Truck Performance Upgrades - Power and Performance
by Hunter Jones
March 20, 2008

Getting more out your truck is important to you. If you are considering installing truck performance upgrades, make sure that you know what you are getting into. While many modifications can be simple and cost effective, the larger and more involved projects can become quite costly and require professional help (or at least tools). The first step is to define exactly what you want to upgrade. This will largely depend on what you intend to use the truck for.

Off Road: If you're going off road with your truck, you'll need a completely different set of upgrades than those who want to haul items. For instance, you will very possibly want to invest in a lift kit. This sets the body of the truck up higher. It is very important to note that only the body of the truck is affected; the axles (and the all important differential) remain at factory height. The only way to raise the axles and drive train up with the body is to invest in larger wheels and tires. The larger the diameter of your wheel, the higher the truck will sit. Also, your tires can add a good bit of height, as well. You may also wish to invest in "mudder" tires; these are specifically designed for off road use; using them on the road can wear them out quickly.

Towing: If you are going to haul heavy loads with your truck, there are a couple of performance upgrades that you can perform. Adding an additional towing package to your truck is advisable. You will need to check your OEM towing capacity to find out exactly what kind of towing package you will need. In addition to the obvious things, such as heavier hitches and sturdier construction, these kits come with important items like transmission coolers. A transmission cooler is a vital item for heavy hauling. Basically, it is simply a series of lines, hoses and fins that routes transmission fluid in front of your radiator to cool it with passing air. Overheating your transmission is the number one cause of transmission failure in any vehicle. Investing in a professional towing package will also give you the wiring you need for trailer lights.

Speed: If you are interested in enhancing the speed of your truck, there are quite a few upgrades available for your needs. The first thing that you can do is to invest in a cold air intake. These operate by supplying the engine with a constant supply of cold air. Cold air is denser than warm air, increasing the amount of burn you get out of your fuel, thus increasing horsepower. Usually, these will run down towards the bottom section of the front side of your engine. 

Additionally, you can consider adding a turbo to the engine. These can be easily located for a number of different truck brands. If you own a diesel truck, chances are you already have a turbo installed. Upgrading to a larger turbo will give you more power in this case. Truck spoilers are another option. These are designed to keep the down force of the wind pressing down on the back of the truck, where extra force is needed. Stay away from roof mounted spoilers; these add no performance to your truck, only drag and extra weight.

No matter why you want to upgrade the performance of your truck, you can find a variety of different ways to go about it. The first step, as mentioned, is to define your needs. Once done, you'll need to find a quality retailer that offers performance related accessories that fit your truck. Remember that "universal" products are ok, but OEM specific products are much better.