Squatted trucks banned in North Carolina

[John Ranalletta]

Well, this is interesting, especially to members who attended START 21 in Maggie Valley where the "squatted truck" crowd gathered for a meet.  

 

Squatted Trucks Banned in North Carolina and Drivers Could Lose Their License for a Year (thedrive.com)

[Rougarou]

Ya saw that a few months ago where NC passed it.

[roadscholar]

Hallelujah, I hope Fla follows suit. Dumbest fad I’ve ever seen plus the headlights never get re-aimed and blind oncoming drivers on dim.

[Mike]

In my long, long life it never occurred to me that this was much of an issue. I’ve seen them occasionally in the Chicago area, but never on a highway. 

#shelteredlife

[roadscholar]

They’re like the plague down here. I’m all for people enjoying the car hobby and whatever facet they choose but this is ridiculous. I haven’t driven one these contraptions but knowing what I do about suspensions and handling characteristics it has to border on dangerous at hwy speeds. 

 

The only reason I can see for it is they want to emulate off-road racing trucks set up that way so the front end doesn’t bottom out when all that weight lands off a big jump. The kids that have them have no intention of trying that, it’s just a poser-mobile. If there’s a good reason for it someone please educate me.

 

If one of them rear ends a Miata, Z4, Boxster, etc. while looking at their phone it ain’t gonna line up too good, it’s going over the top which probably won’t work out well for the occupants.

[taylor1]

Tons of them around me . They call it the Carolina Swag .They'll do it to a $50,000 truck. Makes no sense. John , the little trucks we saw at start are much different. They can change their ride height and suspension  by hydraulics . The ones here are permanently lowered.

[Rougarou]

The first time I saw one of those "Carolina Squats", I was visiting a friend in Jacksonville, NC for his retirement.  I rolled up to his house, saw a truck that was squatting and thought "gee, they pulled the engine for some work".  When I asked my buddy what work they were doing to the engine, he looked at me confused, then said "no, all the kids are lowering the rear and raising the front.  Makes the truck drive horrendous and you can't see in front of you",......it's his sons truck.   I said,..."Did you call your son stupid?",.....of course he didn't.......but when I saw him,....I did.

[taylor1]

The Carolina Swag must be a local term. I guess you can call it whatever you want. I call it plain stupid

[wbw6cos]

I have not seen any of those around where I live and work, but maybe I do not live in the right part of town.  For work, I circumnavigate the metro Atlanta roads and I have yet to see one of those Squatted Trucks driving around.   

 

There are a lot of loud, popping exhausts, though.  That is a topic for another thread altogether.   

[MikeB60]

1 hour ago, wbw6cos said:

I have not seen any of those around where I live and work, but maybe I do not live in the right part of town.  For work, I circumnavigate the metro Atlanta roads and I have yet to see one of thos Squatted Trucks driving around.   

 

There are a lot of loud, popping exhausts, though.  That is a topic for another thread altogether.   

Drive south to Harris County, you will see plenty!

[TEDZ]

Makes loading a bike easier?

[Rougarou]

1 hour ago, TEDZ said:

Makes loading a bike easier?

makes offloading even easier, as well as offloading a yard of rock, mulch,  or dirt ,…..if that crappy suspension can handle it 

 

[Rougarou]

23 hours ago, taylor1 said:

The Carolina Swag must be a local term. I guess you can call it whatever you want. I call it plain stupid

 

https://www.wspa.com/news/nc-gov-cooper-signs-bill-banning-popular-carolina-squat-modification-to-pickup-trucks/

[taylor1]

They showed that on the local news channel evert 15 min. this morning. Gonna be a lot of bummed out teen age boys around me. I would bet there is at least a half dozen running around the little Isl. I live on. Here they call it the swag . Semantics  LOL

[roadscholar]

It’s called the Palatka squat down here because it’s likely where it originated (in Fla) and because it’s redneckville ground zero.

[Red]

6 hours ago, Rougarou said:

 

https://www.wspa.com/news/nc-gov-cooper-signs-bill-banning-popular-carolina-squat-modification-to-pickup-trucks/

There was an article in recent Consumer Reports re the danger of taller front ends poses a hazard to the young wee people who cannot be seen below tall vehicles.

Also seems to me the headlights would be angled up slightly decreasing visibility for the driver and for oncoming traffic.  We have a phenomenon here in the winter.  Passenger vehicles placing extra weight in the rear of vehicle for traction.  Results in raising the angle of headlights perfectly to blind on coming traffic unless headlights are adjusted, which of course no one does.

[Rougarou]

8 hours ago, roadscholar said:

It’s called the Palatka squat down here because it’s likely where it originated (in Fla) and because it’s redneckville ground zero.

 

Sorry, it started in Cali

[roadscholar]

12 hours ago, Rougarou said:

 

Sorry, it started in Cali

 

Why I put (in Fla) In parenthesis, I knew it probably didn't originate here but the town is likely where it began in Florida partly because of its proximity to the largest off road playground in the state, 600 sq. mile Ocala National Forest. You’re becoming predictable.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

16 hours ago, Red said:

Also seems to me the headlights would be angled up slightly decreasing visibility for the driver and for oncoming traffic. 

 

Slightly?

 

 

I'd bet it's not even possible to make the low beams point down at the road surface.

[Rougarou]

9 hours ago, roadscholar said:

 

Why I put (in Fla) In parenthesis, I knew it probably didn't originate here but the town is likely where it began in Florida partly because of its proximity to the largest off road playground in the state, 600 sq. mile Ocala National Forest.

 

Oh, didn't know I was supposed to comprehend your meaning with the ().

 

9 hours ago, roadscholar said:

 You’re becoming predictable.

 

Am I supposed to unpredictable?

[Hosstage]

1 hour ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

Slightly?

 

 

I'd bet it's not even possible to make the low beams point down at the road surface.

I'm trying to grasp the appeal of doing that, it really looks stupid as hell. And I thought wearing your pants around your thighs showing your underwear was stupid. Now it seems so much less an issue compared to these idiots.

Going full Donk I guess I can kind of understand, but the squat, I fail to see the goal.

[mickeym3]

I’ll take my chances with a squatting truck over a cell phone wielding distracted driver any day.   

[Rougarou]

10 minutes ago, mickeym3 said:

I’ll take my chances with a squatting truck over a cell phone wielding distracted driver any day.   

 

the squatting truck driver/s are likely cell phone texters/talkers too,......just a N-SWAG

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

 

2 hours ago, Hosstage said:

I'm trying to grasp the appeal of doing that

 

Because it makes people look.  Not much different from people putting narrow tires on wide rims:

 

 

Or ludicrous camber:

 

 

Or...whatever this is:

 

 

If it makes people look, then for them, that's a win, and it doesn't matter (to them) if it worsens their performance on the road

 

 

[West_Coaster]

This fixes the visibility issue.

 

 

[taylor1]

Here were I live, the kids would probably call that Carolina bling. That way they would have both swag and bling