Squatted Trucks to Be Illegal Soon In North Carolina

A specific version of squatted trucks has become the target of ire for North Carolina legislators that want to see this truck banned.

Currently called the Carolina Squat, the trucks that have caused such a problem and are under the microscope of scrutiny are trucks that have been modified to be lower in the rear than in the front. This suspension change is about to be made illegal in this state.

Where is the Bill Now?

The bill to do away with squatted trucks has passed the North Carolina House of Representatives and is being sent to the Senate right now. This bill will modify the vehicle code to make it illegal to alter the suspension of a truck to lower the rear more than a specified amount while raising the front by another specified amount. Does this mean we won’t see any trucks with a bit of a lean to them? That’s a good question.

Some Truck Owners Take this to the Extreme

If you were to see a truck that looked like the rear was dragging on the ground and the front was high in the air, you might wonder why anyone would do that to a truck. While some people think this looks cool and they want to take their trucks to shows where they can have lights going off, lots of sounds, and the flashiest paint job, a truck that is set up this way just isn’t safe on the road. For that reason, the extremeness of the squat is the target in North Carolina.

What are the Proposed Numbers that Will Get Rid of Squatted Trucks?

The bill that passed the House in North Carolina outlines the numbers for any truck. It states that no vehicle can be modified by elevating the front more than three inches while lowering the rear more than two inches. This bill doesn’t specify just pickup trucks but applies this change to all private passenger vehicles.

But Wait… That Means…

That’s right, these proposed numbers don’t do away with the entire tilt that goes into squatted trucks but makes the most extreme models illegal. There can still be about a five-inch tilt from front to back for a truck and still be within the guidelines being set by the legislators in North Carolina. While we won’t see extremely squatted trucks on the roads in North Carolina once this bill passes the Senate, we will still see some trucks that have a bit of a tilt to them.

The Origin Doesn’t Match the Ridiculousness

The only possible origin of squatted trucks came from Bajatrucks which needed to have raised front ends to avoid the nosediving into a dune during races. Those that employ the Carolina Squat, especially in the most extreme ways, are simply making their trucks ridiculous, annoying, and unsafe. That may seem harsh, but it’s a fact, not simply an opinion.

The Ridiculous Part

Trucks that are lowered in the rear and raised in the front lose much of their truck capabilities. The suspension installed by an automaker is made to handle heavy loads in the rear and the rear will lower down with more weight being added. Thiscapability is reduced by lower the rear of the truck. Many of the squatted trucks we see have rear fenders that are riding tight to the wheels, leaving no room for travel when a heavy load is in the bed of the truck.

The Annoying Part

When the front of a truck is raised in the air, the headlights are moved up and look higher and brighter than they should. These lights can hit other drivers hard and cause them to squint and have trouble seeing when driving. This is extremely annoying, especially if the truck owner has extremely bright lights.

The Unsafe Part

The stance of a squatted truck has the front end leaned upward in the air, which reduces the visibility for the driver. You can’t see as much in front of you or around you when you drive a truck that’s been raised in the front. This is certainly the case in the most extreme cases and it’s unsafe.

There May be a Small Loophole

For those who still want to have the Carolina Squat and enjoy driving one of the squatted trucks on the road, there might be a way to do it. The word “and” is used in the bill to mean that both changes have to take place to be illegal. Currently, you can raise the front or rear of any vehicle up to six inches outside of factory specs without concern, which will give a slightly more dramatic angle.

This might be the answer for some, but for the most part, squatted trucks will soon be a thing of the past in North Carolina.