The History of Off-Roading and How It Hit Today's Mainstream Truck Market
Lifted trucks have been around for decades. Like most inventions, they were designed to solve a real-world problem––namely, how do you move equipment and supplies into some of the most remote regions of the world? Lifting the suspension of a truck leaves room for larger, more aggressive tires, so companies, individuals, and even the U.S. military can drive over uneven ground without breaking a sweat. Today, lifted trucks are practically everywhere, from the racetrack to off-road enthusiasts, to powerful industrial equipment. Learn more about the evolution of lifted trucks and how they hit today’s mainstream truck market.
The First Off-Road Vehicles
Vehicles weren’t meant to go off-road until the Kegresse track came along in the early 1900s. Adolphe Kegresse started working for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in 1906, and over the next ten years, developed a new kind of vehicle that was designed specifically for soft driving conditions, including dirt, grass, and snow. The Kegresse track is made up of a continuous line of rubber track that moves along a conveyor instead of using traditional interlocking metal tires.
Today, it might look like an old-fashioned snowmobile, but back then it completely changed the way people thought about vehicles. A fleet of these new half-track vehicles eventually made their way across the Sahara Desert. Between December 1922 and March 1923, Georges-Marie Haardt and Louis Audouin-Dubreuil traveled from Touggourt to Timbuktu and back again. The event got a lot of publicity, piquing the automotive industry’s interest in off-road vehicles.
Gearing Up for War
Thanks to the success of the Kegresse track, WWII was filled with off-road vehicles that could be used to transport equipment and supplies to some of the most remote regions of the world. These cars and trucks needed to be able to drive through mud, dirt, and snow without getting stuck. But, instead of the Kegresse track, many of these new off-road vehicles were lifted to make room for larger tires. Unlike the Kegresse half-track, these vehicles could move quickly over all kinds of terrain, giving both sides a leg up in their war efforts.
The U.S. military took an interest in this technology before the Second World War got underway. In the 1920s, the U.S. Army purchased several Citroën vehicles with the Kegresse track, so it could evaluate them based on how well they would hold up during times of war. The U.S. Army eventually purchased a license to produce these vehicles, giving the country a chance to perfect this technology before the war started.
The Nazis also used this technology to move equipment and weapons across non-paved surfaces. This also helped expand the war effort to new continents and regions previously deemed unsuitable for vehicles.
Overall, the war effort quickly sped up the development of the off-road vehicle, taking it to new heights in terms of speed and functionality. Government contractors started lifting the bodies of these vehicles with suspension lifts instead of implementing the Kegresse half-track, giving birth to the lifted truck as we know it today.
Moving into the Private Sector
As WWII came to an end, companies across a range of industries started investing in lifted trucks and off-road vehicles for their own purposes. The construction and freight industries were some of the first to put the lifted truck to good use in the private sector. Just like the brave soldiers of WWII, these companies often had to move large pieces of equipment and supplies to remote regions, such as during the construction of new roads and bridges where paved surfaces were often in short supply.
With war coming to an end and the private sectors starting to take an interest in off-road vehicles, automakers saw an opportunity. They started designing and manufacturing vehicles based on the specific needs of their clients, including construction and freight companies. Manufacturers started customizing their vehicles with larger axles, differentials, and transmissions to account for larger and larger tires.
Lifted trucks and off-road vehicles became increasingly common after WWII, including during the New Deal when the government was putting the nation back to work, building bridges and public structures across the country. These vehicles made it easier for companies and developers to access otherwise hard-to-reach locations, accelerating the construction process.
Manufacturers Go Off-Road
For years, lifted trucks and off-road vehicles were primarily used for commercial and industrial purposes. As Americans continued to explore and develop new, remote regions of the country, many encountered a crucial problem: Their vehicles weren’t equipped to handle the outdoors. Mud, snow, thick rocks, and dirt precluded most civilians from completing all kinds of tasks in the wild, including hauling equipment, building new structures, and even hunting across long distances.
One of the first off-road civilian vehicles, the British Land Rover first became available to the public in the 1940s. It was largely modeled after the vehicles used in WWII. Jeep launched its own line of off-road vehicles, including the Jeep Station Wagon and the first Jeep Truck back in the 1940s.
The sports utility vehicle (SUV) made its debut to the public in the late 1960s. Targeting middle-class families who liked to go on vacation, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts, Ford launched one of the first civilian off-road vehicles, the Ford Bronco, in 1966. The Toyota Land Cruiser followed soon after.
While these early off-road truck models weren’t the super-lifted trucks you might think of today, these were the first attempts at meeting the needs of consumers who like to get dirty and travel vast reaches of the wilderness. These vehicles featured four-wheel drive and thicker, wider tires that were designed for unpaved surfaces. It was still uncommon to see drivers lifting the suspension themselves, so most consumers had to rely on factory models.
