Trucks.

[LHutz Esq]

I know you guys are more focused on the engine and the overall reliability (appropriately) - but I rented a new Ram 1500 for a week to help my Mom move and the audio system in that truck was a total piece of shit. You would have to go through a series of 5-6 on screen button presses - each one followed by ten seconds of waiting - in order to get a podcast to play off an iphone - and it didn’t matter whether it was over Bluetooth or wired in via USB.

And if you had a podcast playing when you turned the truck off well then when you started it back up the audio would immediately turn on blasting static noise from a random radio frequency (since it would no longer be connected to the phone you were previously using)

I’m ranting here - but it was the level of sophistication and performance I’d expect in a 2010 system. It did not have CarPlay or android auto. I guess if all you listen to is FM radio it’d be fine. It also didn’t have heated seats (not that I needed them).

Rant over

My last (and only) new truck shopping experience was in 2015. I did a nice spreadsheet, read the datas, talked to some mechanic friends, rounded up the surveys to pick the objectively best truck.

Then I picked the Tundra because the GM's front windscreen was too short, I'd never seen a 5 y/o Dodge 1500 that wasn't rusting up here, and the Ford's sync system would not take voice commands from my whiny nasally voice.

On paper, the ford looked better but that was a shit system. The Tundra's was less blingy but worked.

Last new truck I plan to purchase so I technically won't be switching teams, but the truck before that was an '06 Duramax so I guess that was a team change.

Every manufacturer has had it's lemon years.

[simple]

Some one explain wheel spacers and wide tires to me.

Is there some actual benefit to having your tires 6 inches outside your fenders?

Trends aren't supposed to make sense, they make a statement, and then followers try to copy that statement until it goes out of fashion.

Dudes love to add fashion accessories to their cars. The only thing it attracts is other dudes....

[oldnew_guy]

Trends aren't supposed to make sense, they make a statement, and then followers try to copy that statement until it goes out of fashion.

Dudes love to add fashion accessories to their cars. The only thing it attracts is other dudes....

I get that every 5th truck I see is just showing off their wide tires.

Usually its derivative of some actual purpose. I'm thinking of spoiler kits on 4 banger Civics. There is a point to a spoiler, just not on a 4 banger civic. Is there some actual off road purpose to this set up?

[heckacali]

I believe it is an offshoot of the lowrider style, but "more practically" applied to rural areas where farming was widespread and trucks were needed and more common, thus: lowrider style 4x4s.
That opinion is solely based on the fact that The first places I saw them first years ago were in CA central valley small farming towns...

Ymmv

[El Chupacabra]

It was kind of difficult finding a cheap used truck in stock (unmodified) condition. I didn't want something with 6" lift, 22" wheels, rubber band tires...

Other bonus to older trucks: smaller tires are much cheaper than larger. The 245/75 /16 E rated tires I bought recently were about $570, installed, for four - this is the stock size for my 2005 GMC Sierra. The stock tires on the 2022 F350 I had for a year were 275/70 /18, E rated, and replacements for those are like $200-250 each.

No clue what those goofy low profile rubber bands cost. Are the brodozers embarrassed when they hit a pothole with their jacked up Ram 2500 and dent a wheel?

[simple]

I get that every 5th truck I see is just showing off their wide tires.

Usually its derivative of some actual purpose. I'm thinking of spoiler kits on 4 banger Civics. There is a point to a spoiler, just not on a 4 banger civic. Is there some actual off road purpose to this set up?

No and your wing analogy doesn't make sense. That's like trying to make sense of fake hood scoops. It's just bedazzled garbage for people with whack style.

(My opinion is that making a comment on someone's whack style should only come if you have a dope style. You can't say shit if you are basic and have zero style)

It's the wheel and tire industry pushing boundaries and morons with cash to burn who support it. I feel for the mechanics who have to install those extremely tight fitting rubber band tires. It's expensive chrome plated garbage wheels.

[JimmyCarter]

Tires extending beyond fenders used to be illegal around here. maybe it still is and people just don’t give a fuck anymore?

[mcphee]

Tires extending beyond fenders used to be illegal around here. maybe it still is and the police just don’t give a fuck anymore?

FTFY

[bagtagley]

[oldnew_guy]

Tires extending beyond fenders used to be illegal around here. maybe it still is and people just don’t give a fuck anymore?

Seems like the cops could really boost their revenue around here by writing tickets for wide tires past fenders and aftermarket headlights.

[simple]

Seems like the cops could really boost their revenue around here by writing tickets for wide tires past fenders and aftermarket headlights.

Lol

Wait...wait...

Hahahahahahaha

You just move to the USA? Smell that freedumb!

[gravitylover]

In most states more than 4 white forward facing bulbs is illegal. Here each one of those little LED's in the bar on the Jeep going the other way would be a $4 fine so a 120 light bar would be a pretty big ticket if it was enforced...

