Pickup Truck Accessories

Small steps to achieve big horsepower

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 19:10:03 +0000

Most everybody wants more horsepower from their engine, that’s a fact. There are several ways to get more horsepoewr and I am going to show you just how to do it with this article.

1. Cold air induction – This is probably one of the easiest methods of getting more horsepower. Replace your air intake system with a cold air induction system from one of a number of manufacturers, though the K&N is probably the most popular. If you have an older vehicle with a carburator or throttle body intake, you can even try a tornado with a washable filter. You will see better results, even with this!

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2. Exhaust – Again, this is a small upgrade that is guaranteed to increase horsepower. I am a DynoMax fan, myself, because of the flow through design of the mufflers but you can virtually increase horsepower with any aftermarket muffler because pretty much all of them allow more exhaust through. If you went with straight pipes, you would probably see the maximum performance, but it is loud. If you can stand the sound, a set of cherry bomb or thrush glass packs would make a difference. If you can replace the exhaust manifold with headers, you will see an increase of up to 40hp by unrestricting the exhaust at the engine itself.

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3. Your ignition system could use a “boost”. Never go back with stock spark plugs! If you choose a platinum plug, you will always see a gain of power. I personally use Bosch Platinum +4 plugs on everything that I own. These plugs not only get optimum performance fuel wise, they also increase your power. If your truck is an older model that still has a distributor, replace the distributor with a higher power distributor. Also, change the ignition coil. You can get an MSD kit for your truck and WILL notice substantial performance.

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4. Reflash or replace your computer chip. If your truck is OBD-II (96 or newer), you can reflash the computer to increase power by simply plugging in a computer and changing settings. Once you are through, save the settings. Hypertech makes a wonderful machine that will do that for you. On the older vehicles with computer controls you were able to replace the PROM chip in them. Now, you can get a small module that plugs right into the diagnostic port that will change the settings of the computer. These modules come in Stages I,II, and III. Although, I don’t quite know how these will perform firsthand, I have heard from friends who use them that they work as good or better than replacing the PROM.

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5. Add a supercharger! I know this may be extreme and you probably would never want to add a supercharger or turbos to a stock engine, but there is an electric supercharger with works in conjunction with a cold air intake. It strictly forces air into the intake to increase the power that way. They are rather inexpensive, don’t require a higher compression ratio, and show massive increases in power. I installed one on my Tahoe to review it and actually saw a 45hp jump on the dyno. I DO RECOMMEND the electric superchargers to everybody!

Seven easy upgrades to modernize your old truck

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:45:51 +0000

Have you been looking at buying a new truck but can’t justify the payments? You are not alone. I recently went on a quest to modernize my two old trucks to make them as new as possible without spending more than $2000. Here is what I came up with.

1. Go with green fuel. I know, this sounds pretty stupid huh? Well, the fact is that you can get up 100% more efficiency with Hydrogen as by running regular fossil fuels. I only know of one make of engines that hydrogen won’t perform on and that is the PowerStroke diesels.

Why run hydrogen? It will increase fuel efficiency by up to 100%. It reduces emissions. It increases performance of your vehicle.
You can build a hydrogen fuel cell for less than $100. Installs in minutes and allows you to operate your car using water as a main fuel source!

If you have a diesel burning automobile, you can give it a double whammy by burning biodiesel as well. Biodiesel is produced in an external tank and then pumped into your fuel tank giving you fuel for less than $0.70/gallon. Use this in conjunction with hydrogen and you can seriously drive for as little as $0.35/gallon! Visit America’s Hydrogen and Biodiesel leaders to find a solution for your needs.

