For truck lovers, one of the most important factors in ranking trucks is the power. While most truck lovers appreciate chrome and other cosmetic accessories, given the choice, most would spend time and money on performance upgrades before appearance mods. Truck makers have responded to the demand for power in recent years, producing trucks that come standard with increasingly shocking power statistics. However, most truck people would agree that building power is much more satisfying than buying power.
Increasing Your Truck’s HP and Torque the Easy Way
Increasing your truck’s horsepower and torque can be done with little effort and little money in most cases. In particular, diesel truck owners can unleash ridiculous amounts of horsepower with a simple computer re-flash. All things being equal, the recipe for power gains is simple and there are several truck performance parts available on the aftermarket to blast through your horsepower and torque goals.
Improve Airflow with a Few Mods
Motorsports 101 teaches us that power is gained by increasing airflow. This is accomplished on both the intake side and the exhaust side. High-flow air filters and air-box delete kits are a simple mod that can be done in a garage or parking lot. These kits allow more air to flow into the intake. Large diameter exhausts are a moderately easy replacement part. They allow exhaust gasses to flow out of the engine at a higher rate. These mods, when paired with a computer flash, can yield significant horsepower gains. However, to truly benefit from increased airflow, fuel delivery must also be addressed. Adding high flow fuel injectors can balance out the fuel ratio of your truck and add throttle response and torque to your powerband. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of fuel economy, but the power gains are worth every penny. To help combat the fuel economy issue and also to get an additional marginal power boost, high-energy spark plugs are an easy and simple way to complete the air/fuel mod trifecta. High energy plugs will ensure a clean and complete burn of every fuel charge in every cylinder, leading to more efficient performance and power delivery.
Install Supercharger or Turbo Systems
Another way to increase power takes the airflow recipe to the extreme. That is the addition of turbo or supercharger systems. These systems are more expensive and depending on the type, can be a more challenging installation. However, many owners are able to add these elements in their own driveway without very many special tools. Both turbo and superchargers add power by forcing air into the intake through compression turbines. Turbochargers utilize the vehicle’s exhaust to turn the turbines, while superchargers are connected to the engine via a belt and pulley. Both options offer massive power gains, often 50% or more increase in power. However, these systems can put huge stresses on internal engine components.
There are several ways to get the most out of your truck, A few quality parts is all you need to unleash the beast in your truck.
