Dear MT,
I have a '98 and a '92 S-10. I was wondering: Do I have to put a lowering kit on my truck before I put it on airbags? Also, would a regular lowering kit work on my '92, since I have a V-8 in it?
Thanks,
Jody Ledlow
Hey, Jody. Seems like you have some issues. Let's see what we can do for you. You could technically 'bag a truck with all-stock suspension, but it wouldn't be able to go that low. The lower you're gonna want to go, the more you will have to modify. You wouldn't need a huge kit, but you will need components of the kit. The front of the truck would be a candidate for either dropped spindles or control arms. The rear would be up for a notch, if you are wanting low, and possibly a four-link. The sky's the limit on this. It just depends on how low you want to go.
Dear Mini Truckin',
I own a '91 Mazda B2200. I made it a convertible and added a '92 4Runner bumper and a phantom grille. What I would like to know is if there are any performance parts for my engine like cams, intakes, fuel injectors, higher shift points, and so on. Any help would really be appreciated. Also, the convertible seal kit from AIM - I would like to see a picture of the seals and the whole kit. Thank you for your help.
Omar Sanchez
Orange, California
You might want to hit up Delta Cams or Pacesetter for go-fast goodies. There are parts out there; you just have to search. Look at previous Mazda features in your favorite magazine for what others have done. As far as the famous AIM convertible, here you go in all of its untampered-with glory.
| letters To The Editor November 2006 tubular Control Arms
Hey, Paper Cuts!
I have some questions about my '03 Chevy S-10 extended cab. First off, I would like to purchase some tubular control arms for it, but everything that I'm finding is either designed for lowering it (which it already is) or bagging it (which it won't ever be). I want to keep the drop coils I have in there, but I want to put the C-arms in. I plan on auto crossing it as soon as I get it set up. I recently received the June issue in the mail and I noticed that the Mini Truckin' Lifestyle section was not in there. Did you get rid of it, or is it just gone for the month? Finally, I want to give my buddies a shout-out at www.gmtruckforum.org. They have helped me more than anything I could imagine.
Thanks,
Charlie
It's gonna be hard for you find a company that makes stock tubular control arms. There just isn't a market for them. We would forward you to a company to custom-make you some, but this has been a sore subject in the mini-truckin' community as of late. As for the Lifestyle section, it is definitely not gone, as you can see. We had to make room for a few ads to gear up for our biggest issues ever. We hope all of you enjoy the new look and weight of the magazine.
Dear Mini Truckin',
I've been reading your kick-ass magazine for about two years. Well, I've had hands-on experience with helping build a '55 Chevy and a '56 Chevy Bel Air, and now I've decided to move on to the mini-truck scene. I got my hands on an '87 GMC Jimmy S-15. My questions are about my vehicle being a four-wheel drive. Can I still slam it to the ground with the four-wheel drive, or do I need to convert it to two-wheel drive? My second question is: What's the difficulty rating on doing a V-8 swap on a 1-to-10 scale? If you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated
Thank you for your time and your kick-ass magazine!
Sincerely yours,
Mark Hart
Denver, Colorado
For your first mini, you sure are starting out on the hard track. If you want your mini hammered to the ground, then you will have to convert it to 2WD. As a 4WD, you could lower it but not enough to get a huge impact. The amount of modifications needed to get a 4WD on the ground is just ridiculous. Regarding your second question, since companies like Summit Racing have all of the bolt-on accessories to make swapping in a V-8 work in the S-series, we would say a 5/10. It's still a hefty amount of work but there's not much fab involved.
| letters To The Editor November 2006 engine
Dear MT,
I recently turned 38 this year. I've been and still am a die-hard mini-trucker! I've supported MT from the start. Monster Garage, a mini-trucker-inspired TV show recently did a mini-truck build. They went old school with a 720. It's great to see mini-truckin' and mini-truckers get the national exposure you and I know we all deserve! Big ups to Body Drop and Josh Freeman for representing. Too bad the little guys forgot to measure backspacing for those cool chrome wheels
Sam Burrell, Jr.
Elyria, Ohio
There was quite a bit of hype surrounding that particular show in the mini-truck community. As a lot of people know, there have been a lot of mini-truckers behind the scenes as well as being in builds. We give a lot of credit to Body Drop for holding his ground on making the truck lay out when all odds and little people were against him. The build could have turned out better if Jesse would have actually used Nick's rendering, but we were just glad to see that producers dropped money into backing our scene.
Dear Mini Truckin',
I have a '95 Mitsubishi Mighty Max short wheelbase regular cab. I was wanting to know: Do they make a Mitsu 4x4? If so, are the fenders flared like Mazda's and Toyota's? If it isn't too much trouble, could you please tell me where I can find some aftermarket parts? I know FBI and JBM have some but it's limited. Is there some way I can put a different front bumper on? Please help me.
Josh Young
Philly, Mississippi
Yes, sir. They did make a Mighty 4x4. It uses the same fenders but with killer plastic flares on them. Unfortunately, there aren't as many parts out there for the Mighty Max. You will have to be more creative than most, but when you are finished it will be what a lot of mini's can't be: original. Call FBI 877-324-6464 on that front bumper. They have your bracket needs covered.
| letters To The Editor November 2006 custom Truck
Dear Guru,
I have an '86 Chevy S-10 truck and I want to put a set of seats in it. What I want to know is: What would be the best seat to put in it? I want to get the seats of a car. Also, I have been trying to find someone to install a convertible hardtop kit for my truck. I live in the city of Bainbridge, Georgia. But nobody around here does this type of work. Any help from you would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg Cooper
You can pretty much put any seats from a compact car in your S-10. The popular seats have always been a Honda-type seat out of a Prelude or Civic. The Ford Probe seats also seem to have quite a following. As for a shop to get your ride cut up at, I would suggest asking around locally for some friends that have had good work done. Its hard when you live in a small town.
