It appears to me that late model chevy trucks and blazers are suck'en on ground clearance. Just today, the old lady and I, while cruisning in our car (97 S10 blazer), passed a new 4x4 chev 2500 and a S10 Trailbazer. Both had less ground clearance than several of the cars around us (e.g., Ford Taurus and Subaru Outback). The Trailblazer looked like a pregnant weinerdog.

It seems to me that late model Ford and Dodge/AMC 4x4 trucks and SUVs have gotten tailer. It's pretty common to see rigs of either make sport'en 33" tires without any or much additional lift. If you see a Chevy sport'en 33" or larger tires, it looks goofy like an ifs Toyota. At least the Toyota Tacoma and Tandra can run 32" tires without any lift.

I enjoy our Blazer. It's a good cruiser but it seems to me that Chevolet to missing the boat when it comes producing a vehicle capable of running the rest of the pack.

my two cents,

SPR

i'm a dodge guy, so i'm a little byassed. i dont think chevy ever made a good truck.:flipoff2:

Yea thats what I would want to do, go buy A 30,000 doller truck and wheel it. Wake up. people dont buy new trucks to wheel. People buy new rigs to tow there built rigs with.

AMC hasn't made trucks since 1987, but they've always been able to fit 33x12.50s stock

Nope GM or any of the other companies didn't miss the mark. The only time 99% of these trucks will ever have 4x4 engaged is snow covered streets. The people that are buying them are not interesting in bigger tires. They are interested in ride and cargo room. That's why they changed to what they are in the first place. That's what the market (the people with the cash in hand) wanted to spend their cash on and that's what they provided.
Too prove it, since Fullsize spouted off about Dodge,...the new Dodge full size has gone to IFS suspension because one of their highest complaints was ride quality. Ford will probably follow suit for the HD250's and Excursion at the next redesign. They built the HD250 to be a heavy duty work truck but so much of their market is anything but travel trailer haulers that are complaining about ride quality induced by a 1000lb of front axle bouncing around that they are going to probably follow GM's Lead and go with IFS on their HD line.
You need to understand that when a company designes something much of it is what the market demands not where they think they can lead the market. You and the rest of us that hold True off road capability as high on the list are less than 1% of the potential buyers. The other 99% are wanting Rugged looking station wagons. in the late 80's and early 90's the fad was the mini van. in the 70's it was the Station wagon.

Thats why all the hardcore wheelers buy Xterras :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Grim Reaper
since Fullsize spouted off about Dodge,...the new Dodge full size has gone to IFS suspension because one of their highest complaints was ride quality.

Dodge hasn't given up yet, their HD trucks are still going to be solid axle for a while.

Have you looked closely at the Chevy HD2500. Sit pretty high for stockers.
Dodge??? When did they made trucks:rolleyes:
All in all, I haven't been impressed with any newer trucks. They just don't make them like they used to! Too much plastic, too much in complicated electronics, and the fuel milage still sucks! I still have a hard time paying $30,000+ for a truck you have to spend at least another $5,000 to make it a decent wheeler.:skull:

It is true. I have a 99 F-150 with the offroad package. I parked it next to a coworker's 2000 Silverado Z71, and I sat at least 6" higher. Everyone that has one complains about the ride of a Ford. I told them that if I wanted a car, I would buy one. Not one with a pickup body. The ones that scare me are the ones that use these sames pickups to haul heavy loads. They are built too much like a car to handle this. Fords rule.

Erin

Originally posted by Grim Reaper
the new Dodge full size has gone to IFS suspension because one of their highest complaints was ride quality. Ford will probably follow suit for the HD250's and Excursion at the next redesign.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE! :p

dodge changed to IFS on their 1500 truck, they are staying solid axle on the 2500 and 3500 trucks :D

and ford? pah-lease! if these two companies thought it was so much better to go with IFS then they would have at their last redesign. how long has chevy had IFS? about 91? dodge changed to the current design truck in 94, and hell ford changed to the previous design in 94 too! they had plenty of time to think over IFS and they obviously both thought that for a HD application, a solid axle was better.

so dont try and make it sound like ford and dodge are the odd ones out here, cause in reality, chevy is.

i grew up on the beach. went back home and took a ride on the beach a few times. the trailblazer is so low it plows sand. it doesnt even make it 10 feet. the new chevy trucks frames hang so low if you sink at all you are screwed. i rather enjoyed seeing them get stuck in there high$$$ rigs as i just cruised in my old pos 86 ford.

as for the ford ifs thing, remember ttb in the f250s and yes even the f350s in the early 80s, ford smartened up and went back to solid axle. why would they switch back to ifs. and there latest design ( the superduty) was in 99 not that long ago.

as for the dodge trucks, hd trucks used as tow vehicles should have leaf springs front and rear not coils:flipoff2:

simple and short answer to your question is YES they have.

Buy a Mercedes G-class

From what I hear, they don't use dodges as tow trucks and flat beds as much as they do with the fords and chevs because the frames can't handle it without putting $$$$$$$ into them to add strength.

An avid mopar lover up the road says he loves his 2500 withe the cummins, but the actual truck will fall apart around the engine and axles.:nuke:

at teh auto show about a month ago they had 2003 dodge 1500 and 2500 trucks there. The 1500's are a torsion bar IFS and the 2500's are a coiled IFS.

Dodge's solid axle days are indeed over. :( :mad:

I agree with the if you want it to ride like a car...buy a damned car mentality.

I can only hope that the traditional microeconomic cycle kicks in soon. the truck/suv fad will pass when the market becomes too flooded with competition and the signifigant lack of sales for any one SUV will force others out of teh market leaving only those originally dedicated to the market selling vehicles. That is the point at which we will retun to function over comfort and of course, form follows funcion and we will see the return of solid axles.....or I can keep dreaming altogether

mkbruin, are you sure that 2500 dodge was 4wd? The basic answer to the question is yes chevy has, and for the most part so has everyone else. There simply isn't a big enough market for real trucks anymore. Someone mentioned the Mercedes G500, but they're only used for grocery getting. Hell i bet most of the highly anticipated Jeep Rubicons won't ever see a trail. It's not really THAT big a deal though. Those who want real offroad performance build their trucks anyway...wheelers in the future will just get exceedingly good at cutting off IFS :D

-Steve

EDIT: Imagine how rare front 60s are gonna be in 10 years...

Yep, everything I’ve seen (including the early photos) indicates that Dodge HD 4x4s are all going independent when they get the new body. That should be later this year.

You are so right. d 60 are going to be so rare in 10 years, exp the pass drop. Hell everything is going indipendent in the rear to. However A friend just bought A 4 wheel steering 2002 GMC today and I was looking under it and the rear balljoints and outers look like D 60 if not bigger. Of course thay have to be pretty stout since the truck has A BB 502 in it and a allison tranny. With A price tag of 48,000 dollers. :eek:

that GMC rear steer looks pretty cool but scares me a little. Luckily between my two rigs i have 2 front 60s, a rear 60 and a sterling...although i'm not about to cut up the '02 F250 yet :D

-Steve