In today’s culture, the lifted truck has become a popular item that’s used in all kinds of different situations from daily driving, military use, car shows, hauling, and off-roading. Surprisingly, use of lifted trucks dates all the way back to World War I. These trucks were manufactured as a way to navigate through any type of war zone and terrain. From driving through snow covered mountains to crumbling cities with huge piles of debris in France and Belgium.

In preparation for war, the engineers of the day decided to lift the bodies of the trucks so that they would have enough clearance under the trucks so they could go anywhere without issues.

It took several decades for the major automakers to discover the potential of lifted trucks. Civilian consumers may have not been driving through war zones but, many of them were still faced with bizarre unpredictable terrain from snow to driving off-road when hunting.  “A lifted truck is the only car a male should drive,” Jamestown High School senior Kailey Porter says.   Automakers introduced the first fleet of civilian lifted trucks back in the 1970s. Anyone driving through the uncontrollable wilderness quickly saw need and want of lifted trucks. As a result automakers saw that they opened a new market for vehicles and sales.

In today’s automobile culture, car companies like GM (General Motors) and Ford don’t factory lift their new trucks because of safety reasons, but some people go off and buy Lift-Kits and have them installed by a respected car dealers or a private car shop. The drawback to doing this is you void the warranty meaning if you break something or something breaks the dealership won’t fix it. For example, an owner of a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado felt his truck was missing something so, he purchased a BDS six-inch lift kit. After selecting the kit, he brought the 2016 Silverado to his local dealer for installation to ensure the warranty would not be voided by going elsewhere but he was mistaken. A few days later the owner hit a bump while off-roading in the Silverado and the side curtain air bags deployed. So like any other the owner he took the Silverado in for service, the dealer denied the warranty claim due to aftermarket parts being installed, the BDS six-inch lift kit. It may come off as wrong or petty but, it is simply rules.

To avoid this, most people lift an old truck where the warranty has ended, and go bananas with it by adding thirty-two inch tires, LED (light-emitting diode) lights, entertainment systems, running boards, grill guards, tow hitches, winches, anything you could imagine. Most people lift their trucks for functionality, looks, ground clearance, and the overall feel of sitting up high. The purpose of bigger tires is for more traction on and off road. For example, if it’s snowing outside the average driver may get stuck or slide off the road, but, with bigger tires, you won’t. The ground clearance helps when you’re driving through muddy and dangerous terrain you could be driving over debris that’ll damage expensive parts under your vehicle such as the differential, transmission, oil pan, gas tank, and other parts. For example, Randy Frontera senior of Jamestown High made an comment on the topic and said, “A lot of people fail to realize the dangers hiding within muddy water and mud itself such as logs, rocks, and quick sand.”

Lifting a truck is like separating yourself from everyone from else in positive way. You’re simply doing your own little project. There’s people who customize and modify cars they put performance parts on cars to reach speeds of 170 to 200 mph. Think of it as having a drive for producing art. For example, Yasirah Walton senior of Warhill High School said, “Lifted trucks are so beautiful and eye-appealing.” It doesn’t matter how much money gets dumped into it because it’s your master piece. You could think of a truck as a highly prized toy you’re going to take good care of, and you’ll be very hesitant to let anyone use it. Lifted truck owners are expressing themselves through their artwork, paving a new path for others to follow, and just generally doing what makes them happy and proud.