Front Lifted Truck
The Carolina Squat is a weird trend where truck owners modify the suspension of their vehicle, so the front is pointing towards the sky and the rear end is pointing downward. The trend actually didn't originate in Carolina as the name suggests, it was born out of Baja Racing in California and became popular after hundreds of drivers posted photos of their squatting vehicles on Instagram. Because of this, the Carolina Squat became a trend that caught on all over the country, especially in the southern states, as well as in North and South Carolina.
Updated April 2021: If you're looking for information on squatted trucks, whether it's the Carolina Squat, the Cali Lean, or just a solution to the sagging suspension on an old workhorse, we've updated this article to include more recent and relevant information.
By raising the front of their trucks and simultaneously lower the back, it will result in a large rake. For added squat effect, they may even try to fit the biggest wheels and tires possible on their vehicle. It goes without saying that this trend offers little in way of practicality for vehicles and instead brings many disadvantages. There are several high-performance trucks on the market right now, and it's no surprise that none of them come pre-squatted. The Carolina Squat renders trucks virtually useless in terms of performance and for carrying any cargo, and visibility over the hood is extremely reduced. And those aren't the only problems the Carolina Squat brings with it. There are many ways to modify a truck to perfection, but this isn't one of them.
Read on to find out more about the history and effects of the Carolina Squat.
It All Began In California
Contrary to popular belief, the Carolina Squat began in California, which is why it was also referred to as the California Lean or the Cali Lean. The trend emerged back when Baja racing was popular in the hilly desert terrain of California, and it originated in the Baja racing circuit.
Seeing as Baja racing takes place in the desert with its sandy terrain and hilly landscape, the Carolina Squat actually had a practical purpose: In these races, when contestants would hit a jump at high speeds, the rear hits the ground first in order to avoid a crash because the truck's rear end is lower than its front bumper.
Outside of desert racing, however, people give their trucks the Carolina Squat purely for style and trying to impress others. After all, unless people are driving off-road at high speeds, there is no longer a performance attribute for it.
We Have Instagram To Thank For This Trend
We have social media to thank (or blame) for the Carolina Squat's rise to popularity. While there are some debates regarding the specifics, most people agree the trend caught on after lots of people posted photos of their squatting trucks on Instagram.
There are thousands of followers of truck squat-dedicated Instagram pages. The trend is also known as truck squat, truck lean, squatted truck, or the Carolina lean, and it has mainly caught on in North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Georgia.
Truck modification culture has also adopted the trend to some degree, with certain aftermarket parts manufacturers acquiescing to the market demands and bringing out truck squat modification kits. The look is most often found on independent front suspension trucks.
The front end of the truck is lifted using either a ball-joint lift or a torsion bars adjustment, and the truck's rear end can either be running standard or lowered ride height. The whole thing started a few years ago, and despite all the criticism, it has recently developed into quite a trend. The Carolina Squat can be prominently featured on truck forums or on Facebook truck groups. Some of the best trucks, as well as trucks people may avoid, have been modified to squat. Some trucks are better avoided, while others are highly rated and affordable.
Dangers Come With The Squat
Unfortunately, the Carolina Squat is very impractical, and also very dangerous. A lot of issues, problems, setbacks, and liabilities arise when squatting a truck. Not only does it change the look, but it also changes the function and handling of the vehicle.
People who squat their trucks lose all capability to tow a load because the tail end is already on the ground. Even worse, if the front end of the truck is higher than the rear end, the headlights are going to be pointed towards the sky instead of illuminating the road ahead. Third, the truck being angled will compromise the driver's view of what's ahead, which makes it unsafe.
Altogether, a perfectly standard truck safe to drive on the open road has now become a liability to the driver and a danger to others once squatted, and even the best performance trucks on the market seem to be victims of this trend.
The Squat Can Be Fixed
Thankfully, there are ways for drivers to repair their vehicles, so they stay level and no longer squat. For trucks that have been modified to squat, the solution is to just fit the standard components, and voilà, the truck is now un-squatted.
However, sometimes a truck's suspension can be so worn out that it looks squatted, which is neither cool nor safe. One solution is to get new leaf springs, which, on an F-150, should last approximately 200,000 miles. If the truck is frequently being used for heavy-duty tow jobs, then this could cause the springs to wear down faster.
There are even ways to make a truck squat less when loaded up with cargo or towing heavy trailers. One alternative is a suspension stabilizer . The stabilizer is fitted directly between the leaf spring and the spring pack, neutralizing the delayed leaf spring response. As a result, the truck immediately ceases to sag.
One word of caution: while several load-assisting products are available on the market today, and they effectively address squat for a loaded vehicle, they present the same core challenge as the factory suspension. They presume the vehicle will always be loaded while driving, leaving the vehicle's suspension tuned for that loaded state, causing complications when ever the vehicle is not carrying a heavy load. Air springs offer adjustability with load support, working with the vehicle's existing suspension to level the vehicle to normal ride height, removing any squat hazards, as the Carolina Squat is not considered a normal condition for vehicles.
Next: We Can't Stop Staring At These Modified Trucks
Sources: modifind.com, wbhswestwind.net, motorbiscuit.com, airliftcompany.com
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About The Author 
Kenny Norman (228 Articles Published)
Kenny graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Indianapolis. He has since gone on to be a reporter for and write for three newspapers following graduation. Kenny also has experience editing websites using WordPress, and he directed a newspaper team to produce two issues during Indianapolis' 2012 Super Bowl. Kenny was hired onto Valnet to write list articles in March 2020. In his free time, Kenny is often out socializing with friends, practicing karate, reading comics, discussing the Enneagram, or at a game night.
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Source: https://www.hotcars.com/carolina-squat-what-is-it-where-come-from/