The Monster Revolution
The lifted truck craze didn’t take off until the 1970s. Even as major car manufacturers started selling off-road vehicles to the public, off-road truck enthusiasts were taking matters into their own hands. Drivers in rural areas had to contend with extremely unpleasant driving conditions, including deep bogs, massive cliffs and boulders, and seemingly bottomless mud pits. They were looking for something more than the latest factory model at their local dealership.
These enthusiasts started customizing their trucks, creating at-home DIY lift kits and raising the suspension as they saw fit. They would then order custom tires to help them get through the wilderness.
Before these drivers would take their vehicle into the middle of nowhere, they had to be sure everything was working properly. They would often get together and test out these new customized pieces of machinery. As this new off-road culture continued to spread, more enthusiasts started taking part in these events. One thing led to another, lifts kept getting larger and larger, and the first monster truck was born in the 1970s.
Bob Chandler was an off-road racing enthusiast who was constantly wrecking his Ford F-250. Unfortunately, many of the automotive shops in the Midwest didn’t carry the parts he needed to repair his 4x4. So he started his own shop in Ferguson, Missouri called the Midwest Four Wheel Drive and Performance Center. As a new business owner, Chandler was looking to get people’s attention. While tinkering with his truck, he decided to take things a step further, adding larger and larger tires, going from 48 inches to 66 inches.
Chandler named his new creation “Bigfoot,” parking this massive, ridiculous-looking vehicle in front of his store to attract more business. Word quickly spread of this giant-sized truck. Chandler became something of a national celebrity, and Bigfoot even earned a walk-on role in the film Take This Job and Shove It. But Chandler was just getting started.
In the early 1980s, Chandler pushed two down-and-out cars next to each other in the middle of a field. He set up a tape recorder and filmed himself driving Bigfoot over the cars, crushing them completely. When the stunt was all said and done, he used the video to market his business. It spread like wildfire, and truck enthusiasts everywhere started getting ideas.
Soon after, other truck owners started imitating Chandler and Bigfoot, with many drivers trying to one-up each other in terms of size. Home videos were also taking off around this time. Naturally, drivers couldn’t resist videotaping themselves doing all kinds of stunts, including jumps, burnouts, and, of course, racing. It wasn’t long before the monster truck industry was born, with events popping up all over the world.
How Lifted Trucks Went Mainstream
As more drivers started experimenting with lifted trucks, more automotive companies started offering these accessories. The monster truck had become a household name by the 1990s. The automotive industry became increasingly open to the idea of lifted trucks as a result. Factory-lifted trucks became increasingly common throughout the 80s and 90s. Some companies started offering their own lift kits, simplifying the customization process for drivers everywhere.
The more drivers started using lifted trucks for all kinds of purposes, the more the industry started studying how lift kits affect the drivability of these vehicles. Manufacturers continued to refine the lifting process, adding new shocks and steering components to help drivers stay in control. Off-road truck and lift enthusiasts regularly shared tips and tricks with each other, in terms of perfecting the lifting process. Lift kit companies began incorporating these techniques into their products.
During the 1990s and 2000s, the internet was still in its infancy, which meant that many of these enthusiasts would need to meet in person to discuss the tricks of their trade. Monster and off-road truck events started growing in popularity, including races and rock-climbing competitions. Some enthusiasts started using computer-aided design programs to develop custom parts for their vehicles, giving them the edge in these events.
Like many industries, the automotive industry was slow to adapt to many of these changes. As time went on, DIY enthusiasts were often pushing the lifted truck industry in new directions, with manufacturers scrambling to catch up. Some new lifting techniques were for dramatic effect, but others were more practical, helping drivers tackle all kinds of terrain without a second thought.
Today’s Lifted Trucks
Today, the internet has only strengthened and empowered lifted truck enthusiasts. New DIY forums and social media groups are popping up all the time, helping truck owners share tips and tricks about lifting. This has bolstered the lifted truck enthusiast community, connecting like-minded individuals all over the world. This new sense of community has only increased the number of lifted truck events and competitions, bringing more attention to this growing niche in the automotive industry.
Consumers also have more options than ever before when it comes to choosing a lift kit. New independent lift kit manufacturers have been developing their own products for years, creating a loyal base of customers in the process. Today’s kits are also easier to install than those in years past. They’re more consumer-friendly, so just about anyone can lift their truck themselves without needing the help of a professional.
As these lift kits become easier to use, and manufacturers further refine their products, more drivers have started investing in lift kits. Newer kits are designed to eliminate steering and stability issues. Thanks to these new creations, consumers no longer have to worry about lift kits radically altering the way their trucks handle on the road. With better products hitting the shelves, the aftermarket suspension industry continues to grow year after year.
Final Word
We’ve come a long way from the Kegresse track and lifted trucks of WWII. Lifted trucks are more common today than they were in the past, helping drivers tackle new challenges and explore remote regions. Overall, it’s a great time to own a lifted truck.