturers next. A MAF from Granatelli (www.granatellimotorsports.com) will help with your intake. Gibson (www.gibsonperformance.com) and JBA both have shorty legal replacement headers; and if smog isn't too strict in your area, then go for the Dynatech Supermaxx full-length headers with integral Y-pipe and cats (www.dynatechheaders.com). A baby step from there are Moto Blue under-drive pulleys (www.rpmoutlet.com). Once you have all those parts on your truck and you still want more, then it's off to the supercharger. All the big guns have one, so pick your choice. In no particular order are Pro Charger (www.procharger.com), Vortech (www.vortechsuperchargers.com), Magnacharger (www.magnacharger.com), Kenne Bell (www.kennebell.net), and Roush (www.roushperf.com). Satisfy your hunger!
Spoiled SSR
I am a longtime reader of Truckin' magazine and I totally enjoyed your SSR special (Vol. 31, Issue 11). Now that I have an SSR I'm trying to make it different and it's hard to do. I watch NASCAR and the official pace vehicle is an SSR with a cool chin spoiler. Who makes the front spoiler? So far I have added yellow leather seat inserts, a rear wing, and pinstriping. There just seems like too many things to do and the chin spoiler is next.
Chuck Styles
Via e-mail
Chuck,
Not that you want bad news or anything, but that exact spoiler is not available. It is manufactured by ASC (www.ascglobal.com) and they are licensed under GM, but GM has not released the licensing to make that component available to the public. We know plenty of other SSR fans who would give up a right arm to make that unit their own, too. For now you'll have to make due with the offerings from 3G Services (www.3gservicesinc.com) and Axiom Design (www.axiomdesign.com). Keep your chin up!