Even in its stock form, a diesel pickup truck is a very capable vehicle that can haul extremely heavy loads. However, most diesel truck owners eventually begin to crave for more performance out of their machine.
Luckily, the aftermarket has plenty of available performance goodies. Here are the best upgrades to improve the performance of a diesel pickup truck.
Cold Air Intake
The stock air induction system is not geared towards performance. In an effort to cut manufacturing costs and to make the truck as quiet as possible, most automakers install a traditional air box. Unfortunately, the inefficient design of the air box restricts the amount of power that can be produced by the engine.
A cold air intake is engineered in a manner that allows the engine to breathe in as much air as possible. This equates to more power and a noticeably quicker throttle response.
Performance Exhaust System
The installation of a performance exhaust system enables a diesel engine to expel exhaust gases at a much faster rate. While the stock exhaust system uses crush-bent piping, performance exhaust systems use mandrel-bent piping. Mandrel bending ensures that the exhaust piping is the same diameter throughout.
Performance exhaust systems also feature a free-flowing muffler that has virtually no restrictions. The best part is that the overall performance of the truck will be improved without sacrificing fuel efficiency.
Upgraded EGR Cooler
Most factory-installed EGR coolers are prone to premature failure. While some of the stock EGR coolers experience severe clogging, there are others that have internal leaks. In some instances, a leaky EGR cooler can cause a significant amount of coolant to leak from the engine.
Although some diesel truck owners opt to install a factory replacement, the best approach is to install an aftermarket EGR cooler. Upgraded EGR coolers do not suffer from the same weaknesses as the stock version.
Power Programmer
A power programmer enables the truck owner to custom tune their vehicle. Not only can the programmer be used to adjust the shift points of the transmission, but it can also be used to modify engine’s air-fuel ratio. If the owner decides to install bigger tires, the speedometer can be re-calibrated via the power programmer.
According to companies like MKM Customs, most high-end power programmers can actually tune the truck to deliver better fuel economy.