2. Upgrade your exhaust and air intake. Most modern day vehicles are equipped with a factory installed cold air intake. These cold air intakes allows for the air filter to be mounted close to fender or outside the fender to allow the vehicle to breathe the cooler air away from the engine. If your truck is an older style truck, you can find a K&N or compatible filter kit for less than $300 and you will notice a drastic increase in performance.
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Your exhaust doesn’t necessarily have to be real loud to make a difference, though I am quite the DynoMax guy. I like the smooth, mellow tone of the exhaust while the automobile is idling and really enjoy it’s growl when you step into the accelerator. The muffler alone is usually in the neighborhood of $50. With the replacement of the muffler, you will notice an increase in horsepower and torque.
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3. Upgrade your current audio system to a more modernized system. In-dash systems today carry everything from Bluetooth to navigation to DVD systems. Also, most new auto’s include a powerful component system with amplifiers and component speakers. You don’t have to spend a whole lot on this upgrade but it will make a difference.
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4. Replace your engine or transmission only when necessary. If you need a replacement engine or transmission, you can do this yourself at home in the matter of only one day. All that you need is a good set of wrenches and sockets, screwdrivers, and either an engine hoist or a-frame with chain fall. You can rent the engine hoist from most auto parts stores or you can buy one rather cheap for future needs. You can order the engine and transmission wholesale. Contact Scott with D&D and get a quote for a wholesale remanned engine or transmission. The engines include a 3-year/100k mile warranty and the trannys include a 2-year/unlimited mile warranty. You can get these shipped direct to you for much less than you can pay somebody to rebuild or to outright buy from parts store.

5. Replace your wheels and tires. Most modern vehicles come stock with 17, 18, even 20″ wheels. Now, I don’t necessarily recommend 20′s on an older vehicle because of the stress on the wheel bearings but you can find a good set of 17″ or 18″ wheels and modernize the vehicle that way.
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6. Add satellite radio. Enough said. Yeah, it costs about $13/month. I said that I would never pay for radio. Then one day, I actually tried it and zarking loved it! You get great music with no commercials. Plus, if you drive halfway across America like I used to, you DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE CHANNELS. For those of you with kids, they even offer backseat tv which gives your kids satellite tv in the backseat! You can purchase these for as little as $30.
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7. Add video monitors to your vehicle. This can mean a flip-down lcd, headrest monitors, or a back-up camera/monitor. You can install a flipdown lcd quickly with a single drill motor, a small strip of board and a phillips drill bit. Remove the dome light assembly from your automobile. If you own a vehicle with rear a/c with controls on the roof, you will need to leave these connected and push them under the headliner. Place the two boards under your headliner, wire up the monitor (you can power this from the dome light plug), and bolt down to the two boards you have place under headliner. It is now installed.

After installing this in my tahoe with Sirius backseat tv, we no longer hear the five kids when we go anywhere. They are lost in their videos and we can listen to music, talk, or do whatever we want to with no interruptions. Please note: You need infrared headphones to make this a classic!
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Adding a lift kit to 4wd Truck

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:15:59 +0000

ProComp lift kit

Thinking about adding a lift kit to your 4wd truck or suv? Here are a few tips to help you decide what is best for you.

1. Decide what type lift you want (suspension or body) or both. The things to remember when getting a lift, a suspension lift beefs up your suspension and lifts the vehicle from there. That means, the frame will lift with the kit. If you choose a body lift, it will lift the body off the chassis usually with a series of nylon blocks. Though the body kit is usually less expensive, it is also only to be used to add additional lift for a set of tires and not to be used for most off roading purposes unless it is accompanied by a suspension lift.

2. Decide on the brand. There are a million different brands to choose from when searching for a lift kit. You may consider NOT buying the cheapest when getting a lift kit due to the fact that YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. I am not saying buy the most expensive, but I would suggest at least choosing a medium grade kit. After all, your life is riding on it, literally.

3. Upgrading your tires? Make sure you get enough lift to cover the height of your tires and allows clearance when turning your front tires. This is detrimental to the longevity of your tire life! If you spend $2000 on tires you certainly don’t want the tires to scrub on the inside of the fenders wearing your tires prematurely.
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4. Don’t cut shortcuts when installing lift kit! It is most important that you install the lift kit properly. Installing them wrong can cause catastrophic mechanical failure in your vehicle or can simply cause your tires to wear fast. Be sure to follow all directions completely!

5. Remember safety first! When installing the kit remember to protect your eyes with safety glasses. Especially if you have to use a torch or an impact wrench. You are in charge of your safety. When using the lift kit on your vehicle, remember the vehicle is now several inches taller which changes the center of gravity dramatically. Don’t try to make turns to fast or the vehicle will flip!

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