[XXX-er]

bar tender at the craft brew has the same truck as me so she asks " what do you think of getting a lift and some big wheels ? "
well do you need a lift and what else could you do with the 5k ?

she went to mexico

[Foggy_Goggles]

Sick! Now we got wheel Karen's! I heard the HOAs design review committee is looking for help.

Such an odd take to be surprised that people customize their rigs for no reason that they like it. You know people spend $1k for stickers packs for their snowmobiles? Have you seen the average CPA's Street Glide.

It...like...the same as why you like your New Balance white.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[anotherVTskibum]

I get that every 5th truck I see is just showing off their wide tires.

Usually its derivative of some actual purpose. I'm thinking of spoiler kits on 4 banger Civics. There is a point to a spoiler, just not on a 4 banger civic. Is there some actual off road purpose to this set up?

Wider tires provide more float on soft surfaces, which is sometimes beneficial. Taller tires provide additional ground clearance. Both of the above may not fit with a stock rim width and offset, so greater offset (or wheel spacers) can be used to fit larger tires without having clearance issues. Purpose-built off-road rigs very often have tires that stick way out for those functional reasons.

I would argue that the rubber band tires with a mud tire tread pattern is the spoiler on the Civic point, though. If they were a sticky street tire, the width could still be beneficial for acceleration and handling, but zero sidewall with an off-road tread pattern makes me laugh.

[XXX-er]

You know people spend $1k for stickers packs for their snowmobiles?

I personaly think those sled raps look really bad and I didn't think it would be 1 K

also i don't have any tats or drink canned vodka drinks

[AdironRider]

In concept, there is some benefit to running wider tires in high speed desert conditions so you don't have to run lower tire pressures. That said, the smaller sidewalls as typically seen would be a negative in this regard as well. There is also some slightly increased rollover prevention with a wider stance off road, but there are also offsetting issues where wider stance limits places you can go and wider tires are also a negative in mud. So in a very specific use case there are some off road benefits.

Ultimately its just a style thing though as commonly seen.

[BCJC]

Back in the day hardcore off-roaders would swap in 3/4 or 1 tonne HD axles, which were wider than stock.

Thus the wide look became associated with hardcore off-roading, and eventually became a status symbol for mall crawler peacocking.

[oldnew_guy]

Sick! Now we got wheel Karen's! I heard the HOAs design review committee is looking for help.

Such an odd take to be surprised that people customize their rigs for no reason that they like it. You know people spend $1k for stickers packs for their snowmobiles? Have you seen the average CPA's Street Glide.

It...like...the same as why you like your New Balance white.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

Heh.

[nickwm21]

FWIW, the bean counters in charge of fleet purchase have mostly gone away from 1/2 ton pickups for the work trucks in favour of compacts like colorados and tacomas. Most of the big trucks (2ton and 5ton) that are diesel are Ford. The 3/4 and 1ton gassers are mostly Ford and Chev. Seems the only dept that still get dodge pickups is the engineering dept, which fits with their egos.

And ya, my cost & reliability rec is based on dozens of trucks over the past 2 decades. Consulting on my own and not with a crew in the 80’s & 90’s was Toyota P/U hands down. Any brand these days can produce a lemon. And the trucks coming into the yard built in the past 2yrs are generally shit compared to pre-COVID.

I work for a company with 1000+ F150 XLs rolling around. I drive one. There trying to sneak Mavericks in on us now… The response of the rank and file has been comical. I kinda want one though…


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[El Chupacabra]

In most states more than 4 white forward facing bulbs is illegal. Here each one of those little LED's in the bar on the Jeep going the other way would be a $4 fine so a 120 light bar would be a pretty big ticket if it was enforced...

I doubt they count like that - wouldn't that make the four LEDs in each Porsche headlight illegal?

[XXX-er]

I work for a company with 1000+ F150 XLs rolling around. I drive one. There trying to sneak Mavericks in on us now… The response of the rank and file has been comical. I kinda want one though…


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Aren't they quite a bit smaller than an f-150 so depending on where you roll wouldn't a maverick make a lot of sense

[east or bust]

Back in the day hardcore off-roaders would swap in 3/4 or 1 tonne HD axles, which were wider than stock.

Thus the wide look became associated with hardcore off-roading, and eventually became a status symbol for mall crawler peacocking.

This seems most likely.

Also if you're running a tire wider than stock without much lift it's pretty common to need wheel spacers to avoid rubbing issues at full lock.

[Buzzworthy]

I don’t own it, but have a decent amount of miles in 2018 Tundra 5.7, TRD offroad trim, and for an around town truck it fits the bill for most things.

It’s absolutely not what I’d want if payload or towing mattered though. Towed an airstream (the smallest one) from SLC-Driggs and it couldn’t keep up with traffic (75mph) without being at 3k RPMs.


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Seriously? I’ve got a 2010 TRD 5.7 and towed a 26’ bunkhouse travel trainer up I80 from SLC without batting an eye.

[gravitylover]

I doubt they count like that - wouldn't that make the four LEDs in each Porsche headlight illegal?

I thought that too, apparently if they're within a single housing in the (globally) agreed upon position it's ok.