The Peterbilt 379 is a large, heavy truck that can be difficult to handle. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to lower the truck without breaking the bank. Lowering the truck is not a new idea. In fact, it’s been around for as long as Peterbilt has been building trucks. But that doesn’t mean lowering the truck is easy, or cheap.
The most common way to lower a Peterbilt 379 is with a drop kit. A drop kit consists of a base plate and two adjustable shocks. This allows you to adjust how far down you want your truck to sit without worrying about scraping the underside of your truck.
If you are considering lowering your Peterbilt 379, be sure to take into account, it can be a difficult undertaking. Before you get started, make sure you do your research for an easy transition. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips, tricks and warnings about lowering a Peterbilt 379.
How to Lower a Peterbilt 379
There are a few different options when it comes to how to lower a Peterbilt 379.
Convert It to a Low-Boy
The easiest option is to have the truck converted to a low-boy. This truck conversion requires removing the ramps and steps from the truck, but other than that, everything stays the same.
Use a Drop Kit
The second option is to use a drop kit. This kit is usually what a truck owner will use when they want to lower the truck themselves. However, it’s a bit more complicated than the low-boy conversion and can damage your truck’s undercarriage.
Remove a Few Inches From the Bottom
The last option is to do it the old-fashioned way and remove a few inches from the bottom of the truck.
When Should I Lower My Peterbilt 379?
Now that you know some different ways to lower your Peterbilt, you may be wondering when you should do it.
The best time to lower a truck is during the winter months. During the colder season, the rig doesn’t have to work as hard, so the wear and tear is minimal. If you’re able to lower your truck, you’ll be able to minimize the undercarriage damage, too.
All that’s left is to figure out how much you want to lower your truck and when you’re ready, get to work!
Tips for Lowering a Peterbilt 379
If you’re looking to lower a Peterbilt 379, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
They are:
- Measure the truck to make sure that it will fit. If you don’t have enough space, it may be hard to lower your truck.
- Keep in mind that when you lower your truck, some of the steps may have to be cut off or removed.
- Measure the area around where the steps are located because if there isn’t enough room underneath, they could end up getting damaged by the low-boy.
- Take into account how much weight is on top of it. If there is weight on top of your truck, it could cause damage if dropped too quickly or even if lowered slowly.
- The amount of time that your truck is lowered depends on what kind of work you do for a living and how strong you are. If you’re a rough and tough driver, you’ll probably want to lower your truck after a few months of use. If you’re not too big, don’t worry about it. It will take a lot of time to get used to the new height.
Now, let’s take a look if lowering your Peterbilt makes it drive faster.
Does Lowering a Peterbilt 379 Make it Faster?
In order to get the best possible performance from your truck, you need to be able to get it up to speed as quickly as possible. If for some reason you can’t reach a certain speed, then there’s no point in lowering the truck.
After all, if you can’t reach that speed at a reasonable time of day, then it doesn’t make sense to lower your truck just so that you can reach that speed in the first place.
While lowering your Peterbilt can make it more aerodynamic, there is still the risk of issues. If your truck is too low, there will be problems getting up to speed. If you get stuck at idle or below idle and try to accelerate too quickly, it could damage your engine.
Because of this potential problem, it is always recommended that you use a high-quality diesel fuel before lowering your truck.
Warnings on Lowering Your Peterbilt 379
While lowering your Peterbilt can be beneficial, there are also some warnings you should know of beforehand.
The following warnings apply to lowering your truck:
- Before you lower your truck, make sure that you have the proper tools and information to do it safely.
- Always use the proper jack and jack stands. Never use a hydraulic jack to lower your truck because it could damage the frame.
- Before lowering any truck, check the fluid levels in all of the fluids on your truck so that you don’t accidentally drain them while lowering it.
- Do not lower or raise your truck while it is running. You will damage or destroy some components if you do this.
Now you know everything about lowering your Peterbilt 379.
Conclusion
Nobody said you have to be normal to be able to maintain. The Peterbilt 379 is a working machine, and like any other machine, it can be taken care of and maintained properly.
If you’re looking to buy a truck that could carry a little extra weight, has a payload capacity, or a length of bodywork you need to haul around, a 379 might be the truck for you.
If you’re able to lower it without removing any parts or damaging your truck, you won’t even have to lift a finger. The job will be done for you, and you can spend your time enjoying the truck, not fixing it.